https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/29/miss-world-model-launches-legal-challenge-barred-sexist-pageant/

The rules were there and whilst they may be outdated shouldn't she be blaming the person or people who encouraged her to take part, who she doesn't name, instead of the Organisation who clearly stated their criteria.

What do members think?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/02/worlds-largest-ritual-animal-slaughter-goes-ahead-despite-ban

I always respect other people's religions or beliefs but this has just left me shocked.

What do others think?

The Mr Men books are accused of being sexist because Mr Clever mansplains to Miss Curious why there is a Forth Bridge but not a First , Second or Third bridge.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/03/mr-men-books-accused-sexism-mr-clever-mansplains-little-miss-curious-11258475/

There have been recent reports of people trying to trick residents.
Pause....and think: Police officers and staff will never ask you to handover cash or your bank cards.
If you are in doubt, you can call 101 and speak to the force the officer claims to work for. Our call operators will be happy to check their identity and officers will be happy for you to confirm their legitimacy.
All police officers and staff are issued with unique warrant cards which they will be happy to show you.
Report all scams to Action Fraud
Message Sent By
Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Several years ago I used to send many parcels via MyHermes, as a private ebay seller. Very few problems, and those were always resolved quickly. The company seems to have gone massively downhill since then, and I would strongly advise against using them for sending anything, or buying from companies (such as ASOS) who use them for deliveries.

Last week I bought something from an eBay seller. Hermes were supposed to deliver the parcel on Saturday afternoon, while I was in. No call, no card. The tracking information now shows it on its way back to the sender! The courier is supposed to try three times, but didn't even once!

Trying to contact MyHermes Customer Support is a joke. There is a phone number, if you can find it, but it directs you back to the predefined website answers. There you will also find a digital assistant, which is not very good. Eventually I found a route to request a phonecall. I'm not holding my breath!

Judging by the evidence on Twitter, Hermes are utterly shocking for customer support and for the (lack of) success delivering parcels -- many, many reports of lost, damaged, mis-delivered, or stolen. (Incidentally, the Twitter account is @hermesparcels, NOT @myhermes, who is just some joker with a deliberately confusing handle.)

Hermes are cheap for a reason. I would not be surprised if we see them going into administration very soon. I used to use City Link, who were cheap but very good, and I narrowly avoided losing parcels and money when they suddenly folded a few years ago. So that is another reason against using Hermes.

writer and television presenter, born 7 October 1939; died 24 November 2019
Did like some of his programs. RIP

I’d forgotten all about these. And apparently lots of people have forgotten that their children were eligible and have lost track of the funds. The Labour Govt between 2002 - 2011 invested for all children.

https://www.onefamily.com/talking-finance/finance/how-to-trace-a-lost-child-trust-fund/

Pets, or companion animals, play a very important role in many people’s lives. Some people even regard them as family members. So it’s not surprising that many pet owners (or “guardians”) celebrate World Pet Day. This unofficial holiday has several possible dates, the most popular ones being September 27 and November 30.

The inaugural World Pet Day was observed on September 27. It was initiated by the non-profit organizations PVBLIC Foundation and +SocialGood in collaboration with Klooff, a social media website designed for sharing moments with pets. They created the holiday to celebrate all of the happiness that pets bring to their owners, as well as to raise awareness of animal abuse.

The organizers suggested that animal owners visit the World Pet Day website, take a selfie with their pets, share the resulting postcard online, and tag three friends, asking them to follow suit. In addition, all participants were encouraged to donate to the Humane Society International or other organizations dedicated to saving domesticated animals from cruelty and abuse.

Another World Pet Day is celebrated on November 30. There’s no information on who created it or why this exact date was chosen, but it seems to originate from the Russian-language segment of the Internet. Anyway, it’s really great that pet owners have more than one occasion to celebrate their animal companions.

Computer Security Day was started in 1988 to raise public awareness of computer related security issues. This observance annually falls on November 30 and it's very popular among some organizations.

Computer security specialists certainly remember about this observance, because today they have a great opportunity to remind about computer viruses, security in the Internet and importance of protecting personal data.

There are over 50 activities, that you can organize to celebrate Computer Security Day. They include the simplest measures, like installation of all security-related updates, backing-up you data and deleting all unneeded files. Even announcement of Computer Security Day would also help draw attention to the issues of the day.

Many organizations were involved in observation of this day, including Security Awareness Incorporated, Association for Computing Machinery, Native Intelligence, Inc etc. unfortunately, the official site of the project was updated for the last time in 2008, but still it's a good source for organization of different events. Maybe you can find an idea or an inspiration for celebration of Computer Security Day in your office or at home.

What do members think about this strange law. Doctors are ordered to undertake a medical procedure that is so far impossible or face prosecution.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/29/ohio-extreme-abortion-bill-reimplant-ectopic-pregnancy

A man has been sacked for sending a racist email to a colleague. He started the email with "Dear Hash Brown" which he said happened because of auto correct.
If the recipients name is Brown and that's the reason for the sacking, everyone that emails her is getting sacked.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/29/uni-worker-sacked-calling-colleague-hash-brown-11237840/

Another warning from Neighbourhood Alert this afternoon.

Scam Messages - Beware of text, emails and Social Media messages purporting to be from Argos. The message will be asking you to click on a link which will take you to a website controlled by criminals to steal your personal and financial information.

If in doubt do a web search for Argos, and look on the official website for the gift card offer. Do not use the link within the message.

Message Sent By
James Adnitt (Police, Cyber Protect Officer, Hampshire)

I've started seeing bits of Christmas items in a few windows in houses near me this week so wondering when everyone puts theirs up and do you go mad and put loads up or just a few subtle touches here and there? 🎄

and is estimated to cost the country £9 billion a year - that's around half of all the extra money that the government promised to the NHS.

The poorest 90% will pick up the bill, either directly through taxation or indirectly through the scaling back of public services.

Link for support:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-tax-plans-that-only-benefit-the-highest-10-of-earners

3.8 million women have been caught up in government efforts to cut the costs of paying for the state pension and to equalise the age at which men and women receive the state pension.

Link to petition and support.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/support-the-1950s-women?share=12752f0e-f136-4c24-ae3b-4ca0215e55c2

is an annual international event, that takes place on Friday after Thanksgiving Day in the USA and on the next Saturday in other countries. It was started in Canada in 1992.

Buy Nothing Day was observed for the first time in 1992 in Vancouver, Canada. It was organized by the artist Ted Dave, who wanted to draw attention to the issue of over-consumption. It's interesting, that original Buy Nothing Day was observed in September and it was moved to November only in 1997.

The reason of movement of the observance was Black Friday, one of America's busiest shopping days. The Canadian magazine Adbusters' ads, the general promoter of the holiday since 1992, were declined to be advertised by almost all American major networks, except CNN. This event pushed observation of Buy Nothing Day even further and the campaigns started in the United Kingdom, Austria, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, France and Norway to name the few. As of 2015 Buy Nothing Day is observed in 65 countries.

There are many events organized on this day, including sit-ins, free street parties, protests and even strikes. All these events are used to draw our attention to the problem of over-consumption.

A variation on the same theme, also received today from Neighbourhood Alert.

ONLINE SHOPPING - Beware of "legit" companies giving away gift cards, coupons and vouchers on social media (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc.). Criminals are using this to get people clicking on links, giving away personal information or downloading malware onto their devices through web browser extensions, appearing as pop ups. Make sure your devices are up-to-date, including your web browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari etc.). Don’t click on links or pop ups. Search for the website the message purports to be from and see if the offer appears on it. Do your research, have others used the site & what was their experience.

Message Sent By
James Adnitt (Police, Cyber Protect Officer, Hampshire)

Received from Neighbourhood Alert today.

ONLINE SHOPPING - Beware of phishing emails from unknown shops, offering good deals as part of Black Friday & Cyber Monday. Criminals can clone websites and post them under different web addresses so they look official. Do your research, have others used the site & what was their experience. Search for both the website address and the name that appears on the website's branding as the two may be different. If different reviews come back for both, this should be considered suspicious. If in doubt look at NCSC guidance for online shopping www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/shopping-online-securely

Message Sent By
James Adnitt (Police, Cyber Protect Officer, Hampshire)

"WHICH" magazine reports that Black Friday exceptional sale offers are 95% untrue. Hopefully those waiting for it won't be injured in the rush to spend money! Does anyone believe the great discounts that are regularly promoted as incredible unrepeatable value?

Operation Go
Send date 25/11/2019
Valid Until 28/11/2019

Operation Go is a new initiative from the Chiltern and South Buckinghamshire neighbourhood team. Through Thames Valley Alerts, the team will send out up-to-date intelligence that they are working on to identify offenders of local crimes. By sharing this intelligence with you, our local residents, it is our hope that you will provide our extra eyes and ears in the local community, helping us to identify people and vehicles that we are looking for to assist with our investigations.

Policing due to its very nature can be fast paced with information changing rapidly. Those of you receiving this Thames Valley Alert must be aware that this intelligence is shared in the understanding that it is time-specific and should not be treated as current after the valid date has passed.

Suspicious Vehicles; We are interested in hearing more about these vehicles:
A silver Audi A4 or S4 which had 2 rear exhaust pipes with a registration similar to OY..XHA. The car is believed to have been used in a burglary in Farnham Royal this week.

A dark coloured saloon Audi with a registration of DE_ _ WAO was seen around the time of a burglary in Marlow on 22/11/2019.

White Mercedes sprinter van has been acting suspiciously and has displayed two different registrations: NK_ _ SWX and _ _ 66 CZK.

At around 3pm on Saturday (23/11), two men were seen at a burglary of a house in Gold Hill West, Chalfont St Peter. The men are described as white aged between 18-30 years old. They were between 6ft - 6ft 4ins tall, of athletic builds and had shaved hair. They were both wearing black baseball caps, black tight fitting, waist length bomber jackets and jeans.
Reference number: 43190366318

On Friday (22/11) a house on Cherry Tree Rd, Beaconsfield was burgled and a vehicle was stolen. Two men were later seen getting into a white 4 door car, possibly a BMW, which is believed to have been in convoy with the stolen vehicle. The stolen vehicle has since been recovered.
One of the men is described as black, approximately 20-30 years old, around 5ft 7ins tall and of a slim build. He was wearing a light grey hoodie with its hood up
Reference number: 43190365571

At around 2am on Friday (22/11) a garage was burgled in Campions Close, Denham and a black and grey Cube Reaction Bike was stolen. Two men were seen, one of which was dressed in black with a black cap and black face mask.
Reference number: 43190364566

How to get in touch
If you have any information regarding the above intelligence, please get in touch with us using the 24-hour non-emergency number 101, or you can use our online form at www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tell-us

Please quote “Operation Go” when speaking to the call handler or when completing the online form so that we can monitor the effectiveness of this operation.

If you think that you are witnessing a crime in progress, you should contact us on 999.
Message Sent By
Darren Walsh (Police, Sgt, Amersham)

Read a post on F/book this morning - not bright enough to copy - which keeps coming back to me. About grief - and the line I keep remembering -- Grief is just love that has nowhere to go --. Never thought about it like that before but so true.

I had a rare trip to London this week and would recommend a river trip to any Londoners or visitors who have not done this. Went with Thamesclipper. For £17 you get a 24 hr hop on and off ticket Online advance) and can stop at all the sights Tower, Greenwich, O2, Tate Modern etc. It is super rapid and you can sit inside if it is cold. It was a very cold and grey day but my return trip from Greenwich was quite spectacular

Hammers 1 Spuds 3

Shown on TV

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/uea-student-george-bailey-launches-coral-eyewear-glasses-in-norfolk-1-6386131

Copied :--"New company Coral Eyewear, founded by 19-year-old George Bailey, sells a range of glasses and sunglasses made from recycled fishing nets in a bid to remove harmful plastics from the ocean."--
They are on the internet looking for interested firms to register now.

If we all make this product known to everybody we know and on our next optician appointment asked in shop if one could see some recycled frames from fishnets we could help this issue.

Could call it ----Fishing net Scooploop operation.

From time to time we all could report on here how it is going.


Also found https://waterhaul.co/eyewear/

Is now open



https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/

Had a slightly different scam phone call today.
Congratulations you have won £500,000 on the something lottery. Please make a not of this reference number 9841 press 1 to talk to our winners claims team. If you are not the intended winner press 2.
The number was 01915240707

A google search says thats in India

In our small village on a B road 30 mph for one week they did a speed test*
30,418 vehicles were counted*2,599 were over the limit --16 doing 50/55 mph*
If all would have been given a standard fine would have raised nearly £30,000*
For one year that would amount to -------- £15 million*
Wow

Darlington 2 Wallsall 2

The Essex, an American whaleship, was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale in the southern Pacific Ocean. Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick was inspired by this incident.
More information

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex_(whaleship)

Not that Exciting, no real winner, need to get a better presenter to host the event.
The audience made their views felt.

Words fail me. We all know about self identifying as either gender or as someone inbetween. Well now you can self identify your race or even as hidden disabled. This article is so funny, it beggars belief
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-7700099/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-College-teachers-union-says-people-allowed-choose-race.html

Bromley 0 Bristol Rovers 0
Bromley win on penalties
Wales to beat Hungary 2-1

A global non-profit organization the World Toilet Organization declared November 19 to be World Toilet Day. Celebration of this unusual holiday draws public attention to the problems of sanitation around the world and helps improve it.

The World Toilet Organization (WTO) was founded by Jack Sim in 2001. At first this organization included only 15 members, but very soon it expanded to 151 member organizations in 53 countries around the world. Back in 2001 WTO proclaimed the day of its foundation to be World Toilet Day and since then it's annually observed.

Estimated every third person has no toilet, lack of sanitation leads to development of enteric infections. Taking this into consideration, the Untied Nations General Assembly recognized World Toilet Day in 2013 and urged all member states organize appropriate activities. Recognition of this holiday on the international level contributes to a better awareness on different aspects of use of sanitation for all.

Various events are held on this day, including cash awards to inspected public toilets and giving them a 5-star rating.

is annually observed on November 19 since 2014. This international observance was inaugurated in New York City at the United Nations and additional events were held in 144 countries around the world.

Women's Entrepreneurship Day was started by Wendy Diamond, who volunteered with the Adelante Foundation to provide microcredits to low income women while in Honduras. After her coming back to the USA Diamond wanted to develop and create something helping this and other similar philanthropic issues.

The first celebration of this day took place on November 19, 2014 and it was highlighted by Fortune Magazine and Forbes Magazine. The inaugural event of the holiday also featured Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards. The awards were given to outstanding women, famous for their philanthropic work. Among the laureates was Sarah Obama, grandmother of President of the USA Barack Obama.

Additional events were held in other countries around the world. They included speeches from women entrepreneurs and discussion tables.

Did you know?

Happy Men’s Day to all the chaps on this group. 😊

Men leading by example
The 19th of November, marks International Men’s Day, which celebrates worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. Despite being founded after International Women’s Day, it does not serve as an antithesis or a form of political tit-for-tat – instead it marks ways we can all work together to change gender stereotyping and discrimination.

Men make sacrifices every day in their place of work, in their role as husbands and fathers, for their families, friends, and communities. International Men's Day is therefore an opportunity for people everywhere to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to our communities.

Why is it important to celebrate men?
The objectives of International Men's Day have a focus on health, improving gender relations, promoting gender and LGBTQI equality, as well as highlighting positive male role models.
What are the problems?
1. The high male suicide rate
2. The challenges faced by boys and men at all stages of education including attainment
3. Men’s health (including male cancers), shorter life expectancy and workplace deaths
4. The challenges faced by the most marginalised men and boys in society (for instance, homeless men, boys in care and the high rate of male deaths in custody)
5. Male victims of violence, including sexual violence
6. The challenges faced by men as parents, particularly new fathers and separated fathers
7. Male victims and survivors of sexual abuse, rape, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, forced marriage, honour-based crime, stalking and slavery
8. The negative portrayal of men, boys and fathers

Not getting these again and no daily updates

Hi all ! you may have noticed I have set up a new 'General Photography Group' which is available for all levels of photographers from 'snappers' to 'dedicated', somewhere to showcase your photo's or to ask/answer questions !! If you have any questions, just ask me here or PM me !

Peanut butter is mentioned often on here and it is Peanut Butter Month.

Peanut Butter, that strange thick rich concoction of a humble legume. It appears in candy’s, in sandwiches, and even in rich savory dishes in the form of a sauce. There’s crunchy peanut butter and creamy peanut butter, and peanut butter that comes premixed with honey. Rich and full of protein, it’s also favored by body builders, hikers, and health nuts alike. November is Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, so get ready for an entire month of Peanut Buttery Madness!History of Peanut Butter Month

You can’t talk about the history of Peanut Butter Month without talking about the history of peanut butter, and by extension, peanuts. Peanuts are a legume that originates in South America, and has been domesticated for 7600 years. Can’t be surprised that a little legume (not a nut!) that’s been around for so long has proven to be so incredibly popular the world round.

While the origins of peanut butter can be traced back to the Aztecs and Incans, the modern history of it starts in 1884, when it was patented by a chemist by the name of Edson. His whole purpose in developing it was to ensure that those who had issue chewing hard foods would be able to have a delicious way to get the nutrition they needed.

Since then they’ve exploded onto the culinary scene in every possible permutation, and can be found in some variation in some form in every meal. In 1995 Peanut Butter Lovers month came into existence and has been celebrated ever since in a month-long peanut buttery bacchanal!
How to Celebrate Peanut Butter Lovers Month

Considering how flexible peanut butter is as an ingredient, Peanut Butter Lovers Month is your opportunity to start putting more of this fantastic legume into your meals. Every day you can add in one peanut butter themed meal into your diet. Whether it’s a simple Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich for lunch, or a savory and delicious pad thai, there’s tons of ways for you to incorporate it.

Perhaps the best way to make this a fun and social event, is to get friends and family together every week with their best and most creative peanut butter recipes. You’d be amazed at exactly what you can come up with, and just how many different types of meals there are that it can be included in.

Sorry a bit late but still time to attend

is an annual multi-genre fan convention held in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is organized by the MCM (Movie Comic Media) Expo Group. The show mainly focuses on sci-fi and fantasy films and television shows, comic books, anime and manga, video games, and cosplay.
MCM Expo Ltd. was founded in early 2001 by Bryan Cooney (Wolf Events) and Paul Miley (ScifiShows). Both had an extensive experience in organizing fan conventions. Their first event was the MCM London Comic Con (formerly known as the London MCM Expo). Over the years, MCM launched a series of Comic Cons in other cities across the United Kingdom including Telford, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Belfast.

Like the London Comic Con, the Birmingham Comic Con is held twice a year, in spring and in autumn. The show takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), the largest exhibition center in the UK and the seventh-largest exhibition center in Europe. It has 20 interconnected halls, which is more than enough even for a large-scale pop culture convention.

The program of the MCM Birmingham Comic Con is similar to that of other fan conventions. It includes panels, Q&A sessions, photo-ops and autograph sessions with celebrity guests, workshops with comic book writers and artists, Comic Village, Dealer Stalls, the Glamour Zone, a cosplay contest, MCM eSports (a video game tournament), and more. Attendees have a chance to meet special guests, enjoy colorful costumes, and participate in various competitions.

Every year, the convention welcomes special guests, primarily actors known for their roles in popular sci-fi and fantasy movies, television shows and media franchises such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, etc. For example, the Birmingham Comic Con 2016 (autumn edition) featured Gary Lockwood (Star Trek: The Original Series, 2001: A Space Odyssey) and Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey). Celebrity guests participate in panels, signings and promotional appearances.

The MCM Birmingham Comic Con is designed for pop culture fans of all ages, but almost half of its attendees are young people between the ages of 17 and 21. By the way, children below the age of 10 get free admission if accompanied by a paying adult (up to two children per adult).
Birmingham Comic Con

What happened last night on Scooploop ----- Spring clean!!!!

I wash all my containers for recycling but find my bin is dirty. It looks like earth and I wondered if you have the same problem. Do they use the lorries for garden waste as well.Just wrote to the Council for an explanation.

Apparently the first 7 candidates to get fired have been from ethnic minorities, so the twitterati are claiming the show is racist and white priveliged. I think its just coincidence. They were fired because they messed up that task. There have been white candidates just as bad but they've been luckily on the winning team.
The 7th to go is Venezeelan, Jemelyn. She is white. Venezuelan is a nationality not a race.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/apprentice-fans-rage-seventh-bame-20877422

Faraday bag for your car keyless entry fob?

Short demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpQp4TzrvxM

Guess how many seats the major parties might get in December?
Currently this is who has what.
CON 298
LAB 243
SCOT NATS 35
LIB DEMS 20
Please feel free to predict the result for all or any one of this selection.
Prize will be a copy of a manifesto worth?
Mr.Bercow need not apply...

Scientists have developed a pioneering new technique that can detect and diagnose one of the most common types of cancer within seconds - using light.
A three year clinical trial started on living people.

For more info:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2019/november/smart-needle-cancer-diagnosis-.html

Anyone got any suggestions for a bright hand held torch?
One that will shine its beam at least 100 feet.

England 2 Montenegro 0

... The John Lewis advert.
What do you think?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AzIT3pbbZr8
Duration 2 mins 33 secs.

Been there several times - it is really good wandering through small studios and meeting painters, sculptors, photograhers, cartoonist - and kids [ well-behaved! ] will enjoy.Visit now! Event: Wimbledon Art Fair
Antoni L @AntoniL South Wimbledon ( 4.9 miles away ) - 2 hoursago

Start Date: 14.11.2019. Start Time: 14:00

End Date: 17.11.2019. End Time: 18:00

Location: Wimbledon Art Studios SW17 0BB
Meet London's top artists and makers, as we invite you to enter another world of creativity.

Wimbledon Art Fair is a unique chance to dicover and buy art directly from 150 of London's top artists and makers as they open their private studios to the public for four days.
eventbrite.co.uk/e/wimbledon-art-fair...

While walking along the river this morning I passed the Jarrod print museum, it was closed but looking through the window reminded me of the first job I had way back in 1960.

It was a hand compositor in a jobbing printer's in Marshalsea Road in Southwark.

What was yours, its one of the things you don't forget