Still dark, wet and warm and the weather’s no better.
The USA has come up with an interesting idea-The US federal Trade Commission is seeking to restrict the rampant and unethical online plugging of products and services, and to bring the blogosphere into line with traditional media, where editorial and advertising are, or should be, clearly separated.
The guidelines, which come into force on Dec 1, state that "bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service".
The noose tightens.
And; Sharon Shoesmith has decided to apply for a judicial review of her dismissal. Ms Shoesmith argues the London council; Ofsted and the secretary of state treated her unfairly and illegally.
Peter Connolly suffered over 50 injuries by the time of his death.
The 17-month-old - initially known as Baby P - died in Haringey, north London, in August 2007 while under the care of mother Tracey Connolly, 28, her partner Steven Barker, 33, and Barker's brother Jason Owen, 37.
Ms Shoesmith contends that Mr Balls was influenced by the media campaign waged against her and that she was not given an opportunity to respond to or correct the criticisms which led to her dismissal.
The hearing is expected to last three days.
Shame that baby Peter can’t do the same.
First up:
After the Irish ratified the Lisbon treaty, signing away their country it emerges that Irish parents struggling to buy schoolbooks and uniforms in the face of a deep recession may now have to worry about sending their children to school with a toilet roll as well as a packed lunch.
Pupils at a primary school in the southern county of Cork are being asked to bring their own toilet paper to school to help save money, one of the starkest examples yet of the death of Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" economy.
"The letter was sent out just as a way of balancing books here in the school and not intended as a demand," said Catherine O'Neill, principal at St John's Girls National School.
O'Neill said the request was made because of cuts to government grants for books and computers. She added that parents were responding well.
"I've done a quick tour of the classrooms this morning and I'd say at least half the pupils have brought them (toilet rolls) in," she told national broadcaster RTE.
"I have no doubt that there are an enormous number of schools out there that are doing the same thing."
Well. They put themselves in the shite, now it’s time to pay up.
Police say a driving lesson on Good Luck Road ended with a minivan crashing through an apartment wall.
It happened in Lanham Maryland, where apartment resident Robert Scriber's leg was hurt by flying debris. He says the minivan landed on top of a bed where he'd been lying minutes before.
Police say a man was teaching his friend to drive when the accident occurred just after 10 a.m. Monday.
Authorities say the driver was in the country illegally and didn't have a license. They say the man's friend didn't have a license either. Both are charged with reckless endangerment, and the driver has also been charged with driving without a license.
Numpty with a capital N
The panic continues a court hearing for a jail inmate in Spokane, Washington. had to be postponed a day because he was wearing a surgical mask and his defence lawyer refused to sit next to him.
The burglary suspect didn't feel sick, but jailers made him wear the mask as a precaution against swine flu because he had shared a cell with sick inmates.
Spokane County Superior Court Judge MaryAnn Moreno says it seems "a little paranoid" to do with everyone who has the sniffles. She has called a meeting with lawyers and jail staff Thursday to discuss the flu threat.
The jail requires inmates with cold or flu symptoms, and anyone near them, to wear protective masks when they leave their cells.
The Spokesman-Review reports that the jail also postponed sending an inmate to Oregon last week as a precaution.
Paranoid isn’t the word for it.
Two million Britons still own a pair of jeans they bought more than 40 years ago, a survey has found.
The study by Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex found that the average pair of jeans in a British wardrobe is six years old and women hang on to them for longer than men.
There are few, if any, items of clothing which are likely to be kept for longer whether it is because they have worn out or simply gone out of style or size.
Almost half of all adults (48 per cent) say they believe jeans will never go out of vogue, which is the main reason for holding on to them.
While high fashion styles change from drainpipes to flares, to boot cut and back again, the basic pair of jeans is seen as always having a use.
Around 46 per cent of men have a pair of old jeans that they wear for messy jobs like painting and decorating, working on the car or gardening.
Three in ten women (30 per cent) but only 12 per cent of men say they keep old pairs of jeans in the hope they will be able to lose enough weight to get back into them.
More than one in five (22 per cent) keep old jeans because they are the most comfortable item of clothing they own.
Eight per cent said they hang on to their old jeans for sentimental reasons – such as bringing back memories of a first date.
Across the country there are £7 billion worth of jeans in wardrobes, the average adult has five pairs, though 22 per cent own six to 10 pairs and five per cent have over 20 pairs.
A pair of jeans can cost over £100 but the average pair sold in Britain is on the cheaper side, just £29 said Lakeside.
Jeans were invented in 1873 in America, predominantly for naval workers and then miners and it was not until after the war that James Dean made them popular with teenagers.
And yes I still have a pair over forty years old, and no, that isn’t me in the photo.
And finally:
This time it’s a lollipop man, John Hunter, 69, has been the popular crossing guide at Corstorphine Primary School, in Edinburgh, since 1999.
Children queue up for his trademark high-fives and he also loves to treat them with chocolates on his birthday and at Christmas.
But he was warned by his boss and told both practices must stop after one parent complained.
Mr Hunter said he was warned that giving high-fives to the youngsters was a "health and safety risk", although there was no explanation of why it was dangerous.
The complaint is thought to have come after Mr Hunter inadvertently gave chocolate containing nuts to a child with a nut allergy. The parent complained about the high-fives at the same time.
Mr Hunter, who was himself a pupil at Corstorphine Primary and has worked for Edinburgh City Council for almost 40 years, said: "This is the first complaint I've ever had in 37 years.
"Now suddenly I'm a danger to these children.
"They said it's health and safety, but I can't see if it's the children's safety or mine. I've built up a strong relationship with them over the years, and I'm going to miss them a lot.
"I was thinking about retiring anyway, so I've handed in my resignation.
A city council spokesman said: "We are really sad that John is leaving his post. Over the years, he has provided excellent service and a friendly smile to parents and pupils at Corstorphine Primary."
He added: "We can't say any more than that."
That’s what you get for being nice,
Angus
