Canny lass

Did they get paid?!

I'm sad to say your spot on there, Maggie. Psychopaths are known to show a callous lack of empathi. Psychopathy is, however, no longer classified as a mental illness and is not thought to be treatable because their own emotionai coldness is even directed towards themselves, making any improvement in the condition impossible. It's a Life long condition. But I Believe one or two euphemistic names have crept into the language - ant-social personality disorder is one I've Heard a few times. What's that saying about a rose by any other name would smell as sweet?

I thought it was intesting that WT mentioned this type of experiment as I'd only recently given Vic a clip (Lovely Word clip!), albeit totally undeserved, when I failed to see his subtle sarcasm. Masserman's observations are still used today in psychiatry as he was one of the first, and probably the most widely acknwledged, within the field of empathy research. Up until he started his research it was widely believed that empathy was the main distinguishing factor between animals and humans but his findings proved otherwise while at the same time giving a degree of support to the theory that humans have evolved from primates.

The guy kneeling on the right is the only vaguely familiar face but I can't put a name to him. The photo's taken15-20 years Before my memory would contain anything at all, but even when I try to envisage the younger ones 20 years on it doesn't get me anywhere. Bluebarby. do you recognise anybody?

Jules Masserman did a similar experiment in the 60:s. Using chimps who had to pull a chain to recieve food, onlooking chimps got an Electric shock at the same time as the chain-pulling chimp got his food. The chimps starved themselves to near Death rather than let the other chimps get an Electric shock. A classic demonstration of empathi - putting themselves in other's shoes and making a compassionate decision.

Thanks Malcolm! I really believe that this is the way to go. Children are an extremely underestimated Group in society today. I also believe that getting them involved in community development at an early age, as this and the BiB Project do, will do a great deal to reduce the problems we have with the teenage population in future years. I don't think we will see dramatic results in the very immediate future but this idea is long term planning at it's best. By including children in this way we are taking the first steps in teaching them that life is not all about 'getting' it's also about 'giving', thatl ife is not just about having 'rights', it's also about having 'responsibilities' and it doesn't harm them to learn about simple budgeting either, that everything we want isn't always possible to get whether that be on a personal or a Community level..

I'd probably enjoy that, Malcolm. I have a funeral to attend in Whitley bay at 2.15 and if time permits I'll be there.

If, like me, you often have time to kill in strange places like hotels and airports wouldn't it be nice to meet up with a friend for a coffee and a natter just to help pass the time? Are you contemplating a visit to some far flung (or not so far flung, as the case may be), foreign country for holiday or for business? Maybe somebody here lives in that country, or has at least visited it, and would be able to offer tips and advice on local customs, food, or places to visit? Maybe you just want to ask a 'silly' question like do I need to bring my own toilet paper or maybe they would like to meet up just to get a bit of news from home or hear the North East 'twang' again? This could be the first stop for you! Post your travel plans, ask for advice on places to visit, things to do and things to see or simply arrange to hook up for a chat. This could even lead to a couch surfing network, who knows! As a starter, I'm at a relatively loose end in Bedlington, Tuesday and Wednesday (9-10 Feb) next week and will probably spend the evening in the Red Lion. It would be nice to meet any of you who are in the area. Do pop in and say hello if your passing that way. I'll Place a rolled up copy of an unmentionable newspaper on the table in front of me. Of course, there may be a chance , or a risk (depending on how you view things) that you encounter the odd intellectual discussion - this is the Red Lion and I am known for my enquiring mind! Favourite topics of conversation with me, just now, are: How many fish must there be before you can call it a shoal? How fast does a caravan go? Mickey Mouse: spherical or flat ears? Wednesday 11 feb, I have 3½ hours to kill in Amsterdam. Anybody about between 12 and 3 in the afternoon?

I've somehow managed to miss this, Maggie. Mankell's works are very good. One of Sweden's most popular modern day 'sons' along with Stieg Larsson.

Phew! Thank ....................................... (insert deity of your choice) for that!

I can't Believe I've just read that! You can't be serious! Those old and infirm you talk about as they they were the dregs of the Earth, could be someone's parents, Brothers, sisters, wives, husbands Children - maybe yours! Can you honestly tell me that you could put them outside to freeze to death just because they've become too old or too weak to look after themselves? Could you even allow someone else to do that to them? These are human beings you are talking about. These old and infirm are also members of the human race, a race distinguished from most of the animal kingdom by its ability to experience empathy - simply speaking the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a while. Empathy is the ability to understand how somebody is feeling, understand the situation they are in. Empathy is what people like HPW experience every time they help a loved one with something they no longer can do for themselves or even when they take care of a bird like Percy. Empathy is what people like Malcolm Robinson experience every time they raise there butt from an armchair and leave the Comfort of their home to attend a meeting and fight for better facilities for their Community. Empathy is what people like Mercuryg's mother experience when they fight for their child's right to the best possible education. There's nothing "soft" about being empathetic and empathy should be second nature to us all! I'd be the first to advocate the right to a natural Death but to hasten it's advent, especially in that manner, is just barbaric. Of course, having empathy for the old and infirm isn't synonymous with giving help to the old and infirm but it is a first step in doing something compassionate - even if that's just not making worse the situation they already find themselves in.

Here's another one instead: A cardiologist died, and was given an elaborate funeral. A huge heart, covered in flowers, stood behind the casket during the service. Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside. The beautiful heart then closed, sealing the doctor inside, forever. At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him, he said, "I'm sorry. I was just thinking of my own funeral...I'm a gynecologist." The proctologist fainted !!

Sorry! I had to delete it as the photographs did not appear.

Well, it certainly brightened my day!

Fantastic show of initiative!

Do you also have moose, Vic? We have elk, deer, fox and wild boar on a Daily basis, though I haven't seen a boar since we put up the Electric fencing last year. The elk just step over it and the deer leap over without any problem. Lynx I've only seen twice in 30 years but they are enormously shy and not easy to spot. We know they are there because we see their tracks in the Winter. Wolves are beginning to increase in number and the odd one has been seen here. A couple of years ago a bear was spotted by a few neighbours. However, bears are not native to this area. He was successfully captured a few weeks later and returned to a forest further North.

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink Maggie!

Keep them coming guys! I Think you had something good on Tuesday Maggie, when you wrote about "history and heritage". How about: Bedlington, where history, heritage and a hearty welcome await you!

The wee pup is a wee kitten, HPW, but I can understand you not being able to see the difference. He couldn't have been 24 hours old when I found him as the umbilical chord was still bleeding. That Picture was taken just a couple of hours after. Here he is today.

Oh dear! I who have a meeting in Camden Town tomorrow afternoon! Surely it won't be windy there? I mean, they wouldn't want wind blowing on themselves would they?

What year would that have been Millbank?

ha ha! Miss Severs wouldn't have done a bad job either! Actually, I can't remember who was headmistress when I started at the village school. Miss Short was class teacher. Miss Severs started there a couple of years later as headmistress, followed by Miss Gair but before that ...? Any ideas?

The sad thing about Benefits Street is that people here actually Think that it's representative of the whole of Britain. It's a case of a minority group but people don't seem to understand that. It's the same in Spain. Sitting on a bus last year I eaves dropped on a conversation between two Spanish 'senores' in our age. They hadn't a good Word to say about the British. The British come to Spain, they said, let their dogs make a mess all over the Place, run illegal businesses putting honest, hard working Spaniards out of a job, theft and hooliganism have soared since the urban developments were taken over by the British (pushing up house prices so that Spaniards can't afford to buy) and not to mention the amount of alcoholics roaming the streets, begging on street corners and causing queues in Casualty departments in holiday resorts.

Depends on what's meant by "exotic". There are 5 million of us British ex-pats, (thats immigrants living in another patriot's country) according to the UN who keep track of such things. Imagine if we all got sent home! The British Isles would collapse under the weight. Songs of separation sounds good. I'll keep an Eye out for it. Water of Tyne brings back memories of Miss Severs - shudder!

In what way do they make it very clear that they expect a totally free ride on the European economy? Which are the "Other nationalities" you refer to here? No, on second thoughts, don't bother to answer. Just now Sweden is being 'entertained' (I use the Word loosely) by a British TV series called Benefits Street. Being British, I get a lot of questions about the authenticity of that which is portrayed in the programme. The programme follows the Daily lives of people on a street on Teesside (would you Believe it!) and ALL are living on benefits. Now, I'm still not sure how to recognise a Muslim by his/her appearance but everybody on this street drinks alcohol which leads me to suspect that none of them are of that persuasion. Didn't see anybody in a burka or with their hair covered either but I did see a lot of salon constructed false Nails, H&M clothing and expensive bikes. And, it was so Lovely to hear that deep inrooted Teesside dialect from ALL of the residents. Should these few people represent the whole of the UK population? I Think that the question of UK immigration policy, or indeed European immigration policy, is an interesting one, worthy of serious debate. There are certainly many good reasons for the UK, and the rest of Europé to take a critical look at the present situation with regard to immigration, capacity and finance being just two of them. However, religion, clothing and 'outbreeding' do not have any place in a serious debate of this subject. Therefore I give you the last Word. Over and out.