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Have you seen it?
An accessible and personable blog about a journey through the world's best films films.
I bought a wonderful version of John Carpenter's 1982 The Thing for my mum for Christmas this year. It came in a gift box, exclusive to HMV, that looks like a VHS when you pull it out the sleeve. I completely fooled her. She's a lover of the good old VHS casettes and she said "Thank goodness I've still got my VHR." Then she realised that it wasn't a real VHS but 2 DVDs, one blu ray and one Ultra HD DVD (to future proof the 'VHS' even further). I'm terribly saddened that HMV has gone into administration again, I'll go and buy a load more VHS gifts from the Staines store before it closes because these gifts are diamonds.
Anyway, onto the film. It was our Christmas day film. We put it on once my dad had gone to bed, we'd completed our puzzle and settled down on the sofa for our evening chill; full of food and port. I've never seen The Thing so I was keen to watch it and David and my mum were excited to see it again and share it with me.
The film is based in an Antarctic research station, which hosts Kurt Russell's character and his crew of scientists. It starts off with a helicoptor trying to shoot a husky running through the snow, which I must admit which upset me slightly, (I'm glad they missed!) before I started to realise there was something a bit weird with the dog. Without giving away all the details, but it's hard not to, it's a film about aliens and the fight for survival when the aliens try to take over using humans (and any creature they can find!) to disguse themselves. It reveals an unnerving way that aliens could potentially trick people into thinking they weren't there when they were really taking over the world!
Looking down on the newly discovered space ship in the Antarctic
It's quite a gory film and I do love a bit of gore. However, I do not recommend it when effectively in a food coma and feeling slightly nausious already after too much Christmas food & drinks. For his time, The Thing's director, John Carpenter, was incredibly inventive in his use of special effects and filming techniques to get superb effects. They get some fantastic shots of aliens attacking living beings and getting inside people and copious amounts of blood, guts and gore without using the usual boring CGI that we see all the time now. I'd recommend the film on these grounds, it's a wonderful specimine of fine film making.
Another thing (lol), apart from the special effects, that makes this film scary/thrilling is that it's set in the Antarctic, so far far away from the rest of the world that there is literally no hope for rescue or survival. This group of men, who don't normally work together, need to work together, putting their egos aside, to figure out who could be disgused as an alien and who isn't, in an attemp to save the world and stop the aliens from reaching civilisation.
Kurt Russell as Macready in The Thing
It is very clear throughout, to us and the characters, what their fate is, yet they never give up, try to put their emotions aside, work together (eventually!) and is a real test of their strength and humanity. It was a hugely enjoyable film.
As mentioned above, this was a special addition DVD set from HMV (hugely recommend this collectors addition, but go and buy it asap!). It is also available if you have a free trial or subscription of Studio Universal Classics (via Amazon Prime) otherwise you can rent it for £3.49. It's available currently for free included in Sky Cinema or if you have Now TV.
All my love & films
Have you seen it?	Film Reviews	Leave a comment January 13, 2019 January 13, 2019 3 Minutes
HAPPY NEW YEAR, FILM LOVERS! I wanted to bring in the new year with a Christmas film which I watched for the first time last year and kick off 2019 with a review of a story which holds a lovely message.
It's a Wonderful life is a truly wonderful film made by Frank Capra and is beautifully written and beautifully made. It is the Christmas movie which will survive all Christmas films and should be watched year on year. It is an ageless black and white Hollywood classic which will be passed down through generations to remind everyone of the true spirit of Christmas and how each and every one of us should try to live our lives. It has become the annual festive film for many families and will remain to be for many years to come.
It starts off with a slightly cringey, outdated image of some stars talking about what's going on down on earth and whether an angel needs to be sent to help out in order for the angel to earn his wings. Even with this cringey image to start off, the film outdoes itself and makes up for it in so many other ways.
The story revolves around the life of George Bailey, played by James Stewart, who is a lovely young boy with many life plans, dreams and wishes as he grows up. He wants to travel the world and go to college and life a wonderful and fulfilling life. However, he ultimately ends up sacrificing everything for others as curveballs keep coming his way and he has to keep putting off the life he wants to live. He has responsibilities at home which he can't leave at his father's building society, marrying his child hood sweetheart, played by Donna Reid, and keeping the town happy following an unfortunate misplacing of a large sum of money.
It's a Wonderful Life is sentimental, touching, joyous and incredibly romantic; everything we look for in a Christmas film. In a way, the film is like a modern day A Christmas Carol, only in reverse. The "ghost" shows him what life for everyone would be like without him and his wonderful and happy ways, if he was not born. Instead of a horrible old man being shown to buck up his ideas, it tells the story of a hero who needs picking up again from despair .
Not only is it a Christmas film, I truly believe we should watch this any time of the year when needing a pick-me-up (I watched it back in July!!). Or if we need a little reminder of what people could be like when we find humanity hauls us into despair. Frank Capra didn't ever intend it to be a Christmas film so we should watch it as we will. It was his first film after returning back from the war and wanted to make a film which celebrated ordinary people who did amazing things for others.
It's such a gem and I can't believe how long it's taken me to see it. If you've not seen it, make it a priority, don't wait for next Christmas!
It's a Wonderful Life fell out of copyright many years ago so should be easy to find as most platforms will have it free to view. I watched it on Sky Movies.
Have you seen it?	Film Reviews	Leave a comment January 2, 2019 2 Minutes
The Apartment is another Billy Wilder classic featuring the marvellous Jack Lemmon as a C.C. Baxter, a bachelor working as an underwriter in an insurance company in New York. He allows his senior colleagues to 'borrow' his apartment in the evenings whilst entertaining other ladies that they want to keep on the down low from their wives.
I went into this film having no knowledge of the plot or having read anything about it, seen any trailers or reviews. I enjoyed it much more before because of it. I became very invested in the main character and in trying to figure him out. The Apartment is supposed to be a comedy but in a way it's actually quite tragic and I ended up feeling very sorry for Baxter the majority of the film. He struggles with a lack of pride and allows himself to be downtrodden by those at work who are more senior and feel they can walk all over him as they have ultimate power over him and his job. It demonstrates just how brutal the goings ons behind office doors in the city are. Fred MacMurray stars as C.C. Baxter's cheating boss. Baxter also doesn't care if his neighbours think badly of him and he doesn't care to correct them when they get the wrong end of the stick. He is unassertive and just does what he needs to do to get by. Jack Lemmon plays this gentleman so sublimely that he is an unlikely hero. You can do nothing but fall in love with his character, especially when he's full of cold.
The Apartment swings drastically from 'rom-' to 'com-' exploring a huge range of audience emotions and reactions. As the film develops, the focus becomes less on the funny Apartment antics and more on the relationship that Jacks character develops with elevator opperator Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) and he gradually starts to fall in love with her unwittingly facing complications down the line. A glimmer of fun still remains there throughout.
Billy Wilder plays wonderfully with the idea of affairs and sexual antics in how the script is crafted and the film is shot. Something that was considered a risk back in the 50s. There are no obvious comments or remarks about the immorality of it all and it leaves speculation to the viewer.
It's such a pleasure to watch as Baxer starts to stand up for himself and claw back the control that others have over him and his apartment. The Apartment is where the majority of the film is set and really is a beautiful film which is still so relevant and entertaining still today. The film takes the long nights of winter and you start to think a lot about the people who are alone in the cold, dark evenings around the Christmas period, like C.C. Baxter. I'm honestly not sure why this isn't considered a Christmas film!
The film claimed FIVE Oscars at the Academy Awards, including for best picture. It also scores top marks from me and I grow ever more enamoured with Billy Wilder's films and Jack Lemmon.
We watched The Apartment on Sky Cinema as we couldn't find it free of charge anywhere else, the DVD is available on Amazon.
All my love and films,
Have you seen it?	Film Reviews	Leave a comment November 15, 2018 November 15, 2018 2 Minutes
I am fully aware that this isn't a forgotten classic, one of the world's best films from movie history so doesn't necessarily fit into the blog theme that I'm going for. It is, however, festival season in the film world and I was lucky enough to go the UK premiere of Beautiful Boy last night at the BFI London Film Festival. It's not out yet in the United Kingdom, but I felt compelled to write about it. It's the first film I've seen at the festival so far but it really stood out amongst other films I've seen in the past few months as a moving real life tale of addiction.
Directed by Felix Van Groeningen, Beautiful Boy is a powerful portrayal of a young, beautiful, smart boy, Nic Sheff, played by Timothée Chalamet and his father, David Sheff, played by Steve Carell. Nic's mother and father are divorced but he lives with and has a wonderful relationship with his father's new wife and little half brother and sister. The story follows their life over a year during their darkest time when Nic succumbs to addiction. It shows what they go through and how their lives have been dramatically impacted and consumed by drug addiction. The film is adapted from 2 memoirs, one named 'Beautiful Boy', by David Sheff, the other named 'Tweak' by Nic Sheff. It contrasts the two sides of the story, a son who is addicted to all sorts of drugs, and the father's experience of desperately trying to help his son get clean foscusing on their relationship throughout.
The film opens your eyes to some critical issues that normal people who are not touched by addiction may not see or acknowledge. There is a huge amount of young people in the world that are suffering and going through similar things. It demonstrates how it impacts, not only your life, but the lives of those around you, in particular your family.
Beautiful Boy explores various themes that the family were going through as it focused on the different sides of the addiction. How the father heart wrenchingly struggles with maintaining the good friendship he had with his son growing up. As his son gets consumed further by drugs, Nic's father is grasping at straws; desperate to be the person that keeps his son alive and back on the right path. The film is edited in such a way that it goes forwards and backwards in time. It dives right into the situation at the start and follows their path which isn't easy. It doesn't have a start, middle and end and is a bit messy reflecting the lack of closure to their situation. It's doesn't sugar coat what's going on and shows the reality of such situation.
A wonderful shot of father and son sat in the darkness but leaning into the light
One part of the film, which I don't want to spoil with the details, was a real turning point in Steve Carell's character's experience, where he and his new wife come to terms with dealing with the fact that they cannot help their son regardless of how much they love him. It needs to be on their terms; the addict needs to want your help, really want your help, before you can help them. Until this point, you assume Nic's step mother, Karen, played by Maura Tierney is emotionally distant. It reinforces just how much she does care, and how she is trying not to let it impact her family and keep everything stable. The next scene shows how it is Karen that is truly helping David come to terms with his capacity to help, and how he actually cannot help his son.
Photo showing a happy family with a lot going on behind closed doors which outsiders are not aware of
The film is so beautifully conceived that throughout the viewer gets incredibly invested in the characters and it's heartbreaking watching them go through it. Whatever they face you desperately want them to get out the other side and get better and overcome what they are facing and want them to work through it together. The audience is made to feel exactly how David Sheff must feel when his son is involved. The desperation, despair and intense sadness.
Crystal meth is the drug that is most in the news and prevalent at the moment, and the one that seems to feature throughout, even though Nic's heroin addiction and multiple other drug usage is also widespread. It does gloss over some of the individual drug experiences but the film is truly about their relationship, not just about the devastating physical affects of drugs. It particularly attempts to educate the viewer in the health and social impacts of crystal meth on the individual and their relationships.
Nic desperately asking his dad for money, and his father desperately trying to understand this stranger sat in front of him
It's been about 10 years in production since the producers, Dede Gardner, Brad Pitt and Jeremy Kleiner knew they wanted to make this film. I'm pleased they saw it through to the end and that it was made in such a beautiful, compelling way. I wanted to write about this because it's a film I think everyone should see when it comes out. It's a brutally honest film about addiction, and a father and son's experiences with the whole journey that they face together and the desperate tragedy of it all. It will be a classic in 50 years time, which I hope will feature on best films lists. I believe it will always be relevant as there will always be people struggling with addiction in some capacity.
Beautiful Boy is already in cinemas in the USA, and comes out in cinemas in the UK (I believe) on 18th January 2019 (sorry!).
All my love and films
Have you seen it?	Film Reviews	Leave a comment October 14, 2018 October 15, 2018 4 Minutes
If you are going to watch a film about Oliver Twist, this beautiful black and white 1948 re-telling of the Charles Dicken's story by David Lean is the one to watch.
The story follows the well-known, beautiful tale of sweet Oliver Twist, played by John Howard Davies, who is an orphan boy born in the workhouse that his mother stumbled into before she dies after giving birth to him. Years later, after drawing the short straw and asking for seconds of gruel at dinner time (the legendary line, "Please, Sir, can I have some more?"), Oliver Twist is sold to work with a coffin maker and undertaker before escaping and running away on a 7 day journey to London. London is where he bumps into The Artful Dodger and gets swept into a life of pick-pocketing with a group of other orphan boys in order to keep a roof over his head with the old man Fagin who leads the group.
Prior to seeing Oliver Twist, I'd only seen Carol Reed's 1968 version Oliver!. That version is a musical and is the one that immediately comes to most people's mind when you think of on-screen Oliver Twist. I'm very pleased to have discovered this older version as it's interesting and refreshing to see such a superb production of the story as it was supposed to be seen without the singing and dancing. Oliver Twist is perfect if you aren't keen on musicals and David Lean's film is the best way to see it.
Having the correct lightining is critical to black and white films and an art form in its own right. There's something really special and magical about the lighting throughout Oliver Twist, indoors and outdoors (on an indoor set) with candles, lamps, carefully positioned shadows and even the lightening in the first stormy scene. It makes the film stand out on the screen and gives beautiful, dramatic shots to set the scenes in this motion picture and let's David Lean's top directing skills shine through. I am excited to see what else he has to offer in his first Charles Dicken's retelling of Great Expectations which was made few years prior to Oliver Twist.
Oliver Twist has a 100% rating on rotten tomatoes compared to the various remakes which are not so well received but still highly rated in relation to other similar films. This one is basically perfect. Lean has created a truely wonderful film that I can't fault. This 1948 version is a must see for fans of the story or classic literary tales.
The story is an emotional rollercoaster but a memorable experience told in a wonderful visual way. There are happy moments and sad moments and you only want the best for lovely young Oliver. It gets top marks from me and the only visual telling of this classic which still makes an impression today. It is entirely deserving of being one of the top British films of all time.
Oliver Twist is available on Amazon Prime for your enlightenment if you haven't seen this film before or wish to see it again, which you should. It is a truely stunning translation of the literary classic which no other version has matched up to yet.
Have you seen it?	Film Reviews	Leave a comment October 1, 2018 2 Minutes
This is the second 50s film I've seen within a week that's set in the 20s! Singin' in the Rain was directed, choreographed and starred in by Gene Kelly. It is a marvellous celebration of Hollywood's short history. It celebrates feature film, silent film, film with audio, music, amazing sets, dancing, acting, singing etc. etc. What more could you want?
The focus of this film is taking us back to the 20s when audio in films was still cutting edge, and the complications that came with it: unwanted sound and actors that had the wrong voices. The comic telling of the tale in a romantic setting was a wonderful way to be enlightened by this theme. It's been over dramatised but I still found it fascinating how audio in films came to be and the funny side of how it was perceived and their difficulties.
Having seen All About Eve recently, set in the theatre, and the playwrite wanting to go to Hollywood to hit the big time in the movies; the Hollywood vs New York and Film vs Theatre rings true more than ever. At the start, Kathy (Debbie Reynolds) isn't interested in the famous silent movie star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) after he accidentally hitches a ride in her car. She's rude to him and makes her dreams very clear. About her going to New York and being on the stage to do "real acting", unlike his 'undignified' career. Don asks "What's your lofty mission in life that lets you sneer at my humble profession?" and she simply replys "I'm an actress…" then "…on the stage".
They end up reuniting at an actor's party when the head of Don's studio is giving a presentation about the cutting edge technology of sound in films! Debbie pops up, literally, to her embarassment, as a party entertainer.
Gene Wilder was apparently a bit of a perfectionist meaning many of the incredible songs and dances which awe us in this film were products of numerous retakes. There's one fantastic shot in a dance routines which is one roll and they nailed it. Goodness knows how long it took to shoot, but they're really wonderful scenes.
There's a random broadway scene in the middle where Gene Kelly starts singing and dancing with absolutely incredible theatre set designs. I've heard this is apparently because Gene Kelly wanted to dance with a professional who was just as good as he was as Debbie wasn't as good as he'd hoped (poor Debbie!)
Singin' in the Rain has some cracking tunes, which everyone will know, regardless of whether you've seen the film or not. 'Good Morning' and 'Singing in the Rain' in particular. When Gene is actually singing in the rain, in that iconic scene, it's completely magical and very touching. It makes you rethink you life and want to get out and enjoy things which are considered not so great normally.
What ever happened to tap dancing musicals? As pop culture developed, we seem to have lost touch with this marvellous art form. There had been a gaping hole in Hollywood tap musicals before La La Land emerged and with An American in Paris hitting the stages again, I can see it's popularity rising again. I wonder if we'll have more coming soon. It's always nice to see something a bit different and fresh, that we've not seen for a while. My world has been enlightened since I discovered this gem I am keen to watch more Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers etc. masterpieces. Please recommend some to me that you think are worth watching!
This is such a beautiful film and I truely believe everyone will love it. A wonderful, light hearted romance, with great singing and dancing. I managed to record Singin' in the Rain on Sky Movies although the second part never seemed to tape, so it took a few goes! Keep an eye out for it, it must get airtime on tv all the time, otherwise it's available for renting in all the usual spots: Sky Store, Amazon Prime.
Have you seen it?	Film Reviews	Leave a comment September 24, 2018 September 24, 2018 3 Minutes
This film, directed by Billy Wilder, very quickly became one of my favourite films I've watched so far on my little journey of film of the world's greatest films. It is therefore no surprise to me that after researching it following my viewing it falls on many of the most loved/favourite comedies of all time. It is a perfectly touching and beautifully funny film which just glitters with joy. I fell immediately in love with the two main characters Joe and Jerry (played by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon respectively) who go undercover in disguise as Josephine and Daphne (Jerry didn't like the name Geraldine haha!!!) in order to get a job as musicians in an all girl band in Florida.
It starts off in the 20's in the prohibition era when Joe and Jerry are playing in a speak easy and scraping together a living, playing the double bass and sax. They lose their job when the speak easy get's shut down and they accidentally stumble on the 1929's Saint Valentines Day Massacre in Chicago. It's freezing cold, times are rough and following their brush with death and needing to escape the mob, the only job they can seem to lay their hands on are these two positions in a lady's band touring in florida. Naturally they decide to go for it. It's effectively the only option they have so they decide to make the best of a bad situation. They dress up in women's clothes, don their best girly voices and board the train to Florida.
Remarkably the two don't get caught out, which is just fantastic, as you do forget they're men when they're playing their respective females. Curtis and Lemmon had a feminine coach during filming to help them with getting in touch with their feminine sides for this role and I honestly think they nailed it. On the train over to Florida they meet the band's beautiful ukelele player, Sugar, played by Hollywood's sex symbol, Marylin Monroe. After covering for her when she's found with a flask, Sugar and Daphne quickly become friends and partake in some secret drinking in Jerry's bunk in a bid for him to get closer to her.
Joe on the other hand takes a different approach to woo Sugar as she'd previously stated to him she has a thing for saxophone players (which he is) but she always gets her heart broken so is on the lookout to date a rich man with a boat while in Florida. By dressing up as a rich, English yachtsmanan at the hotel, Joe decides to play hard to get when he "accidentally" trips up Sugar on the beach. He knew Sugar would fall head over heels in love with him. Which she does.
"I don't care how rich he is, as long as he has a yacht, his own private railroad car, and his own toothpaste." – Sugar
Daphne, staying as a female, frolicing in the sea and dancing all evening, constantly gets chatted up by a gentleman, Osgood, who genuinely does have a yacht and takes a fancy to 'her'. Joe and Jerry then decide to make a scheme in order for Joe and Sugar to have dinner on his boat whilst Daphne keeps Osgood busy for the evening. Joe and Sugar hit it off on the boat and Daphne and develops a deeper relationship with Osgood which ends in a proposal(!)
Some like it hot is set in a glamourous beachside hotel in Florida (actually in LA due to the director's request that it isn't far from the studio) and it has some fabulous songs. "I wanna be loved by you, just you and nobody else but you" sung by the wonderful Marylin. I was singing that for days after watching the film. Some like it hot has everything it needs to be a masterpiece comedy.
Wilder reinforces Marylin's role as a sex symbol throughout, for example how Jerry admires her when we see her for the first time running down the platform to catch the train. "Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you, it's a whole different sex!". The costume department also put Marylin in a rather revealing dress whilst she sings in one of their performances which I'm sure everyone double takes at, thinking she's naked. Keep an eye out for that one. Pretty funny.
Apparently Marilyn Monroe was very difficult to work with, constantly getting her lines wrong because she was popping pills and drinking the whole time, she was also pregnant! They must have been so patient with her as they caught all the scenes with her perfectly. Marylin's personality really comes out in this role and she's such a likeable character. I don't want to dwell too much on her because I truely think that Curtis and Lemmon are the stars of the film and it is very much their story. But Hollywood definitely put up with a lot of Marylin's antics because she brought in the audiences.
This film is such a lovable barrel of laughs right from start to finish and it is an absolute pleasure to watch. A true entertaiment. It's a comedy but is also very romantic. The closing scene is such a gem, what an iconic happy ending.
Some like it hot is currently on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. You're welcome. Let me know what you thought!


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← Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #2 First two decennia of 21st century
Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #4 The Family pact →
Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #3 Right to Human dignity
Posted on June 2, 2011 by Marcus Ampe
Poverty evolution in Flanders
Right to Human dignity
Universality – the idea that human rights apply to all people, in all places, at all times – was the basic principle underlying the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, with a post of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
From the 1976 law ""each human being has the right to social care" which should "enable people to lead a life of human dignity" is not left over much."
But there is also a loophole in that law because the Public Centres for Social Welfare are obliged to give a reasoned answer to each request and as such cannot decide arbitrarily on the needs of those that ask for assistance, or clients of the social services. Focusing attention on "human dignity" as an autonomous value fundamentally implies an expression of respect towards people who ask for assistance and their recognition as citizens. But the last few years we got masses of immigrants coming into this land of milk and honey.
A civilized society should have the dignity of the human person as its foundation of its moral vision. It does not only concerns the sanctity of human life including euthanasia, human cloning, and the destruction of human embryos for research, but also the ability to live in a healthy natural habitat where there is respect for the environment and where is taken care of all citizens without racism and attacks against non-combatants, torture unjust war, and the use of the death penalty. In a society with human dignity everything is taken care of in the best interests to prevent unhealthy situations, to prevent genocide; to oppose; and to overcome poverty and suffering. There should be guaranteed the right to potable water, clean air, food security, uncontaminated soil, shelter and safe sanitation, allocating the national and international resources.
Poverty in Flanders - an analysis by Marcus Ampe
In Flanders the government should take care as every nation to protect the right to life by seeking effective ways to combat evil and terror without resorting to armed conflicts except as a last resort, always seeking first to resolve disputes by peaceful means. In first instance shall thy have to combat criminality, which includes also the small crimes of making the environment dirty by throwing waste everywhere. All habitants of the community should be active and responsible participants in the political process. Even those who cannot vote have the right to have their voices heard on issues that affect their lives and the common good.
Flanders has to work towards a society based on values of human rights, to be different, and at the same time being equal before the law, protected from any sort of harm or violence and ensuring that all people can enjoy equal opportunities.
By not enough taking care of the protection of those human rights for everybody and persistent violations of human rights the country undermines stability, and the consequences – corruption, terrorism, international crime, forced migration – are no longer restricted, in today's world, to certain countries or regions, but extend right into the heart of all our societies.
The conviction that everyone is equal in terms of their rights and dignity should for example be the driving force behind efforts to secure equal rights for men and women, to prevent cultural and religious traditions being used as a pretext for not respecting certain rights, and to ensure that everyone in the world is free to express their views.
The protection of life and the person, guaranteeing physical integrity, is one of the most fundamental human rights, relevant to everyone on the planet.
We may never forget that freedom is respecting the freedom of somebody else. We should not only think of our rights to do as we please but also recognize our duties or our human dignity to our self and to others. Our humanity is not exhausted by our autonomy or by our ability to make claims or to exercise rights free of governmental interference and therefore we should have Flemish and European codes of ethics and specific legislation speaking readily of preserving and protecting human dignity.
We should also be aware of undignified and dehumanizing consequences of a medicine that seems always to choose in favour of life—longer life, more life, life regardless of its quality and of the burden laid on the members of the family. In his Discourse on Method, Descartes called for a new kind of social contract between modern philosophy (science) and modern society, in which better health and, ultimately, the conquest of mortality would be offered to the populace in exchange for and as a result of giving scientists full freedom to pursue their experiments and inquiries, free from the intrusions of Church and other moral strictures. His provisional morality, presented in part three of the Discourse, foreshadows the preferred morality of modern scientists: respect the laws and customs of your country, except when they interfere with your right to pursue your research and to seek the truth. Certain households come into poverty by the many medical costs which our brought to them by the expenses to keep somebody further in life, not taking in the quality of that person's life and considering if he really wants that sort of life. There should also be next to a "right to live" a "right to die" or a "right to death with dignity". Our scientific knowledge still requires appealing to a sense of human dignity, tied not to our weaknesses but to our strengths as god-like and generous beings.[1] Biotechnology has brought us marvellous things and progression and we should be deeply grateful for the gifts of human ingenuity and cleverness, and for the devoted efforts of scientists, physicians, and entrepreneurs who have used these gifts to make those benefits possible. But we should not allow this advancement bring a burden over people.
Affiche voor Open Erfgoeddag Armoe troef - Poster for the open Inheritance Day Poverty trumps
For we recognize that the powers made possible by biomedical science can be used for non-therapeutic or ignoble purposes, serving ends that range from the frivolous and disquieting to the offensive and pernicious. These powers are available as instruments of bioterrorism (e.g., genetically engineered drug-resistant bacteria or drugs that obliterate memory); as agents of social control (e.g., drugs to tame rowdies or fertility-blockers for welfare recipients); and as means of trying to improve or perfect our bodies and minds and those of our children (e.g., genetically engineered super-muscles or drugs to improve memory). Anticipating possible threats to our security, freedom, and even our very humanity, many people are increasingly worried about where biotechnology may be taking us.[2] The Dutch liberty to allow the so called 'coffee shops', the free provision places for legalized drugs and the Belgian allowance for free drugs for personal use brings a lot of people to poverty because they are spending lots of money to a destroying product. In 2004, the 'National health interview survey', carried out among the general population aged 15 years and older, included questions on cannabis use. Lifetime prevalence of cannabis was reported by 13 % of respondents aged 15–64, compared with 10.8 % reported in 2001. Overall, last year prevalence of cannabis use was reported by 5 % of respondents, with last year prevalence reported at 12 % for those aged 15–24 years and 11 % for those aged 25–34 years.[3] Cannabis was the drug most frequently reported by students aged 15 and 18: 24.6 % (15–16 years) and 43.5 % (17–18 years) in the Flemish community, and 29.6 % (15–16 years) and 47.0 % (17–18 years) in the French community.[4] In July 2000 in Flanders as an action plan for illegal drugs, based on a health perspective and on the harm reduction philosophy, the necessary legislative adaptations were made and in 2001 syringe exchange programmes were officially implemented. Access to methadone is provided by a broad range of services (low threshold services, GPs, outpatients' specialised units, mental health facilities) but costs the general community. Regional data concerning hepatitis show HCV is still the most frequent type of hepatitis among drug users. The abuse of drugs is related to an overall increase in the abuse of psychoactive substances (including alcohol and tobacco). This common trend is particularly evident among young people, a possible indicator of future abuse among the general population with enormous health and social costs.[5]The illnesses of the drug users bring higher costs to the user but also to their families who become pulled into poverty by the growing Medicare costs. In the frame of the Federal Police "Road safety action plan", controls focusing on drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs are performed. The 2008 results are comparable to the previous years' ones: a majority of the analysed samples were positive and the most important substance detected was cannabis. Also the accidents by drunken driving bring in so many costs, for revalidation, several years treatment of the victims, etc. that the community has to take care that such things cannot happen and the rights of all the road users is protected. So the freedom to use drugs has to be in the light seen taking into account what unconscious damage the user does to him or herself but also to others, who have to be protected.
There is something right or proper in the natural liberty each man has to use or to appropriate absolutely anything in the world in order to preserve his life, and especially to defend his life against his enemies. To have a right to everything is clearly (and massively) a moral assertion.[6]
The Belgian government is obliged to protect all its citizens, legal but also illegal inhabitants, but it has to be reasonable in its protection measurements. (For example giving an illegal 500€ per night he was not offered a logging far that night is totally unjustified and puts a burden on the rest of the community.)
Human rights have also to do with no restrictions placed on people in the name of religion. No religion may formulate its 'own human rights'. This also means that every individual is free to practise his or her religion or belief, change his or her beliefs or choose not to have any religious convictions. More and more we find that people are not wanted at a certain work because their beliefs (either being an active Christian or a Muslim). Governments have a duty to protect this freedom, both in legislation and in practice. Inequality before the law, discrimination and the persecution of religious minorities are serious violations of the rights to which every individual is entitled.
The equality of women with men can be good if it is really taken to heart, but the government should take care that both do not come into a hidden 'slave equality'. The rights of women and girls are still violated on a massive scale in Flanders whether in the form of rape as a weapon of superiority war, discrimination at work or domestic violence.
Children are the most vulnerable members of our society, and they therefore especially need support to achieve their rights. But in today's world of divorced and poverised families we can notice that the rights of the children are often tread under foot.
In a community the parishes and churches can provide for consultation and collaboration with organisations, educational and health institutions, the training of pastoral leaders on life issues, and serving as a resource and referral network for specific inquiries. Every community has to provide the possibility for people to find a resource for individuals and groups seeking information on health matters, care and all sorts of care (household help, nursing, education, financial aid, etc.).
Generally work has to be made of creating a social feeling coming from gratitude to each other, concerned knowledge and work and to a balanced distribution of reward, without extravagant excesses which now still occur.
On 25 March 2011, the Flemish Government has given her approval at the progresses report[7]. According Article 4 of the decree of 21 March 2003 regarding the poverty fight the Flemish Government has every year at the Flemish Parliament to present a report which communicates over the progress of the execution of the action plan. Let us hope that the word does not make a hit and that they can deliver the goods, so that it not remains words on paper and that they learn of the "experiences experts".
With expressions of concern we stay on the look out to see how the Flemish authorities will accept and settle the challenge. The Flemish government can make work to collect all different kinds of knowledge over poverty and social exclusion lasting. Further must they broadly spread this knowledge over poverty and make the explicit choice to fight poverty and to get together in collaboration for co-ordination of the poverty fight via administrations networks trying to do everything until ends meet.
Provided poverty is a network of social exclusions in various areas which are deeply intertwined, such as education, work, leisure, housing and health, we must ensure that everyone can be guaranteed his or her fundamental rights.
The activation steps of the Flemish government have a disciplining effect and are aimed at a reduction in public spending. The social rights are special stipulations and rights are no longer just that. Duties are strongly connected with the reduced rights. This is extended to the social services with the result that the entitlements to benefits or the living wage and the right to social services ("Every person is entitled to social services. It aims citizens with the opportunity to live a life that responds to human dignity. "Article 1 of the 'CPAS Law" from 1976) is been eroded.
We must join together to bring forth not only a small regional society but a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Together we must look into it that benefits of development are shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor which is widening, shall be called to a halt. Also a task to keep the human rights in order is to make others also aware of the injustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict which are widespread and the cause of great suffering.
Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.[8]
Poverty barometre
[1] Too often men wants to play for God.
[2] Ageless Bodies, Happy Souls, Leon R. Kass, 2003
[3] 2004 – Belgium – adult lifetime cannabis use
[4] 2006 – Belgium – youth lifetime cannabis use
[5] Drugs and crime trends in Europe and beyond, UN Report Vienna, 2004
[6]The right to life and human dignity, Leon R. Kass, 2007
[7] voortgangsrapport (pdf, 2,1 MB) (pdf, 2.1 MB)
[8] From The Earth Charter
Een analyse van de Armoede in Vlaanderen door Marcus Ampe - Poverty in Flanders, an analysis by Marcus Ampe
To remember:
"Human rights rests on human DIGNITY. The dignity of man is an ideal worth fighting for and worth dying for." Robert C. Maynard.
Governments must be transparent and may only curtail freedom of expression (and the right to receive and impart information) to promote respect for the rights or reputations of others and to protect national security, public order and public health or morals. The claims by governments that national security is a carte blanche to restrict information is never justified – especially when the restriction appears to be covering up human rights and humanitarian law violations. [From the web] Annual Report 2011 The state of the world's human rights – amnesty.org
Human Dignity (3quarksdaily.com) Is human dignity underwritten by human uniqueness in the strong sense that humans are partly divorced from the natural order?
Substantive Dignity-Dwarf-throwing, Burqa Bans, and Welfare Rights (volokh.com) Should respect for intrinsic human dignity favour individual choice and not take into account safety matters, by for example not allowing burqa's because somebody can hide in them?
=> Freedom is not the same as dignity.
+ What if a person's conception of dignity is in conflict with other values such as public safety? For example, what if a person wears a burqa with the intention of concealing identification in committing a crime?
+ Conception of dignity used to defend dwarf throwing, burqa wearing, prostitution, or pornography is not that of human agency and freedom of choice, but rather represents a particular moral view of what dignity requires. These laws do not purport to maximize individual freedom, but instead regulate how individuals must behave in order to maintain dignity (and in the case of criminal prohibitions, stay out of jail).
+ Positive conceptions of dignity bring us away from the dignity of individual autonomy. Inherent dignity focuses on a universal and equal quantum of dignity in each person and leaves open the question of what constitutes a good or dignified life—it seeks to maximize liberty and individual choice. By contrast, positive conceptions of dignity focus on specific views of the good life. We have to measure up to substantive dignity—it can be gained and lost. Substantive views of dignity may constrain choices and thereby fail to respect the individual agency of those who have a different view of the good.
[From the web] The right to live a life of human dignity (CHR on RH Bill) – www.chr.gov.ph (hronlineph.wordpress.com) Reproductive Health is about the right of every person – regardless of sex, gender, age, social status, political or religious conviction – to the highest attainable standard of health.
Are We Really Helping? (missed60b.wordpress.com) "The measure of our compassion for the poor should not be how much we spend on federal antipoverty programs. Compassion must be effective. We ought to define success by how many escape dependence on welfare to pursue their full potential as human beings."
"As Christians, we believe the moral measure of the debate is how the most poor and vulnerable people fare," argues a statement on Circle of Protection's website. "Funding focused on reducing poverty should not be cut."Protecting the status quo, however, isn't in the best interest of the poor." says Jennifer A. Marshall, director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation and author of "Now and Not Yet: Making Sense of Single Life in the Twenty-First Century."We ought to define success by how many escape dependence on welfare to pursue their full potential as human beings." "we also have to account for our overall stewardship of resources, commitment to the next generation, protection of national security, and respect for the proper roles of family, civil society and various levels of government."
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/31/3665533/federal-budget-no-easy-moral-question.html#ixzz1O8FTaRGY
Understanding Poverty in America
For most Americans, the word "poverty" suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. But only a small number of the 35 million persons classified as "poor" by the Census Bureau fit that description.
This entry was posted in Christianity, Poverty, Welfare and Health and tagged Advocacy Organizations, Belgium, Biotechnology, Child, Community, Crime, Dignity, Discrimination, Drugs, Ethics, European Union, Euthanasia, Flanders, Freedom, Human, Human Rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Ilness, Life, Migration, Philosophy, Poverty, Respect, social care, social services, Social Welfare, Society, Solutions, suffering, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Welfare and Health, Woman. Bookmark the permalink.
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HDP: AKP remains indifferent to the demand of hunger strikers
The AKP Government remains indifferent to this rightful and legal demand that invites Turkey to comply with its laws and international conventions to which it is a signatory.
Thursday, 7 Mar 2019, 19:00
Ayşe Acar Başaran, HDP Spokesperson for Human Rights and Legal Procedures Commission, Member of the Central Executive Board and MP for Batman, released a statement about the hunger strike campaign demanding an end to the isolation imposed on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Full text of the statement reads as follows;
"The hunger strikes initiated on 8 November 2018 by the HDP Deputy for Hakkari and Co-Chair of Democratic Society Congress, Ms. Leyla Güven, demanding the end of aggravated isolation imposed on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, held in Imralı Island Prison for 20 years, continue with the participation of politicians and activists in Erbil, Wales and Strasbourg as well as more than 330 prisoners from Turkish prisons. As of March 7, 2019, Leyla Güven has been on hunger strike for 120 days; Nasır Yağız in Erbil has been on hunger strike for 107 days; politicians and activists in Strasbourg have been on hunger strike for 82 days; and over 330 prisoners have been on hunger strike for 82 days. On 1 March 2019, thousands of political prisoners joined the hunger strike to demand the end of the aggravated isolation on Mr. Öcalan. HDP Deputy for Diyarbakır Ms. Dersim Dağ, along with five HDP members, also joined the hunger strike on 3 March 2019. Four of these hunger strikers were detained. In Batman, Sedat Akin continues his hunger strike at his home, after being released from Erzurum Prison. The AKP Government remains indifferent to this rightful and legal demand that invites Turkey to comply with its laws and international conventions to which it is a signatory.
Inhuman and unlawful treatments against the hunger strikers continue
Besides the disinterest going on currently, inhuman and unlawful treatments against the hunger strikers continue. The health conditions of Cihan Tamur and Şahin Öncü, who have been on hunger strike since 16 December 2018 at the Van F Type High Security Prison, are getting worse. Hunger strikers' right to conversation has been prevented, their access to newspapers and social activities have been restricted and their radios have been confiscated. Şahin Öncü has difficulties in walking, pain in his mouth, high fever, intense pain in his teeth, gastric contractions and nausea, increased sensitivity to noise and smell, visual impairment, blood build up in his eyes, spasms in his body, cramps in his neck. He has also difficulties in sleeping and there are lesions in his hands. His nose is bleeding from time to time and there is bleeding both in his bowel and urinary tract. He has also begun to suffer from intense pain in his kidneys and stomach. These symptoms experienced by Öncü have also been observed in other hunger strikers. The rooms in which hunger strikers are held are not suitable for medical assessment and current health conditions.
Carbonate, vitamin B are not provided; cleaning materials are confiscated
Carbonate, an essential nutrient during hunger strikes, is not provided for the hunger strikers in Tokat Prison, disciplinary investigations have been launched against strikers and their activities have been suspended. Yeni Yaşam newspaper has not been given for more than a month and cleaning materials have been confiscated during arbitrary searches in the wards. The hunger striker Zeki Temel has experienced urinary tract infection amid his hunger strike.
Zınar Demir, who started hunger strike on 5 January 2019 in Osmaniye Prison, is not provided vitamin B, which is essential during the hunger strike.
Prisoners' basic needs are not sold at the canteen
Prisoners, on hunger strike on 26 December 2018 in Kırıkkale F Type Closed Prison, are not given carbonate, fruit juice and vitamin B. They are also prevented from supplying these products from the canteen and infirmary. Fruit juice and herbal teas, which can be consumed by hunger strike prisoners, are either very few or absent at the prison canteen. Cleaning materials have not been sold in the canteen for a long time; hunger strikers and other prisoners wash their clothes with hand soap.
Arbitrary disciplinary investigations, arbitrary punishments
All radios in the wards were seized by the administration on 12 February 2019 in Kırıkkale F Type Closed Prison and as a result, the prisoners' right to be informed about the outside world has been violated. Besides the disciplinary investigations, hunger striking prisoners' right to have conversation and join social activities are prevented. Each hunger striker has been given punishments. One hunger striking prisoner has been given 45-day suspension from activities twice. In addition, incoming and outgoing letters of prisoners are not delivered.
Hunger striker İsmet Akın has significant and serious health problems. The defluxion in his open sore has increased, and he has severe amnesia, intense grayout, insomnia, flash and intense headaches, increased sensitivity to sound and smell.
There is no medical examination; but disciplinary investigations
Five prisoners in Kayseri T Type No 2 Prison have been on hunger strike since 5 January 2019. Weight loss, weakness, headache, difficulty in concentration have been observed in hunger striking prisoners. No medical examination has been provided for the prisoners on hunger strike until today. Disciplinary investigations have been initiated by the prison administration against hunger strikers and they have been suspended from activities. The tops of the open-air areas were covered with wire fences by the prison administration. The wire fences above these areas, which is the only area where the prisoners have the opportunity to breathe and see the sun, have been frozen, restricting the flow of air or sight of the sky. 56 of the prisoners who demanded the removal of wire fences were sentenced to one-day cell punishment. Cameras were placed in the wards by the prison administration and the prisoners were placed under supervision for 24 hours. Prisoners' radios in storehouse are kept without any reason and Yeni Yaşam newspaper to which prisoners are subscribed, is not given on a regular basis. Prisoners in different wards are not allowed to exchange letters. Monthly open visits are limited to 45 minutes by the prison administration, although it is regulated as 1 hour in the domestic law. Prisoners are prevented from wearing berets and gloves in the ward, and they are not allowed to access their own berets and gloves in the storehouse.
Restriction of access to newspapers and radios
Disciplinary investigation has been launched by the prison administration against the women prisoners who are on hunger strike in Kayseri Closed Women Prison and they have been given one-month suspension from activities. Yeni Yaşam Newspaper is not provided, although the prisoners are subscribed to it. Prisoners' radios in the storehouse are not given without any reason.
B1 and B12 complex vitamins are not given to prisoners who have been on hunger strike since 5 January 2019 in Bayburt Prison. The prisoners were kept in single cells for a certain period.
Three prisoners in Eskişehir H Type Prison, on hunger strike since 20 January 2019, were removed from their wards and taken to a narrow bunkhouse. Prisoners who do not have an aide with them have difficulty in meeting their basic needs alone. Disciplinary investigations have been launched against hunger strikers in Çankırı E Type Closed Prison. Obstacles are made by the prison administration in terms of providing prisoners with carbonate and medical examination.
Dirty water creates risks in Sincan Prison
Three women hunger strikers in Ankara Sincan Closed Women Prison, on hunger strike since 26 December 2018, have health problems such as weight loss, headache, weakness, stomach cramps and sensitivity to sound. No steps have been taken so far by the prison administration on the petition of the hunger strikers, demanding blood and urine, recommended by the Chamber of Doctors. Since June 2018, in Ankara Sincan Women's Closed Prison, daily quota of 30 liters of hot water and 120 liters of cold water have been imposed at the wards. As the prisoners described, the water is brown-red colored, greasy, the sand accumulates on the bottom because of the old water installation. The water is intensely rust-smelling and dirty and flows so highly colorful that it changes the color of clothes. Due to the water quota, it is not possible to access clean water only by draining, so personal cleaning, bathing, general ward cleaning and laundry are carried out with this dirty and unhealthy water. A variety of diseases appear in the bodies of prisoners due to polluted water. There are especially health problems such as skin rash, itching, acne, skin dryness, urinary tract infection, eye infection, blurred vision, itching and mass formation in the eyes and loss of hair, eyebrow and eyelashes. There are also problems such as wearing off or tearing of clothes and rusty smell in the ward. Prisoners who continue their hunger strike in Sincan Closed Women Prison, are experiencing health problems because of polluted water. While keeping the hunger strikers away from infection is very important for their health, the current problem makes the hunger strikers vulnerable to infection and other health problems. In this prison, mange, which spreads mostly in communal life, and typhoid, a contagious microbic disease caused by dirty water and food, have been reported in previous years.
Deprivation of activity and conversation; obstacle to subsistence
The prisoners in Sincan Closed Women Prison have received 10-day disciplinary punishments suspending them from activities after they started the hunger strike. These punishments were executed without waiting for the result of the objections. Since the early days of the hunger strike, hunger striking prisoners have been denied the right to participate in activities and having conversation. Access to fruit juice and herbal teas, other than salt, sugar, carbonate, is prevented by ending the sale of these products in the canteen.
The grave picture should immediately be seen by the authorities
The current picture shows that hunger strikes will spread, and irreversible damages will occur until the isolation against Mr. Abdullah Öcalan held in İmralı Island Prison, is lifted. If this grave picture is not seen by the ruling authorities immediately, it is inevitable that the faith in co-existence and the hope of lasting peace will be damaged."


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04/25/2019 | 2:52pm
2019 Leadership Excellence Awards Winners Announced
Leadership Palm Beach County (LPBC) has announced the winners of the 2018 Leadership Excellence Awards (LEA). The awards recognize exceptional LPBC alumni who have made significant contributions to improve our community. There are four awards total; three LEAs are given to individuals in the private, public and non-profit sectors. The president of LPBC, which is currently Lisa Johnson, chooses a sole recipient for the President's Award.
Private Sector sponsored by Gunster
Kimberly Lea, Keiser University
Nonprofit Sector sponsored by Quantum House
Kate Watt, Susan G. Komen Florida
Public Sector sponsored by Proffitt Management Solutions
Lt. Patricia Brown, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
The recipient of the President's Award is Victoria Chouris, Vice President/COO of the South Florida Fair.
"Since awarding Don Chester the first LEA in 2005, the Leadership Excellence Award serves to recognize LPBC graduates who go above and beyond for the betterment of their communities," says Lisa Johnson, President of LPBC. "We now award four exceptional individuals who embody leadership qualities such as authenticity, dedication, compassion, and integrity. Recipients reflect LPBC's core values: connect, collaborate and change."
The awards will be presented at the Leadership Celebration on June 6 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, presented by Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. For more information on this event, visit leadershippbc.org/celebration.
LEADERSHIP PALM BEACH COUNTY
Leadership Palm Beach County, Inc., is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to foster awareness of community issues and promote efficient communication and cooperative relationships between existing and emerging community leaders. LPBC's stated mission is to educate and unite leaders to build a better community. Initiated in 1983 through a collaborative effort of the local Chambers of Commerce, LPBC has prepared more than 1,700 graduates for enhanced community leadership roles. Learn more about LPBC here: LeadershipPBC.org.
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Q: Windows toast notification action Is it possible to create button action on Windows notification toast that would not dismiss the notification from action center when clicked?

A: Yes, see the Toast with pending update documentation.

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1. FairFuelUK wants assurance for its supporters that a potential duty increase option available to the Chancellor if oil falls to $75 a barrel will not be taken up. The Price of Oil is now $78 down from the heady heights of $145.
2. With consumers rightly cross and confused, FairFuelUK and its one million supporters want the Government to re-visit the issues of oil price manipulation and forecourt pricing and use the Competition and Markets Authority to set up an "OffPump" type enquiry to bring transparency and clarity to this opaque market.
4. Will Mr Osborne please support FairFuelUK's call for fuel pump receipts to clearly show ALL the taxes involved when filling up, not just the VAT component.
4. SEND YOUR EMAIL TO THE TREASURY BY PRESSING CONTINUE.
In your Autumn Statement I fully recognise that you are still wrestling with balancing the Nation's Accounts. It's clear to me that to generate more taxes for the Exchequer the best way to stimulate the UK Economy is by helping reduce everyday costs to consumers and businesses. One of the biggest of these costs to most of the Nation including me, is the huge price of vehicle fuel at the pumps.
The FairFuelUK Campaign has proven to you that cutting duty will generate jobs, increase GDP and lower inflation. I understand that you recognise this now because of their campaigning. BUT despite you freezing this tax in the last few years, prices at the pumps remain too high and still severely restrict millions of motorists like me. If we had much lower pump prices now, I will spend more of those costs savings in filling my tank in other ways that will boost the economy. Surely this makes economic sense?
It's easy to tax and spend, but why not instead, stimulate the economy by trusting the 32m tax paying road users, who will be voting next year in the General Election. Trust them to put back any tax cut you give into more consumer spending thus helping businesses generate jobs, investment and profit. This will not only stimulate the economy but motivate me to believe that the Government is listening to what has always been staring us in the face, namely cutting tax is best for the whole Nation's Health and stability. You already take more than 63% in Tax from motorists and commercial drivers, the largest fuel tax level in Europe, consequentially a proportional small cut on Wednesday will make a huge difference to my life and millions of others.
If you deliver on these requests the Nation will thank you considerably.


Most of the time, the answer is simply: nothing. However, that isn't meant to be a statement on the effectiveness of hashtags in general. Hashtag usage can be extremely rewarding, but only when it's done in a smart way. Forward-thinking social sellers, digital marketers and social media managers can benefit from the audience and awareness growth that hashtag marketing brings to the table.
In this article, we'll explain what hashtags are, why they work with audiences, and we'll cover some of the typical strategies used in hashtag marketing to grow the reach of social updates.
When Twitter first debuted hashtags, I'm not certain that they fully understood the magnitude of what they created and the widespread uses their feature would receive. The feature still acts as it did when it was first launched, although Twitter has bolstered up the systems around it to make hashtags easier to engage with. The feature was so popular that it was eventually adopted by other social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn — making it a key feature in the social marketing world.
Initially, hashtags were created for content tagging. When you share a piece of content, you can tag it with a relevant #hashtag, which will make it easier for people to search for this keyword on the respective platform. That is still true today, despite the ballooning number of ways that users use them.
Content Tagging. The original purpose hashtags were created for. The most common use of hashtags is still for the use of signaling content categories and topics. It helps to make topics easier for users to find.
Community. Hashtags have become so large that communities pop up around their use. If you were to search for #MariahCarey, #JustinBieber, or any other popular musician, you'd likely see a smorgasbord of fans (and not-so-fans) discussing them on any of the popular social networks.
Events. Any large event can be searched for and discussed using specific hashtags on social networks.The #SuperBowl hashtag is a great place to see discussions during the big game. In a B2B sense, industry awards ceremonies and conferences are great examples of events that have hashtags pop up around them.
Conversational hashtags. Ever see a hashtag around a specific topic for more in-depth conversation. You see it all the time on Twitter, where discussions arise around topics that influencers push to their audience.
Studies have shown that Tweets and Facebook posts that include 1-2 hashtags typically receive more engagement than those with zero or those with 3 or more.
Hashtags work because they are helpful. Social networks are inherently very messy. There is a lot of noise, with thousands of users sharing their thoughts on different topics any given second. Hashtags help us to break through that noise and find our niche and the conversation we're interested in. They give us a way to easily discuss the topics that are important to use and find that island of community in the sea of social networking.
Now let's dive into the different hashtag marketing strategies that are most commonly used to grow the reach and presence of a social post or topic. In each section, I'll provide examples of popular brands using each method to get the gears turning on how you might be able to integrate hashtag marketing into your own business.
Using hashtags isn't enough. If you aren't smart in the way that you use them, you'll see no more engagement than your typical hashtag spammer does. Finding smart and effective ways to use hashtags will not only expand the reach of your social posts but will help to improve your brand awareness overall as you consistently appear in specific industry-related hashtags.
In this section, we'll cover the different types of popular hashtag marketing strategies we see continually delivering results to brands.
Trending hashtags are perhaps the most common hashtag marketing strategy and arguably the most impactful when done well. The trending hashtags that show up on Twitter and Facebook drive a lot of eyeballs to the posts that perform well and use those hashtags. For most companies, the trending hashtags will rarely align with their business or service, but keeping a close eye on them can yield creative opportunities to tie your brand to a current trending topic.
The brand exposure can be astronomical if you are in the right place at the right time. This can't be shown any more clearly than during news events that trend, when news publications often have the most popular Tweets in the category.
Do you remember the Pokemon Go craze? Pokemon Go was a Pokemon mobile game that allowed players to catch Pokemons out in the real world using a GPS system. The game was a huge hit and had brought in more than $1.8 billion in sales by Summer 2018, just two years after its release.
Nothing earth-shattering in terms of engagement, but a simple post with a few digitally-added Pokemon in their office with some of the employees caught a small wave on the trending #PokemonGo hashtag and got them noticed. This example is great because it shows a fun side of their team that customers don't usually get to see as well.
Community hashtags can be a great way to connect with a very specific audience. Some might say that they are another version of branded hashtags because many influential brands have communities that pop up around them.
It comes as no surprise. People are always sharing their opinions on Twitter. Let's look at a brand example. Nike is a company with a lot of fans. At any given time, there are dozens of loyal supporters discussing Nike products, advertisements, and news on Twitter.
These brands see genuine communities grow around their brand and products. Often, brands will use their own name as a hashtag in an attempt to get a sort of social media community growing around their brand. While this strategy will only work for companies that have passionate and loyal customers, it can be a great way to help people find information about your company regardless.
One example of a smaller company using this hashtag marketing strategy comes from West Elm, a furniture and home decor company. They tag all of their Instagram photos with the #MyWestElm hashtag and ask that their followers to do the same when sharing pictures of their furniture.
This allows the company to showcase a variety of styles in their products and provides would-be customers with social proof that their products are loved and appreciated by their customers.
While the West Elm example highlights a long-term branding approach to social media, there are shorter, more focused ways to use hashtag marketing to grow your social presence. Campaign hashtags are used as part of a social media marketing campaign or contest. They typically have a start and end date — however long the company will be running a particular campaign.
One excellent example of a company promoting a cause through a hashtag campaign comes from Divine Chocolate USA, who used the hashtag #BCorpMonth to celebrate B Corporations, which are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal accountability.
While marketing hashtag campaigns have a limited lifespan, they can make a big splash in a short amount of time when they connect with your audience.
Events make for a great opportunity for hashtag marketing. They have a built-in audience of attendees, those that wish they could attend, and the rest of us that are on the outside looking in, wondering what all of the fuss is about.
For example, posting updates about popular industry conferences can be a great way to not only schedule some interesting coffee meetups during the conference, but it can help your brand to gain more visibility throughout.
Once Pubcon had wrapped up, the company published a detailed wrap-up of the event. Then, they promoted this content on Twitter and other social networks using hashtags that were associated with the event.
Do you know what a Twitter chat is? A Twitter chat is essentially a public discussion that organizes itself by hashtag. Let's say a teacher's union wanted to take a day to discussion teaching salaries in the US. They might choose to do this under a hashtag like #TeachingPayChat or something similar. Not only does this approach help chat participants to find discussions to take part in, but it increases the visibility of the cause to users outside of their group that normally wouldn't participate.
In other words, a Twitter chat is simply a way for people (and brands) to have somewhat organized discussions around a popular topic. If you are able to find a Twitter chat that closely aligns with your brand or product, it can be a powerful opportunity to get your product in front of an ideal audience.
If you want to find Twitter chats (scheduled ones, anyway), I recommend keeping a close eye on the TweetReports Twitter Chat Schedule page.
Simple, but often effective. Simply tagging your updates with useful hashtags that describe your content can be an effective way to increase their visibility. For instance, if I were to promote this post on social media, I might use a content descriptor hashtag like #SocialMediaMarketing or #HashtagMarketing. This will help searchers who are interested in content around those subjects to find my post.
There are many companies that keep a close watch on hashtags that are related to their industry. They use it to find brand partners, customers, and answer questions for authority building. Appearing in content description hashtags can be a solid way to network and find like-minded companies to partner with.
If you have a company that offers multiple products or services, hashtags can draw attention to the different sides of your brand. This is incredibly helpful when your products have different audiences.
These hashtags can help consumers to perform research on a product. Sifting through your catalogue can be difficult if you have a large range of products and services. A product or service hashtag makes it simple for consumers to find information about that product.
If you hadn't guessed already — the elephant ends up kicking the camera and damaging it. This is a fun and lighthearted way to promote new selling points for their Go Pro Plus line. The post did very well, receiving more than a whopping 100,000 likes and 600+ comments.
Influencer Marketing's Instagram Hashtag Generator. Simple. You upload a photo, then build a selection of relevant hashtags that you can use when you share the image.
All Hashtag. Great all-in-one tool. Started out as a simple hashtag generator. Today they offer a generator, creator, and detailed hashtag analytics.
Ritetag. An excellent and super-simple hashtag generator from RiteKit. Ritetag provides instant suggestions for images or text.
Hashtagify. A complete system that helps you to find, analyze, and grow your hashtag marketing strategy. Provides real-time data and insights about any hashtag on Twitter or Instagram.
ExportTweet. If you don't mind paying for great data, ExportTweet allows you to track hashtags, keywords, and accounts. It provides in-depth hashtag reports that help you to make data-based decisions in your hashtag marketing.
Those are just a few of the many hashtag-centric tools that are available today.
Smart hashtag usage isn't about spamming as many hashtags as you can into each update. It's about finding smart, strategic ways to get your social media updates in front of your ideal audience. The strategies in this article should help you to get the gears turning on how you can implement effective hashtag strategies into your own social media presence.
What do you think? If you've used hashtags in a unique way or have questions about hashtag marketing, we'd love to hear from you in the comments!


Father convicted of parental kidnapping. If this happens in New York, you need a New York Criminal Defense Lawyer.
It happens all too often. A parent, who does not have custody of their child, takes the child away from the other parent in hopes of keeping the child. Clark Rockefeller, who's real name is Christian Karl Gerhartreiter, was convicted of kidnapping his 7 year old daughter. Gerhartreiter has supervised visitation rights and was visiting with his daughter in July. Reports claim Gerhartreiter snatched his daughter the day of his visit and left with her in an SUV. The driver drove away with the child's social worker still holding the door. Baltimore police found Gerhartreiter and his daughter six days later in a new house that he had bought for the two of them. The child was not harmed and was released back into her mother's custody. Gerhartreiter's lawyers claimed the man was delusional. Trying to claim insanity, the lawyers projected a picture of man who was so delusional; he thought he was having telepathic conversations with his daughter who was asking him to save her from his ex wife. The jury did not believe it. They believed he planned the kidnapping; especially since he had even hired a driver for the SUV that he kidnapped his daughter in. Gerhartreiter was criminally convicted of kidnapping and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He now faces 4 to 5 years in a state prison.
If you have trouble with the law because of a crime of which you've been accused, consulting a NY Criminal Lawyer is a must. Not hiring a New York Criminal Attorney can leave at the mercy of the courts.
The firm of Stephen Bilkis & Associates and its New York Crime Attorneys with convenient locations helps people throughout the Metropolitan Area including The West Village, NY and can be of invaluable assistance to you if you find yourself a defendant in a criminal action. Facing charges without a NY Criminal Lawyer will likely lead to disaster.


Upper Coomera Aquatic Centre pool is open every day except Christmas Day, Good Friday, ANZAC Day and Gold Coast Show Day.
Servicing the Upper Coomera community with good value food and delicious breakfast specials. Enjoy a coffee and meal in an alfresco dining setting.
Active & Healthy operate aqua classes at Upper Coomera Aquatic Centre on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Download the Upper Coomera Aquatic Centre Active & Healthy aqua classes brochure for more information.