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2/24/2008 A space friend needs our help Leicester images wants to help Madeleine mcCanA space friend needs our help Leicester images wants to help Madeleine mcCanAbout Madeleine
Madeleine was born in May 2003 – a long-awaited and very much longed for little girl. She lives in the village of Rothley in Leicester, with her mummy and daddy and little brother and sister, Sean and Amelie. Madeleine is a very happy little girl with an outgoing personality. She has always been a very popular little person, appealing to both children and adults alike with her funny and engaging chatter. She has many friends who obviously miss her dearly. Despite her young age, it often felt like Madeleine had been on this earth before! Like most girls her age, she likes dolls and dresses (and anything pink and sparkly) but with a definite taste for action-adventure too! She has an incredible amount of energy and even as a little baby, didn’t seem to need much rest. She enjoys running and swimming and is an Everton fan like her mum and granddad. Madeleine has always been a wonderfully loving and caring big sister to Sean and Amelie. It was certainly not the quietest house on the planet with lots of giggling, singing and the inevitable odd bit of mischief! For Sean and Amelie, there is without doubt, a very important person missing in their life. Madeleine is a warm, life-enriching little person and will never fail we’re sure, to bring joy into the life of anyone she may encounter. Message from Gerry and KateOur daughter Madeleine was abducted on 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal, 9 days before her 4th birthday. She was taken from our holiday apartment where she was sleeping with her younger brother and sister whilst we were dining 50 yards away. Despite a massive investigation led by the Portuguese police and supported by the British police, we still do not know who has taken her, why she was taken or where she is. In addition, private investigators based in Spain are now following up any leads regarding Madeleine’s disappearance. (Investigation page) Since Madeleine’s abduction, we have learned a lot about missing children and child exploitation. The scale of the problem is massive and worldwide. Although finding Madeleine will always remain our priority, we feel it is our duty to highlight these problems as well as areas where legislation can be improved, in order to make the world a little safer for all children. To achieve these aims we are working closely with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Centre for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and other non-governmental agencies throughout Europe (Investigation page). The Find Madeleine Campaign launched a new YouTube channel for missing children in August 2007 called ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ in conjunction with ICMEC and Google. The support we have had from around the world has been amazing. We have no doubt that without all the good wishes, prayers and efforts of so many people, our ordeal would have been so much harder. It has helped maintain our strength and hope, and this together with support for the campaign, has helped the search for our precious Madeleine. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their unconditional support and solidarity. Madeleine is a beautiful little person. She was a very happy and much loved little girl. We believe there is a very good chance that Madeleine is still alive. She deserves the love and security of her family. She needs to be back home with her mummy and daddy, brother and sister. Please keep Madeleine in your thoughts and prayers. And please – remain vigilant. We will NEVER give up looking for Madeleine. Thank you again for your ongoing support and kindness. 03 February Kate and Gerry have launched the new website layout today 1 February 2008
Nossa filha Madeleine foi capturado em 3 de maio de 2007 em Praia da Luz,
Our daughter Madeleine was abducted on 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz, Desde Madeleine do rapto, nós aprendemos muito sobre crianças desaparecidas e exploração infantil. bem como nos domínios Em que a legislação pode ser melhorada, a fim de tornar o mundo um pouco mais seguro para todas as crianças. Para alcançar estes objectivos, estamos a trabalhar em estreitacolaboração com o International Center for Missing e Since Madeleine’s abduction, we have learned a lot about missing children and child exploitation. The scale of the problem is massive and worldwide. Although finding Madeleine will always remain our priority, we feel it is our duty to highlight these problems as well as areas where legislation can be improved, in order to make the world a little safer for all children. To achieve these aims we are working closely with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Centre for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and other non-governmental agencies throughout Europe. The Find Madeleine Campaign launched a new YouTube channel for missing children in August 2007 called Don't you forget about me in conjunction with ICMEC and Google.
O apoio que tivemos de todo o mundo têm sido espantosos. Nós não temos incondicional apoio e solidariedade The support we have had from around the world has been amazing. We have no doubt that without all the good wishes, prayers and efforts of so many people, our ordeal would have been so much harder. It has helped maintain our strength and hope, and this together with support for the campaign, has helped the search for our precious Madeleine. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their unconditional support and solidarity Madeleine é uma bela pouco pessoa. Ela estava muito feliz e muito amada menina.
Madeleine is a beautiful little person. She was a very happy and much loved little girl.
Se você estava na Praia da Luz ou a área circundante nas duas semanas que If you were in Praia da Luz or the surrounding area in the two weeks leading Madeline como faltou para 297 dias, precisamos de obter sua casa
Madeline as been missing for 297 days we need to get her home
Vá lá buscar o seu computador COME ON GET YOUR COMPUTER WORKING FOR MADELEINE MCCAN BE MADELEINE MCCANN'S FRIEND PUT HER POSTER IN YOUR SPACE AND LET HER KNOW
POSTERS IN MY SPACE http://madeleinemccann.spaces.live.com/
2/9/2008 Valentines day
Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine of Terni and his disciples. 14th Century France. Richard de Montbaston. Also called Observed by Type Significance Date Observances Related to Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other; sending Valentine's cards, or offering candy. It is very common to present flowers on Valentine's Day. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[1] The mid-nineteenth century Valentine's Day trade was a harbinger of further commercialized holidays in the United States to follow.[2] The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.[3]
HistoryNumerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognized eleven Valentine's Days. The Valentines honored on February 14 are:
The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of 14 February. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him. Some sources say the Valentine linked to romance is Valentine of Rome, others say Valentine of Terni.[citation needed] Some scholars (such as the Bollandists[citation needed]) have concluded that the two were originally the same person. In any case, no romantic elements are present in the original Early Medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. An overview of attested traditions relevant to the holiday is presented below, with the legends about Valentine himself discussed in the end. February fertility festivalsThough popular modern sources link unspecified Graeco-Roman February holidays alleged to be devoted to fertility and love to St Valentine's Day, Professor Jack Oruch of the University of Kansas argued[4] that prior to Chaucer, no links between the Saints named Valentinus and romantic love existed. Thus whether or not in the ancient Athenian calendar, the period between mid-January and mid-February was the month of Gamelion, was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera is immaterial. In Ancient Rome, February 15 was Lupercalia, an archaic rite connected to fertility, without overtones of romance. Plutarch wrote:
The word Lupercalia comes from lupus, or wolf, so the holiday may be connected with the legendary wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. Priests of this cult, luperci would travel to the lupercal, the cave where the she-wolf who reared Romulus and Remus allegedly lived, and sacrifice animals (two goats and a dog). The blood would then be scattered in the streets, to bring fertility and keep the wolves away from the fields. [7] Lupercalia was a festival local to the city of Rome. The more general Festival of Juno Februa, meaning "Juno the purifier "or "the chaste Juno," was celebrated on February 13-14. Pope Gelasius I (492-496) abolished Lupercalia. Chaucer's love birds
A portrait of English poet Geoffrey Chaucer by Thomas Hoccleve (1412). The earliest known link between Valentine's Day and romance is found in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer:[5]
This poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia[8]. A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381.[9] (When they were married eight months later, he was 13 or 14. She was 14.) On the liturgical calendar, May 2 is the saints' day for Valentine of Genoa. This St. Valentine was an early bishop of Genoa who died around AD 307.[10][11] Readers incorrectly assumed that Chaucer was referring to February 14 as Valentine's Day. However, mid-February is an unlikely time for birds to be mating in England.[6] Chaucer's Parliament of Foules is set in a fictional context of an old tradition, but in fact there was no such tradition before Chaucer. The speculative explanation of sentimental customs, posing as historical fact, had their origins among eighteenth-century antiquaries, notably Alban Butler, the author of Butler's Lives of Saints, and have been perpetuated even by respectable modern scholars. Most notably, "the idea that Valentin'e Day customed perpetuated those of the Roman Lupercalia has been accepted uncritically and repeated, in various forms, up to the present"[7] Medieval and modern times
Swedish calendar showing St Valentine's Day, February 14, 1712 Using the language of the law courts for the rituals of courtly love, a "High Court of Love" was established in Paris on Valentine's Day in 1400. The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.[12][13] The earliest surviving valentine is a fifteenth-century rondeau written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his "valentined" wife, which commences.
At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.[8] Valentine's Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in Hamlet (1600-01): "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day." In 1836, relics of St. Valentine of Rome were donated by Pope Gregory XVI to the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. In the 1960s, the church was renovated and relics restored to prominence.[14] In American culture,Saint Valentine's Day was remade in the 1840s; as a writer in GFTraham's American Monthly observed in 1849, "Saint Valentine's Day... is becoming,nay it has become, a national holyday."[9] In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on 14 February was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on 14 February."[10] The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan and in Malta where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Vatican II calendar.
Valentine's Day postcard, circa 1910
Tree decorated for Valentine's Day The reinvention of Saint Valentine's Day in the 1840s has been traced by Leigh Eric Schmidt.[11] In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received. Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary." In the second half of the twentieth century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts in the United States, usually from a man to a woman. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry. The day has come to be associated with a generic platonic greeting of "Happy Valentine's Day." As a joke, Valentine's Day is also referred to as "Singles Awareness Day." In some North American elementary schools, students are asked to give a Valentine card or small gift to everyone in the class. The greeting cards of these students often mention what they appreciate about each other. The evolving legendThe Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were excerpted by Bede and briefly expounded in Legenda Aurea,[12] According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. Legenda Aurea still providing no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. In an embellishment to The Golden Legend, on the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first "valentine" himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved,[13] as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed,[14] or both.[15] It was a note that read "From your Valentine."[13] In another apparently modern embellishment, while Valentine was imprisoned, people would leave him little notes, folded up and hidden in cracks in the rocks around his cell. He would find them and offer prayers for them.[citation needed] Equivalents and in other cultures
Part of a series on Love
Historically Types of emotion See also Valentine's Day In the WestValentine's Day also has regional traditions in the UK. In Norfolk a character called 'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person. In Wales many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) on 25 January instead of or as well as St Valentine's Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers. In France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine's Day is known simply as "Saint Valentin", and is celebrated in much the same way as other western countries. In Denmark & Norway Valentine's Day (14 Feb) is known as Valentinsdag. It is not celebrated to a large extent, but a lot people take time to eat a romantic dinner with their partner, to send a card to a secret love or give a red rose to their loved one. In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag ("All Hearts' Day") and was launched in the 1960s by the flower industry's commercial interests, and due to influence of American culture. It is not an official holiday, but its celebration is recognized and sales of cosmetics and flowers for this holiday are only bested by those for Mother's Day. In Finland, Valentine's Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into "Friend's day". As the name says, this day is more about remembering all your friends, not only your loved ones. In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first works in the vineyards and on the fields commence. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. Nevertheless, it has only recently been celebrated as the day of love. The day of love is traditionally 12 March, the Saint Gregory's day. Another proverb says "Valentin - prvi spomladin" ("Valentine — first saint of spring"), as in some places (especially White Carniola) Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring. In Romania, the traditional holiday for lovers is Dragobete, which is celebrated on February 24. It is named after a character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of Baba Dochia. Part of his name is the word drag ("dear"), which can also be found in the word dragoste ("love"). In recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine's Day, despite already having Dragobete as a traditional holiday. This has drawn backlash from many groups, reputable persons and institutions[16] but also nationalist organizations like Noua Dreaptǎ, who condemn Valentine's Day for being superficial, commercialist and imported Western kitsch. In Turkey, Valentine's Day is called Sevgililer Günü which translates into "Sweethearts' Day". According to Jewish tradition the 15th day of the month of Av - Tu B'Av (usually late August) is the festival of love. In ancient times girls would wear white dresses and dance in the vineyards, where the boys would be waiting for them (Mishna Taanith end of Chapter 4). In modern Israeli culture this is a popular day to pronounce love, propose marriage and give gifts like cards or flowers. In the Americas
The exchange of chocolates and flowers is traditional on Valentine's Day. In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados (lit. "Day of the enamored", or "Boyfriend's/Girlfriend's Day") is celebrated on June 12, when couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. This day was chosen probably because it is the day before the Saint Anthony's day, known there as the marriage saint, when many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or a boyfriend. In Colombia, the Día del amor y la amistad (lit. "Love and Friendship Day") is celebrated on the third Friday and Saturday in September, because of commercial issues. In this country the Amigo secreto ("Secret friend") tradition is quite popular, which consists of randomly assigning to each participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift (similar to the Christmas tradition of Secret Santa). In AsiaThanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine's Day has emerged in Japan and Korea as a day on which women, and less commonly men, give candy, chocolate or flowers. It has become an obligation for many women to give chocolates to all male co-workers. In Japan this is known as giri-choko (義理チョコ), from the words giri ("obligation") and choko, ("chocolate"). This contrasts with honmei-choko (本命チョコ); chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ); from tomo meaning "friend". By a further marketing effort, a reciprocal day called White Day has emerged. On March 14, men are expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day. Originally, the return gift was supposed to be white chocolate or marshmallows; hence "White Day". However, lingerie and jewelry have become common gifts. In South Korea, there is also Pepero Day, celebrated on November 11, when young couples give each other romantic gifts. There is an additional day for single people, Black Day, celebrated on April 14. In Chinese culture, there is a counterpart to Valentine's Day, called "The Night of Sevens" (七夕); according to legend the Cowherd and the Weaver Maid meet in Heaven on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. A slightly different version of this day is celebrated in Japan as Tanabata, on July 7th of the solar calendar. In the Islamic worldIn Persian culture (Iran) Sepandarmazgan is a day for love, which is on 29 Bahman in the jalali solar calendar. The corresponding date in the Gregorian calendar is 17 February. Sepandarmazgan were held in the Great Persian Empire in the 20th century BC hundreds of years before its acknowledgement by western world. This day is currently celebrated semi-secretly in Iran despite some restrictions made by government; young Persian boys and girls may be seen on this day going out and buying gifts and celebrating. Well did we realy know what valentines day was mike vale s A bit of funThis is a bit of fun for you
go to the link I have put bellow and when it opens it's not in English so here's what you put.
your
first name
your
last name
no nead for email
then click on
Visualizer
so what you waiting for
click on the link
see if you know how it's done
and I have just been given a good list of links for watching TV for free.
2/3/2008 Do we care Well I do care about these people
I put a poem on here a little while ago about people sneaking in to our country and just taking from us
some want to work some dont some cant some just come here to take advantage of our NHS
and yes we are very lucky that we do have one ,I put the poem on and took it off and back on again why because I felt guilty but I am now convinced that what I put was right that doesnt meen that I dont care about the less well off people who live in poverty in some countries and if I had a magic wand nobody would suffer however I dont have a wand but sometimes we can help in a small way like im going to myself with a article i found on a news block.
if you would like to help this person all you have to do is go to the link i have put and say so just your name no come back just a way to have your say
Read on for article
Save Pervez! Global protests to save Afghan student from death sentence Worldwide outrage over Afghan sentenced to death for reading article on women's rights. Join the Independent campaign now John Stillwell/PA The Afghan Senate yesterday backed the death sentence handed to Mr Kambaksh. The motion was proposed by a Senator who is a key ally of President Karzai Afghan protest: 'He just shared an article with friends. What's the problem? Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has been inundated with appeals to save the life of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student journalist sentenced to death after being accused of downloading an internet report on women's rights. While international protests mounted over the affair, with the British Government saying it had already raised its concerns, hundreds of people marched through the capital, Kabul, demanding Mr Kambaksh's release. A petition launched yesterday by The Independent to secure justice for Mr Kambaksh had attracted more than 13,500 signatories by last night, and a number of support groups have been set up on the social networking site Facebook with more than 400 joining one group alone. Mr Kambaksh, 23, was arrested, tried and convicted by a religious court, in what his friends and family say was a secret session without being allowed legal representation.
The United Nations, human rights groups, journalists' organisations and diplomats urged Mr Karzai's government to quash the death sentence and release him. Instead, on Wednesday, the Afghan senate passed a motion confirming the death sentence. The MP who proposed the ruling condemning Mr Kambaksh was Sibghatullah Mojadedi, a key ally of Mr Karzai. In London David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, told The Independent that Britain had raised Mr Kambaksh's case as a member of the European Union and with the United Nations, as well as strongly supporting a call by the UN special representative to Afghanistan for a review of the verdict. He said: "We are opposed to the death penalty in all cases and believe that freedom of expression is one of the cornerstones of a democratic society." The British Government is funding training for journalists in the country as part of an effort to create a civic society. Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "It is clear that this case has nothing to do with blasphemy and everything to do with prejudice. Afghanistan is sliding back towards the bad old days where women were subjugated and journalists persecuted. We have invested far too much in Afghanistan to allow freedom and democracy to falter. If this sentence is carried through, it will raise major questions about the country's future." William Hague, the shadow Foreign Secretary, said: "We call upon President Karzai and his government to urgently reconsider the decision to sentence Pervez Kambaksh to death. Mr Kambaksh was tried without being allowed any legal representation. Moving towards the rule of law is a vital part of peace-building in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan cannot feel secure unless protected by a body of law and a functioning judicial system." The former foreign office minister Denis MacShane, who has raised the matter of Mr Kambaksh's "persecution" with the Foreign Office, said: "The challenge to freedom of expression from fundamentalist Islam is now a major world problem. The maximum pressure must be put on President Karzai, ministers and MPs in Afghanistan stressing that if they want to be partners in democracy then this young man must be set free." The Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the all-party group for the abolition of the death penalty, has put down an early day motion urging the British Government to intercede to save Mr Kambaksh's life. In a Commons plea to Harriet Harman, the Leader of the House, he said: "I draw the Leader of the House's attention particularly to the front page of The Independent which highlights the case of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh... Surely, given our current involvement in that country... we will not just sit back and allow this monstrous act to take place without doing anything about it?" Ms Harman replied: "The Government are determined to stand up for human rights, including freedom of speech, in all countries, and are of course concerned about the matter." Among the representations received by Mr Karzai was one from the International Federation of Journalists, based in Brussels, which stated: "Upholding freedom of expression is essential for your country's democratic progress. This death sentence indicates a disregard by your government for its own constitution." The Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York, pointed out that the trial was held in secret and expressed concern that any appeal process would be biased. The organisation said in its letter: "He should be allowed to resume his studies without delay or punishment." The row over Mr Kambaksh's death sentence came during another day of violence in Afghanistan. Abu Laith al-Libi, reputed to be the senior al-Qa'ida commander in the country, was said to have been killed. US and British officials said they were receiving "normally reliable reports" that al-Libi was killed during a rocket attack in northern Waziristan on the Afghan-Pakistan border earlier in the week. A website used by Islamist groups, ekhlaas.org, said last night evening that al-Libi had "fallen a martyr". Earlier yesterday, the deputy governor of Helmand province, Haji Pir Mohammed, was killed in a suicide bomb attack on a mosque. This followed a blast in Kabul's Taimani district in which a dozen people were said to be injured. Mr Pir Mohammed was regarded as an ally of the British at a time when UK policy in the country is coming under strong criticism from President Karzai and senior Afghan officials. Mr Miliband said the death was "a horrific reminder of the difficulties we face in Afghanistan". He added: "The sheer scale of the task is enormous and we will only succeed if we have better co-ordination between the international community and the Afghan government."
How you can save Pervez The Independent campaign to save Sayed Pervez Kambaksh has already attracted 13,500 signatures. But the more pressure that can be brought to bear on President Karzai, the more likely it is that his sentence will be revoked. So add your voice to the campaign by urging the Foreign Office to put all possible pressure on the Afghan government to spare his life. Sign our e-petition at www.independent.co.uk/petition
mike vale
2/2/2008 .Welcome to Mike's Entertainment Corner
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