I read the news today oh boy! Page 1,091

Quote: Harridan @ December 7 2012, 8:28 AM GMT

This is quite alarming.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20608039

Jorden Berkeley, a black 22-year-old university graduate from London, spent four months applying for jobs but getting no responses from bigger companies, and offers from elsewhere that were limited to unpaid work experience.

Then a careers adviser suggested Miss Berkeley drop her first name and start using her middle name, Elizabeth.

"I did not really understand this seeing as my name isn't stereotypically 'ethnic' or hard to pronounce, but it was worth a try and I changed it anyway," she said. "I have been getting call backs ever since."

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It might not be an 'ethnic' thing.
It could, despite the alternative spelling, be a well known baloon-breasted air-head thing, though.
Still, all rather short-sighted of the employers.

It has been shown in the US that people with "black" names get fewer responses.

I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. And it's a form of discrimination that's basically impossible to challenge.

I can't imagine how frustrating that must be.

As someone with a 'foreign' surname, I can.

I think one of the cutest things about England is how people think that, because nobody says 'paki' anymore (like they did back in the nasty old 1970's), the country isn't racist.

Maybe it's because she spelt "Jordan" wrong.

Quote: Harridan @ December 7 2012, 8:28 AM GMT

This is quite alarming.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20608039

Jorden Berkeley, a black 22-year-old university graduate from London, spent four months applying for jobs but getting no responses from bigger companies, and offers from elsewhere that were limited to unpaid work experience.

Then a careers adviser suggested Miss Berkeley drop her first name and start using her middle name, Elizabeth.

"I did not really understand this seeing as my name isn't stereotypically 'ethnic' or hard to pronounce, but it was worth a try and I changed it anyway," she said. "I have been getting call backs ever since."

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Well it is a deliberate mispelling of a well known name. I mean even Dizzy Rascal would have second thoughts.

But yeh institutional racism is alive and well in the UK. I hope she passes the interview stage.

Quote: Jinky @ December 7 2012, 9:36 AM GMT

As someone with a 'foreign' surname, I can.

I think one of the cutest things about England is how people think that, because nobody says 'paki' anymore (like they did back in the nasty old 1970's), the country isn't racist.

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People still say 'paki', unfortunately. Even liberal well-educated middle class people, to my surprise!

Quote: Harridan @ December 7 2012, 9:54 AM GMT

People still say 'paki', unfortunately. Even liberal well-educated middle class people, to my surprise!

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That's a peculiar one though, given that it's not considered offensive in some other countries, for example, Australia.

A new interactive map of the bombs dropped on London during the Blitz is quite interesting. This image is pretty staggering:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20637222

or America. But then they think a fanny is a cute name for a bum and not a hairy vagina.

But that argument requires believing a truly colossal degree of ignorance on behalf of the person you're talking to,.

Quote: Harridan @ December 7 2012, 10:10 AM GMT

A new interactive map of the bombs dropped on London during the Blitz is quite interesting. This image is pretty staggering:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20637222

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Well it kinda makes sense.

The Germans were targetting the docks and area around the Thames to damage Britain's strategic reserves.

The real tragedy is the deep shelters were built in the richer parts of London which had the lightest damage.
Whilst poor cockneys had to hide under tables and in the all too shallow Underground.

Somethings never change.

http://news.uk.msn.com/blog/trending-blogpost.aspx?post=e03670c2-da31-4209-b280-b28af8247f16&_nwpt=1

whilst looking up this video about an amiable nut case, whose bananas

I came across this bizarrely violent advert for frocks

Quote: Carlos Manwelly @ December 6 2012, 8:08 PM GMT

Read this article today

Internet Proclaims This the Worst Video Ever

http://mashable.com/2012/12/05/spartan-high-school-gangnam-style/

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That really was quite horrendous!

How did they find so many people without any sense of rhythm in one place?

Quote: Jinky @ December 7 2012, 9:36 AM GMT

As someone with a 'foreign' surname, I can.

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It's not just your name though, is it, Mr Mugabe?

I've been thinking about Max Clifford's arrest recently. He is a loathesome individual who has exploited innocent people and used bullying tactics to get stories planted or surpressed in the national press.

However, his guilt or innocence over recent sexual allegations is now a matter of redundancy. His name has been dragged through the mud, he has been associated with Operation Yewtree and as far as the public are concerned, he am a paedo-ist, even though the allegations have nothing to do with children.

Are we now seeing the settling of old scores via the medium of sex crime allegations? Is it possible that powerful media types are paying 'victims' to come forward to make claims against particular people? Are allegations and not proof enough for the police to make a high profile arrest and for said arrest to be massively publicised?

Just some thoughts.