A fantastic set of programmes - available on BBC iPlayer. This is history that is not officially taught, and often just whitewashed out of memory. Mr Alagiah, and the team behind these programmes - thank you for such an intelligent, well researched and brilliantly presented series.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
'Gucci workers 'tortured' during shifts'
The Telegraph
Allegations of the demeaning treatment at a Gucci outlet in Shenzhen have led to two managers being replaced.
'Employees of luxury goods manufacturer Gucci were subject to "torture", being made to stand for 14 hours a day, pay for goods stolen by customers and being forced to ask for toilet breaks.
6:01PM BST 14 Oct 2011
In an open letter, workers at the Gucci outlet said the cruel behaviour extended to pregnant employees not being allowed food or water during their shifts.
"It was a kind of torture for us to stand for more than 14 hours a day," the letter detailed. "No short rest, water or food was allowed even for a pregnant employee."
The abuse was so severe it was claimed some workers suffered miscarriages as a result.
Gucci, owned by giant French group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, said it had engaged external experts to conduct a review of what had happened. The Chinese city of Shenzhen is also understood to be investigating what had occurred.
The allegations against Gucci included staff having overtime pay withheld. The five signatories of the letter, all of whom have left the company, claimed they were owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. They said their managers, both of whom have left the company, refused to pay overtime despite keeping them in the store until 2am some nights to undertake stock controls.
When items were stolen from the store the staff had to pay out for their replacements despite the thefts being covered by insurance, the letter claimed.
A spokesman for Gucci said: "Gucci has proactively engaged external consultants to conduct a comprehensive review to support ongoing actions that can enhance our organisational structure, the welfare and training of our people, talent recruitment and retention and other business practices in China."
The allegations against Gucci come against a backdrop of workplace abuse and poor working conditions. Foxconn, the technology group that makes components for Apple's iPhone, suffered a string of suicides among workers thought to be related to working conditions.'
Friday, October 14, 2011
Highly recommended film...
Skin - currently on BBC iplayer - so watch it online while you can.
Based on the true story of Sandra Laing. Born to white Africaans parents, but her appearance was mixed race - all during apartheid era South Africa.
Makes one angry to think what humans do to each other.
Monday, October 03, 2011
BBC programme 'Mixed Britannia'
This could be interesting and informative.
'Nearly 100 years ago, Chinese seaman Stanley Ah Foo arrived in Liverpool to start a new life. He soon fell in love - but laws at the time meant that his English bride, Emily, was only able to marry if she gave up her British nationality and became a so-called alien herself.
In Mixed Britannia - a new three-part series for BBC 2 - George Alagiah explores the often untold stories of Britain's mixed-race communities. He met Stanley and Emily Ah Foo's daughters, Doreen and Lynne, who told the remarkable story of how their parents met, and the restrictions placed upon them'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14990721
'Nearly 100 years ago, Chinese seaman Stanley Ah Foo arrived in Liverpool to start a new life. He soon fell in love - but laws at the time meant that his English bride, Emily, was only able to marry if she gave up her British nationality and became a so-called alien herself.
In Mixed Britannia - a new three-part series for BBC 2 - George Alagiah explores the often untold stories of Britain's mixed-race communities. He met Stanley and Emily Ah Foo's daughters, Doreen and Lynne, who told the remarkable story of how their parents met, and the restrictions placed upon them'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14990721
Sunday, October 02, 2011
'Bahrain Protest Doctors Tell Of Torture'
'Two doctors who are facing jail for treating anti-government protesters in Bahrain have told Sky News how they were tortured by the authorities.
Surgeon Dr Ghassan Dhaif and his wife Dr Zarhra Al Sammak, an anaesthetist, have received prison terms of 15 and five years respectively.
They were among a group of 20 medical staff sentenced by a military court after being accused of stealing medicine, stockpiling weapons and occupying a hospital.
Dr Dhaif told Sky: "These charges are not realistic, they were brought in without any evidence.
"The only evidence that they have was from the person in charge of the interrogation and he himself has been accused of torturing all the medics and also the other people whom he interrogated.
"The whole process was completely illegal."
Dr Dhaif described the torture they were subjected to following their arrests: "These interrogations were completely carried out under severe torture.
"All of us were subjected to massive torture and this torture going on from kicks, using sticks, using a plastic hose, using plastic bottles, using shoes."
The couple are expecting to be summoned by the court, before beginning their prison sentences, at any time.
Their lawyers are appealing against the jail terms but Dr Al Sammak said she is "not very optimistic".
She said: "They blindfolded us and forced us to sign confessions, we don't know what was written on those and they are taking those confessions as the main evidence against us."
The charges followed an uprising in the Gulf state in February and March which was violently halted with the help of troops from Saudi Arabia.
Protests against the Sunni rulers came amid accusations by a Shia Muslim majority of discrimination in access to state jobs, healthcare and homes.
Human rights groups condemned the sentences with Amnesty International accusing authorities of putting the doctors on trial because some had criticised the violent crackdown on protesters.'
Via
Surgeon Dr Ghassan Dhaif and his wife Dr Zarhra Al Sammak, an anaesthetist, have received prison terms of 15 and five years respectively.
They were among a group of 20 medical staff sentenced by a military court after being accused of stealing medicine, stockpiling weapons and occupying a hospital.
Dr Dhaif told Sky: "These charges are not realistic, they were brought in without any evidence.
"The only evidence that they have was from the person in charge of the interrogation and he himself has been accused of torturing all the medics and also the other people whom he interrogated.
"The whole process was completely illegal."
Dr Dhaif described the torture they were subjected to following their arrests: "These interrogations were completely carried out under severe torture.
"All of us were subjected to massive torture and this torture going on from kicks, using sticks, using a plastic hose, using plastic bottles, using shoes."
The couple are expecting to be summoned by the court, before beginning their prison sentences, at any time.
Their lawyers are appealing against the jail terms but Dr Al Sammak said she is "not very optimistic".
She said: "They blindfolded us and forced us to sign confessions, we don't know what was written on those and they are taking those confessions as the main evidence against us."
The charges followed an uprising in the Gulf state in February and March which was violently halted with the help of troops from Saudi Arabia.
Protests against the Sunni rulers came amid accusations by a Shia Muslim majority of discrimination in access to state jobs, healthcare and homes.
Human rights groups condemned the sentences with Amnesty International accusing authorities of putting the doctors on trial because some had criticised the violent crackdown on protesters.'
Via
Saturday, October 01, 2011
Tea!
I'm a big fan of good tea. I'm also a big fan of beautiful animation. This Twining's advert has combined both.
I can also confirm that Twining's does produce rather good tea. I recommend the loose leaf variety properly brewed. But then, I do also like Whittard's, Punjana, Swan... I could go on...
But the advert is lovely!
I can also confirm that Twining's does produce rather good tea. I recommend the loose leaf variety properly brewed. But then, I do also like Whittard's, Punjana, Swan... I could go on...
But the advert is lovely!
All those young folk on their bicycles...
Wow! Their skills are incredible! I can't begin to imagine the amount to time and effort spent on gaining and developing those skills.
via howithappened.com
via howithappened.com
Thoughtful statistics: Selection Bias
Taken from the blog of John Cook. The thinking behind the decision making is important, and something that is often forgotton. When looking at the population sample, it is important to consider the sizeable portion of the population that do not feature in the sample.
Obviously - no approval for killing machines.
From : http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2008/01/21/selection-bias-and-bombers
via: howithappened.com
Obviously - no approval for killing machines.
'Selection bias and bombers
During WWII, statistician Abraham Wald was asked to help the British decide where to add armor to their bombers. After analyzing the records, he recommended adding more armor to the places where there was no damage!
This seems backward at first, but Wald realized his data came from bombers that survived. That is, the British were only able to analyze the bombers that returned to England; those that were shot down over enemy territory were not part of their sample. These bombers’ wounds showed where they could afford to be hit. Said another way, the undamaged areas on the survivors showed where the lost planes must have been hit because the planes hit in those areas did not return from their missions.
Wald assumed that the bullets were fired randomly, that no one could accurately aim for a particular part of the bomber. Instead they aimed in the general direction of the plane and sometimes got lucky. So, for example, if Wald saw that more bombers in his sample had bullet holes in the middle of the wings, he did not conclude that Nazis liked to aim for the middle of wings. He assumed that there must have been about as many bombers with bullet holes in every other part of the plane but that those with holes elsewhere were not part of his sample because they had been shot down.'
This seems backward at first, but Wald realized his data came from bombers that survived. That is, the British were only able to analyze the bombers that returned to England; those that were shot down over enemy territory were not part of their sample. These bombers’ wounds showed where they could afford to be hit. Said another way, the undamaged areas on the survivors showed where the lost planes must have been hit because the planes hit in those areas did not return from their missions.
Wald assumed that the bullets were fired randomly, that no one could accurately aim for a particular part of the bomber. Instead they aimed in the general direction of the plane and sometimes got lucky. So, for example, if Wald saw that more bombers in his sample had bullet holes in the middle of the wings, he did not conclude that Nazis liked to aim for the middle of wings. He assumed that there must have been about as many bombers with bullet holes in every other part of the plane but that those with holes elsewhere were not part of his sample because they had been shot down.'
From : http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2008/01/21/selection-bias-and-bombers
via: howithappened.com
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