Taiwan to shop through the blues

The government has prescribed some retail therapy for the economy. Shoppers in Taiwan will be handed more than $100 (£67) in redeemable vouchers in a government bid to beat the global credit crisis. They will be valid in shops, restaurants and supermarkets in 2009. Prime Minister Liu Chao-shiuan said the handout of T$3,600 to each of Taiwan's 23m people would happen in January. "The worldwide economy will probably be in a downturn for a while, so the coupons are necessary to support us during that time," Mr Liu said. "The programme is aimed at boosting the economy... and is expected to contribute to a 0.64% increase in 2009 GDP," he told a news conference in Taipei. People who donate their coupons will be able to file for tax deductions.

The scheme, proposed by the island's top economics planning body, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, is based on a similar initiative launched by Japan in 1999. Taiwan's economy continued to show signs of slowing in September and in October, exports fell 8.3% on a year earlier. Taiwan's central bank cut interest rates to 2.75% last week - the fourth cut in just over a month. The shopping voucher measure has been passed by Mr Liu's cabinet but still needs legislative approval. But some analysts remained sceptical. Johnny Lee, an analysts at President Securities, told the AFP news agency Taiwan needed permanent solutions. "I think the government should focus on long-term plans to boost consumer confidence, such as lowering commodity prices, improving job securities and reviving the economy," he said.

Essay: Gay Marriage

Just forty years ago African-American’s were not even allowed to piss in the same bathroom as a white people. Now America has elected one to the highest position in the land, President. It was even conceivable that a woman could have been elected to this prominent post too. Both cases prove that America has changed a lot over the years. However, on that same historic day, Californians (one of the most liberal states of all America) were also voting on Proposition 8; a measure to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples. Unfortunately, the measure passed 52% in favor. Florida and Arizona passed similar resolutions the following day along with votes relating to banning gambling, abortion issues and stem cell research. All of this shows that conservatism is endemic in America still and is the dominant force shaping society. Why does this matter? I’m not American! True, but America is still the most dominant power in the world and the eyes of the world persistently gaze upon it. Also, the arguments raised on both sides are universally applicable to all societies.

The proponents of same sex marriage highlight that it’s blatant discrimination which ultimately leaves gays as second class citizens. Similarly, It does nothing to destabilize the institution of marriage and in fact would benefit society. The opponents argue that it’s immoral, historically it has always been a union between opposite sexes, it opens up a bag of health risks and instability, and will ultimately lead to the destruction of the institution of marriage altogether. Both sides argue vehemently over their views.

I suppose when I was younger my initial views were who wants to get married anyway? It went against my tendency to go against the grain. Why conform to a heterosexual institution and become assimilated into that society. Also, does it really promote stability in relationships? At that time I believed not. Yet not being any meaningful relationship at the time and being forbidden by law to get married even if I wanted to obviously helped shaped my views at that time.

Over the years, my views have certainly changed. As my views have changed so has the law in the UK too. Thankfully, civil partnerships are now legal in the UK since 2005 which grants same sex couples many of the rights enjoyed by married couples. I’m at the happiest time I have ever been in my life with regards to my relationship right now. I’m in a committed loving relationship and that love and commitment we have is no different from any other heterosexual couples. If we wanted to express that through marriage why should we be forbidden to? Admittedly, getting married would not make our love stronger or make our relationship more stable but that’s not the point. It would give us rights that we just wouldn’t have cohabiting such as social security, pensions, inheritance, next of kin rights, and adoption rights to name just some. It would also have a symbolic value to celebrate love.

I believe that it’s only a matter of time before gay marriage becomes legal in more and more places. What it boils down to is rights, should I have the right to marry? Yes. Do I intend on exercising that right? You bet I do!

The Golden Horse Film Festival Week 1

As I have a movie buff boyfriend I have had a great opportunity to see lots of films recently at the Golden Horse Film Festival. So far I have seen four movies; Gomorra, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Shine A Light, and Into The Wild. All four have been good. Gomorra’s elaborate plot demands attention with its frantic pace and myriad intertwining stories yet is an intriguing insight into the dark underworld of the Italian Mafia. The classic, 2001 A Space Odyssey, was truly awesome on the big screen. I admit to struggling to retain attention when watching it on DVD but viewing it in its intended format elevated the movie to a whole new level for me. Into the Wild is a thought provoking movie. It harks to the adventurous get-up-and-go feeling that many people feel from time to time; yet takes that to the very extreme. The characters he meets along the way are the key to this movie for me. Finally, Shine A Light, a masterpiece as far as musical documentaries go. I love the way the instruments, including vocals, are isolated, raised and lowered in tandem with the visual tone to create something totally unique compared to other concert performances I have seen before. A must see even if you are not a Stones fan.

Former President Chen Arrested on Charges of Corruption

Ex-President Chen Shui-bian, who faces corruption allegations, has been formally taken into custody. Mr Chen, an independence activist and staunch critic of China, was taken to jail after his detention was approved by a court overnight. It came at the end of a dramatic 24 hours, during which police led a defiant Mr Chen away in handcuffs. Mr Chen, who stepped down in May, denies all the graft charges and claims they are politically motivated. He has been taken to Tucheng prison in the suburbs of the capital, Taipei. He can now be held for up to four months, despite not yet having formally been charged. Police have reportedly tightened security around the jail amid threats from his supporters. Muscle tear The BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei says the authorities want to avoid the type of demonstrations seen last week during a landmark visit by a high-ranking Chinese Communist official to Taiwan. Mr Chen and his supporters - who see closer ties to Beijing as a threat to Taiwan's sovereignty - opposed that visit. Court proceedings had to be suspended on Tuesday night, when Mr Chen said he needed hospital treatment after being pushed outside the court building. He was returned to court for an overnight sitting after doctors found he had only a minor muscle tear. Mr Chen is accused of money laundering and illegally using a special presidential fund. But the outspoken nationalist accuses the new administration of persecuting him "as a sacrifice to appease China". Mr Chen is an ardent supporter of Taiwanese independence, and a trenchant critic of President Ma Ying-jeou's Kuomintang (KMT) administration, which he accuses of pandering to China. But China has termed accusations that his detention is a plot between Beijing and President Ma's administration "pure fabrication". President Ma has also denied intervening in the case. Opposition damaged? Mr Chen and his family have been mired in corruption allegations since 2006, when his son-in-law was charged with insider trading on the stock market and then jailed for seven years. The charges have damaged the reputation of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), observers say, which may now face a rough ride in next year's local elections. Taiwan has been ruled separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. The defeated Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan to create a self-governing entity. But Beijing sees the island as a breakaway province which should be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Mr Chen has now gone on hunger strike, according to his lawyer. He said his client wanted to "protest the death of justice". Mr Chen's supporters have promised further demonstrations. Mr Chen was dramatically handcuffed and detained by prosecutors on Tuesday and sent to jail early on Wednesday, since when he has not eaten, Mr Cheng said. He wants to "protest the death of justice and the regression of democracy", Mr Cheng said, according to the AP news agency. He added that his client was in an "OK" condition for the time being but his supporters say his detention represents a breach to his human rights. Some say they plan to protest on Saturday outside the jail in which he is being held.

Family suicides on rise in Taiwan

Five-year-old Ho Hung-an's parents loved him.
They bought him little plastic cartoon toys even though they were both unemployed and behind in paying rent.

"At-risk" children are counselled by social workers
But in June, they took his life and their own by burning charcoal in their sealed apartment, causing them all to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Such shocking cases in which parents not only take their own lives, but those of their children, are on the rise in Taiwan, which already has one the highest suicide rates in Asia.
Experts who have studied the trend said most parents acted out of a deluded sense that it was better to spare their children the misery of living without anyone to take care of them.
"These cases are rare in the United States or Europe. They treat their kids as independent individuals," said Pan Yi-ju, a psychiatrist and researcher at the Taiwan Department of Health's Suicide Prevention Centre.
"When they want to kill themselves, they don't necessarily take their kids," she added.
"In eastern cultures, these cases are more frequent."
In the first 10 months of this year, there were 31 cases of attempted or successful murder-suicides involving child victims, a four-year high, according to the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF), a non-governmental organisation.
It compiled the statistics from government data and media reports.
Nineteen children have been killed in this way so far this year, the same figure as for the whole of 2007.
Financial woes
Social workers attribute the rise mainly to financial problems.
"In the suicide notes and police reports we study, most of the parents suffered some kind of financial pressure, including business failures, job losses and large debts," said Harold Li, the Foundation's chief coordinator of research and development.

Parents don't believe anyone in this world will take care of their children
Harold LiChild Welfare League Foundation
The situation could deteriorate, he said, as Taiwan's already struggling economy begins to feel further pressure from the global financial crisis.
The unemployment rate in September hit a four-year high, while exports declined for the first time in years.
A large number of small or middle-sized enterprises have already shut down and economic indicators suggest the island is headed toward a recession.
"If the economic situation doesn't improve, these cases can become worse. So we're quite worried," said Li.
Suicide by burning charcoal in a closed room is the most common method used by despairing parents.
It is considered easier than other suicide methods and allows the family to die at the same time.
To ensure their children die, some parents strangle them while they are asleep before lighting the charcoal.
Others give the youngsters sleeping pills or put rat poison in their food.
Some perpetrators have been grandparents, struggling to cope with abandoned grandchildren they are unable to care for. One slit her grandchild's wrist.
Parents who choose to end their child's life often also suffer from emotional problems such as depression, and tend to be socially isolated, making it more difficult for them to get help.
Others do not want to burden their relatives with raising their children.
Cultural factors are also behind the disturbing trend, experts said.
"In Asian culture, parents think their children are their property. They think parents have the right to determine a child's life," said Mr Li.
"They think it's an act of goodwill. They don't believe anyone in this world will take care of their children. They lack trust in relatives, government or social agencies," he added.
In western countries, children are more commonly murdered in violent, revenge attacks against a spouse or an ex-partner.
In Taiwan, 42% of child murder-suicide cases this year involved both parents.
Statistics on such incidents are hard to come by as murder-suicides involving children are often not separated from general suicide figures, according to Ms Pan.
But she said it is clear the trend has been rising in Taiwan in the past decade, due in part to increasing knowledge about charcoal-burning suicide.
Public campaign
Shame also keeps parents from seeking financial or medical assistance.
Ho Hung-an's family could have qualified for welfare but for some reason they didn't apply
Police officer Hsiao Yu-hsi
"Usually the trigger is a tuition bill or late rent notice, which seem like a small matter, but in their despondent state, they don't believe anyone would help them," said Peng Yu-wen, a social worker with the CWLF who counsels parents and children who survive suicide attempts.
The CWLF has begun a campaign inviting the public to come up with ideas to reduce the alarming rise in suicides.
Social workers have also appealed to the government to address the issue.
And they have also called on all members of society to look out for those among them who could be at risk and not be afraid to help them.
At-risk children are also taught how to protect themselves.
"We teach them to spot signs, such as mum saying things like, 'I want to take you away with me'. We tell the kids to seek out a teacher, relative, friend of their parent or neighbour they can go to for help," said Ms Peng.
In the case of five-year-old Ho, no-one was there to help.
His parents, who sold arts and crafts trinkets on the street, had borrowed money from relatives in the past, but found they were unable to do so anymore, said Hsiao Yu-hsi, a police officer who, along with the landlady, discovered the family at the scene.
"They only had NT$1,000 [US$33] in their home, and no money in their bank account," said Mr Hsiao.
"They could have qualified for welfare but for some reason they didn't apply."

Barack Obama

Electoral College Results for 2008

"Change Has Come To America"

Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected the first black president of the United States, prompting celebrations across the country. "It's been a long time coming, but tonight... change has come to America," the president-elect told a jubilant crowd at a victory rally in Chicago. His rival John McCain accepted defeat, and called on his supporters to lend the next president their goodwill. The American people have made two fundamental statements about themselves: that they are profoundly unhappy with the status quo, and that they are slamming the door on the country's racial past.

McCain: 'We must work together'
Mr Obama appeared with his family, and his running mate Joe Biden, before a crowd of tens of thousands in Grant Park, Chicago. Many people in the vast crowd, which stretched back far into the Chicago night, wept as Mr Obama spoke. "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," he said. He said he had received an "extraordinarily gracious" call from Mr McCain.
He praised the former Vietnam prisoner-of-war as a "brave and selfless leader".

"He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine," the victor said.
He had warm words for his family, announcing to his daughters: "Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House." But he added: "Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. But America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there." Hours after Mr Obama's victory was announced, crowds were still celebrating on the streets of Washington DC and Mr Obama's hometown of Chicago.

From red to blue
Mr Obama captured the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, before breaking through the winning threshold of 270 electoral college votes at 0400 GMT, when projections showed he had also taken California and a slew of other states.

Obama tells his supporters: "Change has come to America." Then came the news that he had also seized Florida, Virginia and Colorado - all of which voted Republican in 2004 - turning swathes of the map from red to blue. Projected results have yet to be announced for the states of North Carolina and Missouri, which are believed to be too close to call. However, at 1100 GMT, Mr Obama's share of the popular vote stood at 52.3%, compared with Mr McCain's 46.4%.
The main developments include:
Mr Obama is projected to have seized Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Indiana and Nevada - all Republican wins in 2004. He is also projected to have won: Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon. Mr McCain is projected to have won: Montana, Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota.

Turnout was reported to be extremely high - in some places "unprecedented".
The Democrats increased their Senate majority by five seats, but fell short of the 60 needed to stop blocking tactics by Republicans. They also increased their majority in the House of Representatives. Exit polls suggest the economy was the major deciding factor for six out of 10 voters. Nine out of 10 said the candidates' race was not important to their vote, the Associated Press reported. Almost as many said age did not matter. Several states reported very high turnout. It was predicted 130 million Americans, or more, would vote - more than for any election since 1960.

Many people said they felt they had voted in a historic election - and for many African-Americans the moment was especially poignant. John Lewis, an activist in the civil rights era who was left beaten on an Alabama bridge 40 years ago, told Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church: "This is a great night. It is an unbelievable night. It is a night of thanksgiving." Besides winning the presidency, the Democrats tightened their grip on Congress. The entire US House of Representatives and a third of US Senate seats were up for grabs.

China makes Taiwan plea to Obama

China's government has urged America's new president-elect, Barack Obama, to oppose independence for Taiwan. A foreign ministry spokesman said the issue was key to good relations. The demand comes after Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou held a brief but historic meeting with a senior Chinese envoy in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. But the meeting was vehemently opposed by thousands of protesters, who object to the closer trade and economic ties agreed in a deal this week.

Advertisement
Riot police struggle to control anti-Beijing protesters in Taipei
'Stop selling weapons'. "We urge the United States to honour its commitment... honour the one-China policy and stop selling weapons to Taiwan," ministry spokesman Qin Gang told journalists in Beijing, after being asked to comment on US-China relations following Mr Obama's election win.

Mr Chen and President Ma exchanged a painting of a horse and a vase"Judging from the development of bilateral relations in the past years, the Taiwan issue is the most sensitive issue." It has already been US policy to uphold the one-China principle which sees Taiwan as part of mainland China. But it is such an important issue to the Chinese that they take every opportunity to restate it - and to ask others to restate it - says a BBC China correspondent Chris Hogg. Earlier this year, one of the president-elect's senior foreign policy advisers made clear there were no plans for the Obama administration to change tack on this issue, he adds.
Last month the Bush administration told Congress it planned to sell more than $6bn (£3.8bn) worth of weapons to Taipei - prompting a furious reaction from China, and the subsequent cancellation of some some military and diplomatic exchanges, according to US officials.
Mr Qin's remarks come amid a five-day visit to Taiwan by Chen Yunlin, the most senior Communist Chinese official to visit the island since 1949.

In the future both sides should see the reality and should not deny each other's existence
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeouEarlier in the week, Mr Chen agreed a landmark deal to improve direct trade and transport links, and on Thursday, he held a short but historic meeting with President Ma. The two made a few cordial remarks as they exchanged gifts - a painting of a horse for President Ma (whose name sounds like "horse" in Chinese), and a ceramic vase for Mr Chen. But Mr Chen's avoidance of the term "president" when addressing Mr Ma - a term Beijing considers would suggest Taiwan's independence - infuriated protesters gathered outside the government guesthouse where they met.

Fears for jobs
"This shows that China is only treating Taiwan like a local government," said Chang Bang-ni, a middle-aged businesswoman demonstrating outside. Some protesters also voiced fears that closer economic ties with China could mean jobs lost on the island to the cheaper market on the other side of the Taiwanese Straits. President Ma says this week's deal "symbolises a major step forward for cross-strait ties," and will "contribute to cross-strait stability and prosperity".
"But we cannot deny that differences and challenges still exist, such as Taiwan's security and Taiwan's position in the international community," he said in comments broadcast live.
"In the future, both sides should see the reality and should not deny each other's existence in order to promote the welfare of the people and cross-strait peace and to resolve our differences." Mr Chen's visit has attracted daily protests since it began on Monday, and thousands of police have been deployed to ensure his safety. On Wednesday night, crowds mobbed the hotel in which Mr Chen was eating, preventing him from leaving the building until well after midnight. Last month, his deputy Zhang Mingqing was knocked to the ground by protesters during a visit.

Taiwan crowd besieges China envoy

Mr Chen is in Taiwan to sign a series of trade deals. Demonstrators have dispersed after surrounding a hotel in the Taiwanese capital to protest against a visit by a top-ranking Chinese negotiator. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the hotel in Taipei where Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin was attending a dinner. Mr Chen is reported to have left the hotel after a six-hour stand-off between demonstrators and police. The demonstrators are opposed to President Ma Ying-jeou's policy of forging closer ties with China.

'Chinese bandit'
The BBC's Cindy Sui, who is at the scene, says vehicles with tinted windows leaving the hotel were spat and yelled at. Some shouted "Ma Ying-jeou step down", blaming the Taiwanese president for allowing the landmark talks during Mr Chen's visit. Lines of riot police prevented demonstrators from getting into the hotel. Mr Chen is the most senior Chinese official to visit Taiwan in decades.

Protests
Mass protests against President Ma's pro-China policies have been on going since August.
They have been led by the main opposition, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which while in government antagonised Beijing with a pro-independence agenda. Recent relations soured two months ago when Taiwan was affected by tainted milk products from China, and a number of people were taken ill.

China And Taiwan In Landmark Deal

China and Taiwan have signed landmark agreements to improve direct trade and transport links, following the highest-level Chinese visit in decades. The agreements are set to triple the number of weekly direct passenger flights and allow cargo shipments between ports in China and Taiwan. They also aim to improve the postal service and food safety.

The agreements were announced on the second day of a five-day visit to Taiwan by Chen Yunlin, China's top official for handling relations with Taiwan. Previously, sovereignty issues involving vessels and crews forced costly detours through third countries, while China-Taiwan flights were forced to stop in Hong Kong or Macau.

Under the agreements:
Direct charter flights will increase from 36 to 108, and can operate daily rather than four days out of seven. Routes will be shortened and private business jet flights will be allowed
Direct cargo shipments will be allowed between 11 Taiwan sea ports and 63 in China, tax free
Sixty direct cargo flights will be allowed per month. Direct postal links will be expanded to improve delivery time, currently up to 10 days. Food safety alerts between the countries will be set up.

Taiwan has the diplomatic recognition of a handful of states. But since Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and the defeated Kuomintang fled to Taiwan, China has regarded it as a breakaway province which it has threatened to reunify using force.

Taipei protests
The latest trade agreements come after the two sides held their first, high-level meeting in a decade in June this year, in Beijing. The improvement in relations follows the election of President Ma Ying-jeou in Taiwan.

However, Mr Ma's overtures of ending decades of political rivalry with Beijing have sparked fierce protests in Taiwan, including accusations that he is "selling out" to the mainland.
Pro-independence groups staged small protests around Taipei to coincide with Mr Chen's visit, waving flags and banners. Thousands of police were deployed to ensure Mr Chen's safety, after his deputy Zhang Mingqing was jostled and knocked to the ground by protesters during a visit to Taiwan in October.

Top Chinese envoy on Taiwan visit

Chen Yunlin was met from the plane by his Taiwanese counterpart. China's top official for handling relations with Taiwan has arrived in Taipei for a five-day visit. Chen Yunlin heads the Chinese body which handles relations with Taiwan, and is expected to sign agreements on economic and transport issues. New Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has promised to end decades of political rivalry with Beijing. Earlier, police dispersed small groups of Taiwanese pro-independence protesters around the capital.

Mr Chen is head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (Arats).
He will hold talks and sign agreements on direct shipping and air cargo links, food safety and a postal service with Chiang Pin-kun, head of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
The two organisations manage ties between China and Taiwan, because there have been no formal links since the civil war ended in 1949. Formal discussions between the two parties are to begin on Tuesday.

Chen Yunlin's visit is being seen as a high point in previously strained relations between Beijing and Taipei, according to the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei. Taiwan rules itself and has secured diplomatic recognition from a handful of states, but China regards it as a breakaway province.
It has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and the defeated Kuomintang fled to Taiwan.

KEY TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION
Direct flights and shipping
Postal services
Food safety, after various scares in mainland China
Financial co-operation, in the wake of the global crisis

The two sides held the first meeting in a decade in June this year, in Beijing.
"The hard ice between the two sides has already been shattered, the road has already been opened," said Wang Yi, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, at Chen's official send-off.
"This will go down as a great event in the history of relations across the [Taiwan] Straits," he said. Since President Ma took power in Taiwan in May, a series of trade and tourism deals have been reached with the mainland, including permission for up to 3,000 mainlanders to visit Taiwan every day. However, Mr Ma's overtures have sparked fierce protests in Taiwan, including accusations that he is "selling out" to the mainland. "If Ma's government keeps talking like this to China, it definitely has political implications," said Cheng Wen-tsang, spokesman for the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which favours formal independence from China.
Protests.

Pro-independence groups staged small protests around Taipei to coincide with Mr Chen's visit, waving flags and banners. One one group offered cash rewards for protesters who hit Mr Chen with eggs. "Taiwan is not China's! ... I'm very proud to be a Taiwanese person. ... I love Taiwan. It's my mother country," one female protester told reporters. Thousands of police were deployed to ensure Mr Chen's safety, after his deputy Zhang Mingqing was jostled and knocked to the ground by protesters during a visit to Taiwan in October.

Obama versus McCain

The final day before we find out who the 44th President of the USA will be and to be honest it doesn't seem to be much of a close contest from what i can make out. Although some official polls are still predicting a rather close race at 50 something over 40 something in Obama's favor the odds appear to be stacked way against McCain. A Look at the electoral college system would suggest that McCain would have to win every undecided state in the contest along with taking away at least a couple of states that are predicted to vote for Obama. I just can't see this happening.

Interestingly enough the Economist have been carrying out a world electoral college voting contest where every country is allocated votes along the same system used in the USA. Obama has completely swept the board with 9,115 votes compared to McCain's 203. Admittedly this shows no indication as to how America will vote, but still McCain needs to do something pretty radical to turn this one around and he simply hasn't done it. Obama is surely going to win by a comfortable margin.

Halloween at School

Friday was Halloween. All the kids and teachers got dressed up in the morning and hit the streets to trick or treat. Unfortunately Friday also happened to be one of the hottest days in weeks so we were all dripping of sweat! Never mind, it beat teaching any day! Here are some pictures of the lovely darlings which i teach, looks like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths here!