Blackbright - never argue with a Jamaican

Blackbright-Feb 2011_Blackbright February 2011 05/03/2011 12:20 Page 1

Black - Bright Stimulates - Educates - Motivates Issue 25

Online Dating Editorial

What does your writting say about you Alan Chapman

Surviving the hurricane Antony Jules

England’s smartest family Items you should replace often

Never argue with a Jamaican

Dairy’s link to breast cancer Why women in China do not get it???

Jane Plant

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An estimated 57% accessed the internet at home in 2006 (according to national statistics) and by 2010, 30.1 million adults in the UK (60 per cent) accessed the Internet every day (or almost every day, so the potential of meeting someone ‘right up your street’ metaphorically speaking, over the internet is very likely. Don’t believe the sour grapes who say: “there are no single men out there – they are all scammers, rapists or users!” there are ways to find out if someone is genuine or not, and usually it is by reading what has been written, over time, having a conversation and paying attention to what is being said.

These days, you can sit in the comfort of your home, browse through the thousands of photographs of eligible partners and contact the person you like. I must say, not everyone pus up a current photo, and many post the most flattering photo of themselves (you can’t blame them) so expect the unexpected in the internet dating game. If you find browsing through thousands of photos arduous, you can state your criteria by nationality, age, whether the individual has children, if so are they living with them at home, until you get near enough what you want. Try not to be too specific though, because sometimes there is someone out there who may come outside one of your criterian and you will have lost the chance to meet him (or her).

EDITORIAL

Online dating – is it the way to go?

With my lifestyle, I have often asked myself, if it means me going out to a wine bar, a museum, a nightclub or a singles night, true love will elude me. It’s not that I won’t make an effort to go to these places, but social events no longer conjure up romance like they used to faces of invitees tend to be fraught with frustration or anxiety; smiles seem ambiguous and the general demeanour of the opposite sex is not “come and get me, I’m available”, but more like “I wonder what is wrong with you? I wonder what baggage you have. Or I wonder how many hearts you have broken?”

Having met someone recently online, I must say, there is no way I would have bumped into him and if I did, there is nothing to say we would have been able to strike up a conversation or even get the relationship off the ground. I had to be as open-minded, prepared to take a risk and be able to trust my instincts. It seems to be working and I am very happy.

Along comes internet dating. Of course you have to know how to pick them, but anyone with an ounce of common sense will be able to pick the wheat from the chafe – that is not to say that you won’t face some challenges, but hopefully after the screening process, asking appropriate questions and probing for consistency, you have it in the bag – a potential relationship with someone you would have never met in a million years, regardless of how many clubs, pubs, winebars, libraries or museums you attend.

So is internet dating the way to go? All in favour say “Aye” (including me!)

The Editor

Romance has to do with timing. Are you ready? Is it the right time for you? Do you know what you want? Are you alert enough to recognize it when it comes along? If you are not sure what you want – then write down the things you don’t want and then choose the opposite traits to find out what you do!

You can’t have a risk-averse nature, because online dating is about taking calculated risks after weighing up the pros and cons and screening - within seconds you can separate the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Blackbright News The Total Quality, Information-Based Publication that Stimulates, Educates, Motivates & Elevates The Cultural Learning Magazine developed to redress inaccurate perceptions!

For example: I want someone reliable with good communication skills, considerate with a sense of humour.

email: blackbrightnews@aol.com www.myspace.com/blackbrightnews

Out of the three responses which one would you respond to?

Managing Editor: Myrna Loy Graphic Designer: Elena Andrijauskaite

1. Hiya Babez! You’r beautiful. Im crazy about you – send me your digits?

2. This is my link: hunkystud@hotmail.com 3. Nice pic – I am Michael, I hope you like my profile. I would like to get to know you, please let me know when you are available and we can arrange something.

ISSN No. 1751–1909 This is an Online Publication Only

The right answer to go with your advert would of course be 3.

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CONTENTS

ADVERTISING FORM 2011

1 Online dating - is it the way to go?

Editorial

Publication

BLACKBRIGHT NEWS

3 Coloured Girl Rocks

by Ariel McPherson

RECESSION PRICES

4 Are Black Males Headed For Extinction Washington Post

FULL PAGE

5 England’s Smartest Family

ALL ARTWORK TO BE SUBMITTED IN HIGH RESOLUTION JPEG 300DPI OR PDF FORMAT.

£250

6 Never Argue With A Jamaican

ACCEPTED SOFTWARE:

7 Surviving The Hurricane Anthony Jules

QuarkXPress up to V.8 Photoshop Graphics: TIFF, JPEG, EPS OR PDF on CD Rom or email blackbrightnews@aol.com

8 Jamaica Could Get Its Own Final Court Of Appeal www.jamaicans.com

HALF PAGE

How The Banking Really Works!!!

£150 QUARTER PAGE

9 Why 492 West Indians Came To Britain guardian.co.uk

£175

10 Dairy’s Link To Breast Cancer Jane Plant

Payment is required by return of invoice. Once advert has been verbally booked or booked in writing a cancellation fee of 50% of the price of the advert will be charged if subsequently cancelled.

13 Items You Should Replace Often

Note special rates apply for 2-year commitment.

BACS Details: Myrna Loy Halifax Plc Arndale Centre Sort Code 11-04-98 Account No. 01631599

14 Did You Know ???

Asante Amen Designates Autumn 2011 For His Debut Album Release

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BLACKBRIGHTNEWS Founder: Myrna Loy

15 What Does Your Writting Say About You Graphology Alan Chapman

07915 062 775 EMAIL: blackbrightnews@aol.com

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Coloured Girl Rocks

over, being suppressed by your children, and getting that success. These go through all pains that other women can ease the burden and lay A community of females helping females instead of being bitchy, nags, selfish or the thought of “I don’t have time”, putting people down. Our power of success, once you have it just realise the importance of those loved ones, because they can find love elsewhere. The history of the female has believed that we should empower and better our self knowing that black women have more success than our males, but it our duty as a race to fix them if we can.

Every brush of this canvas doesn’t have to be the same stroke or use of colour, but the affect will be seen.

Has the meaning of black women changed in those who are in the 21st century? I will be looking at this through two reviews and the way woman where portrayed in the production of them. Is it too late to change the statistics of our young ladies in this new generation, or is there inspiration enough life stories.

It is a must see movie, with more stories to twist you up than Color Purple and to make an affect of who we trust and what we do, mistakes are to be made but you can learn from others. I mainly write this for our young females to know and make sure you create a balance in your life. Do create success for yourself and make sure you partner doesn’t get in your way of your dream, also the other way around.

Delving Deeper

BET created an award called Black Girl Rocks Awards which was founded by Beverly Bond, DJ and former model and she makes young girls believe that they can accomplish more than dance in videos. She inspires and lifts females in the States of all ages, and it was a chance to give them praise for what they have accomplished. From a 14 year old who has a mobile dance studio for poor kids in Atlanta to be taught dance, to the famous actress Ruby Dee receiving the Life achieve award as a black girl who rocks. Females who create a role model for young ladies to not be the video girls or next to the rich man but make a name and career for themselves.

Inspiration Black females do succeed like Ruth Simmons is the first African American president of Brown University, Ursula Burns Chairman of Xerox Corporation, Shonda Rhimes creator of programs Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice and many more. All there is left is to figure out how to make a positive stamp on the world as a female.

They are things that will change the way I evolve from a young lady to a woman, and this is what is being reviewed on things that should be watched, listened to and read. The thing I have found for myself as a young lady is the way I should act coming into the New Year after being on this earth for nearly two decades. It is the emergent of the millennium that will shape me to what kind of female I become.

I am grateful for examples of mistakes made around me so I don’t have to create my own. One of these is the inspirational movie called ‘For Colored Girls’. I felt more connected to all the female characters because I could see their downfall, making this more than a review and delving in deeper into the mistakes. The movie is mainly about sexuality and the problems that come with it, due to religion, relationship of love, infatuation of first love, denial on those you should love more and those that don’t love you enough.

Even though the title suggest this is for coloured girls, I think this is more than coloured girls but all races and it’s not about race but the gender and the empowerment girls and what they can get out of this. Directed by Tyler Perry many reviews have down trodden on the fact that it’s not a great film even with actresses like Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton and Loretta Devine; is it because the cast is fully black for they just don’t get the story? These are things that happen to ever woman and are a truthful depiction of life, if it was to be played by Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie the credibility of the title would matter.

The strength of black women is not, the strength of our black girls today. People are people, but women are women, ladies are ladies and girls are girls. The process will change after the attitude and training to change has begun on no one but you. These demeaning words (we all know them) that some women answer to, will be the fall to those that call it. It will begin to empower us, use what is available to us and the changes we can make will never change until we do.

The choreopoem book it is based on is actually called ‘For Colored Girls: who consider suicide when the rainbow isn’t enuf’ by Ntozako Shange is a collection of poems which were performed by this actress in a way film hasn’t been seen before. Each of these sad stories show the strength of black women and the backbones can crack. All these women come together by people in the apartment building, but they stick together, it might be more than their race, but women should help other women out. All women can feel superior to your partner, or men overpowering, when your job takes

by Ariel McPherson

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Washington Post

ARE BLACK MALES HEADED FOR EXTINCTION The idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating -- pretty soon we're not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They're all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two."

John Edwards, MTV political forum, September 27, 2007

"We have more work to do when more young black men languish in prison than attend colleges and universities across America."

Barack Obama, NAACP forum, July 12, 2007

The Facts Where do they get this stuff? Both candidates are way off the mark.

"It’s not true," said Paige Harrison, a statistician at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, with an audible gasp, when the Obama statement was read to her. She dismissed the Edwards claim as a wild exaggeration with no factual foundation, while acknowledging that incarceration rates among young black males are several times higher than for whites or Hispanics.

To deal with the Obama claim first, this is an old myth that has been shot down many times before, most recently by our colleague DeNeen L. Brown in the Washington Post.

According to 2005 Census Bureau statistics, the male African-American population of the United States aged between 18 and 24 numbered 1,896,000. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 106,000 African-Americans in this age group were in federal or state prisons at the end of 2005. If you add the numbers in local jail (measured in mid-2006), you arrive at a grand total of 193,000 incarcerated young Black males, or slightly over 10 percent.

According to the same census data, 530,000 of these African-American males, or twenty eight percent, were enrolled in colleges or universities (including two-year-colleges) in 2005. That is five times the number of young black men in federal and state prisons and two and a half times the total number incarcerated. If you expanded the age group to include AfricanAmerican males up to thirty or thirty five, the college attendees would still outnumber the prisoners.

Everybody acknowledges that incarceration rates among young black males are much higher than among whites or Hispanics.

An August 2003 Bureau of Justice Statistics analysis shows that 32 percent of black males born in 2001 can expect to spend time in prison over the course of their lifetime. That is up from 13.4 percent in 1974 and 29.4 percent in 1991. By contrast, 17.2 percent of Hispanics and 5.9 percent of whites born in 2001 are likely to end up in prison.

The trend lines are shocking, but they are not nearly as bad as claimed by Edwards. Let's stipulate from the outset that he was exaggerating in order to make a point. He wanted to emphasize the fact that many young African American men are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty, violence, and criminality.

The problem, however, is that he made no effort to define his terms. He claimed that the "young African-American male population" is threatened with extinction. It is hardly the first time he has made such wild generalizations. In a March 2006 speech, Edwards made the following, equally sweeping and equally erroneous, statement: "Young African American men see their options as going to prison or dying. As a result, they don't invest in their education, they don't invest in their futures and when they father children, they don't support them."

Whew! If his fellow North Carolinian Jesse Helms had come up with a claim like that, he would never have been allowed to forget it.

As for violent deaths, we asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a list of the ten leading causes of death for black males, aged 18 to 24, in 2004. The top three causes of death in this age group were (1) homicide (2,140 deaths), unintentional injury (948 deaths), and suicide (332 deaths). Deaths from HIV AIDS ranked sixth (67 deaths.) If we add the homicide, suicide, and HIV deaths together, we get 2,539 deaths. That is a combined death rate from violent causes or AIDS of around 0.13 percent for this segment of the population. Hardly an epidemic.

Here is what Edwards campaign spokesman Eric Schultz has to say: "John Edwards was making the point that this President refuses to accept that the odds of young African-American males either dying or being incarcerated is terribly high. Studies show that one in three black men can expect to go to jail in their lifetimes. Unlike George Bush, who just wants to stick his head in the sand, as president, Edwards will address the issue headon so that all Americans--whether African-American or not--can live a better life and the American dream."

The Obama campaign did not respond to e-mail queries.

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Both Obama and Edwards are right to point to the incarceration rate for young African-American males as a national disgrace.

But it is ridiculous to argue that "all" young African-Americans--Edwards's word--will soon be "in prison or dead" or that more young black males are in prison than in college. The true data is alarming enough without resorting to hyperbole.

The Pinocchio Test In our mission statement, we said that we were a fact checking operation, not an opinion-checking operation, and would not hold candidates to account for "exaggerated political rhetoric." By that we meant that we would not fact check statements like the recent claim by Senator Joseph Biden that President Bush is "brain-dead." With the help of a medical dictionary, our colleagues at www.politifact.com termed the Biden claim "ridiculous." and argued that there was "no evidence" that Biden had performed "the necessary medical tests to make such a diagnosis." Biden earned a blistering "Pants on Fire" ruling from Politifact.

Here at the Fact Checker, we take a more relaxed view of statements along the lines of "my opponent is an idiot." Invective is part of the rough and tumble of American political debate. It may be regrettable but there is no point fact checking it. The statements by Edwards and Obama about young African-American men fall into a different category. They are not simply opinion.

They rely on facts that can be proven or disproven.

Something to be proud about, you won't see this on the evening news. Pass it on...

England’s Smartest Family Meet the "First Family of Education" in England. They are black.

Peter and Paula Imafidon, 9-year-old twins from Waltham Forest in northeast London, are a part of the highest-achieving clan in the history of Great Britain education. The two youngest siblings are about to make British history as the youngest students to ever enter high school. They astounded veteran experts of academia when they became the youngest to ever pass the University of Cambridge’s advanced mathematics exam. That's on top of the fact they have set world records when they passed the A/AS-level math papers.

Chris Imafidon, their father, said he’s not concerned about his youngest children’s ability to adapt to secondary school despite their tender age. “We’re delighted with the progress they have made,” he said. “Because they are twins they are always able to help and support each other.”

To Peter and Paula’s parents, this is nothing new. Chris Imafidon said he and his wife have been through this before: they have other super-gifted, overachieving children.

Peter and Paula's sister, Anne-Marie, now 20, holds the world record as the youngest girl to pass the A-level computing, when she was just 13. She is now studying at arguably the most renowned medical school in the United States, Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore.

Another sister, Christina, 17, is the youngest student to ever get accepted and study at an undergraduate institution at any British university at the tender age of 11.

And Samantha, now age 12, had passed two rigorous high school-level mathematics and statistics exams at the age of 6, something that her twin siblings, Peter and Paula, also did.

Chris Imafidon migrated to London from Nigeria in West Africa over 30 years ago. And despite his children’s jawdropping, history-making academic achievements, he denies there is some “genius gene” in his family. Instead, he credits his children’s success to the Excellence in Education program for disadvantaged inner-city children.

"Every child is a genius," he told British reporters. "Once you identify the talent of a child and put them in the environment that will nurture that talent, then the sky is the limit. Look at Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters [Venus and Serena] — they were nurtured. You can never rule anything out with them. The competition between the two of them makes them excel in anything they do."

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NEVER ARGUE WITH A JAMAICAN!

Talkin’ Blues

A Jamaican and his wife are traveling by car from Key West to Boston. After almost twenty-four hours on the road, they're too tired to continue, and they decide to stop for a rest. They stop at a nice hotel and take a room, but they only plan to sleep for four hours and then get back on the road. When they check out four hours later, the desk clerk hands them a bill for $350.

MONTHLY RELATIONSHIP FORUM (Let’s Talk about Love....) www.facebook.com/talkin.blues Email: talkinbluesforum@aol.com

The Jamaican explodes and demands to know why the charge is so high. He tells the clerk although it's a nice hotel; the rooms certainly aren't worth $350. When the clerk tells him $350 is the standard rate, the Jamaican insists on speaking to the Manager.

INFORMATION COLLECTED IS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF TALKIN’ BLUES AND WILL NOT BE SHARED UNDER ANY CONDITION.

Registration Details

The Manager appears, listens to the Jamaican, and then explains that the hotel has an Olympicsized pool and a huge conference centre that were available for the Jamaican and wife to use.

Name: …………………………………………………………………........

Company Name: .................................................................................

'But we didn't use them', the Jamaican complains.

Address: ……………………………………………………………...........

'Well, they are here, and you could have,' explains the Manager.

…………………………......................................……………………..........

Male [

] / Female [

]

The Manager goes on to explain they could have taken in one of the shows for which the hotel is famous. 'The best entertainers from New York, Hollywood and Las Vegas perform here,' the Manager says.

Email address: (if preferred) .…………………………………………..

Contact No: (Optional) ………………………………………………….

'But we didn't go to any of those shows,' complains the Jamaican again.

I would like to register as a member of Talkin Blues YES / NO

'Well, we have them, and you could have', the Manager replies. No matter what facility the Manager mentions, the Jamaican replies, 'But we didn't use it!'

I want to pay £20.00 annual registration fee, and get 50% off all future events [ ] I do not want to register at this time - I want to pay £2.50 admin fee at the door [ ]

The Manager is unmoved, and eventually the Jamaican gives up and agrees to pay. He writes a check and gives it to the Manager. The Manager is surprised when he looks at the check. 'But sir,' he says, 'this check is only made out for $100.'

Signature: ................................…………………………………….

Talkin’ Blues will be putting on future events, please email and let us know what types of events you are interested in attending.

'That's right,' says the Jamaican. 'I charged you $250 for sleeping with my wife.'

www.myspace.com/talkin_blues

'But I didn't!' exclaims the Manager.

Contact: Claudette Stapleton on: 07904 385 584 for more information

'Well,' the Jamaican replies, 'she was here, and you could have!'

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Surviving the Hurricane

prevent starvation, would you not seek out that person and together reach that basket?

As we head towards August period and beyond, climatically and economically we are entering the “Hurricane season”. Trail blazed Government intention to cut deep into the economic fabric, means that for some, the cloth won’t stretch to cover their whole girth. There’ll be exposure, there’ll be groaning and moaning

I hear another but....coming along.

I understand the need for caution, but as said earlier, we are in an economic period which calls for boldness and taking of risks. What is certain, is that if we fail to act, our position will not improve. The chances are it will get worse.

So what is the choice facing those of us in such a predicament?

If ever there was a time to act with a positive mind -and that requires the willingness to place trust in each other and most of all in the Divine power - it is now.

Well, to indulge a little further with the analogy with body size, one could either slim down or secure additional cloth material from hitherto untapped sources to patch on to what one has. For some, who already are on the breadline financially, there is no room for further slimming down. And I fear that there are quite a substantial number of us in that category; just about keeping things together with nothing to squeeze in.

We have to reacquire our childlike zeal and perseverance for success in whatever endeavour we choose to pursue. If you still doubt whether Desire and Persistence will get you through, think about your early attempts to ride a bicycle. You took the falls, sometime cried, but you still got back up, refusing to accept failure, refusing to listen to the laughter of some observers entertaining themselves on the sideline at your expense.

Well friends, if that’s where you are, then its time to be bold. Its time to be creative and inventive. Its time to realise who you really are and like our ancestors make a firm commitment that you won’t just survive this hurricane but you will come through it stronger than when you entered.

And at the moment of your success, your broad, triumphant smile told your story, compounding your doubters and transforming them into silent admirers instead.

So, in the quiet moment of your time, think of what you can offer to address a human need. Ally your creative powers to Desire and Persistence and take action knowing not that your will fail but that you will succeed ; for the goal pursued has its genesis in goodness.

So if they wont or can’t - and I mean those persons to whom you automatically look to give you a job - then you will have employ yourself.

Don’t I need certificates and other qualifications to do that?

I hear you ask yourself. Well you might depending on what you want to employ yourself to do. But if you haven’t got it, team up with someone who does.

Anthony Jules.

Anthony is a Partner in the group STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES. They work closely with grassroots community organisations helping to strengthen their organisational capacity and consequently their overall influence within their community. Their mantra is, “keep it simple, keep it clear.”

That what our children do when they want a number or type of persons to form a core team to get a game of some kind going. Ask among your friends, Do you want to join a team I am putting together to create some business to employ yourself and others.

You won’t do that? Because they might steal your idea and you can’t trust people?

Well, if getting to a basket of food require you to join and apply your skill to another to get it and doing so would

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Jamaica Could Get Its Own Final Court Of Appeal Published Dec 22, 2010 www.jamaicans.com Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding has suggested the possibility of Jamaica establishing its own final Court of Appeal as an option to the United Kingdom based Privy Council or the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

"We have to dispense with the Privy Council. We are not yet satisfied that in doing so, we must take out a final court which is an external entity, over which we do not have final control as a State," Mr. Golding said, during the debate on the Charter of Rights in the House of Representatives on December 21.

"We wish to consider this in great detail, and in earnest, we believe that we have the judicial experience to do it. We believe that we have the maturity to do it. We wish to consider establishing our final court of appeal in Jamaica. We would respectfully wish that this is something for which consideration ought to be given," he said.

Mr. Golding further noted that the adoption of a final court should be "put to Jamaicans in a referendum."

"I don't think any of us in here must ever make the mistake of presuming that there is any consensus among the people of Jamaica on this, nor must we ever seek to assume that the majority of those people will vote in a particular way," the Prime Minister said.

He pointed out that there are members of both the Government and Opposition in favour of the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal for Jamaicans.

"We want to give the people something more than what they have, because what they have is something that is not even in their hands. We have given them rights, but we have to ensure that those rights remain in our hands," he added.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller noted that the Opposition was in support of the CCJ as the country's final court of appeal.

The CCJ is the regional judicial entity established nine years ago, to be the final appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community. While Jamaica is a signatory to the establishment of the CCJ, the country has yet to utilise the court, as cases from the island are still referred to the Privy Council.

How the banking system really works!!

credit. The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the 100 note.

It is a slow day in a damp little Irish town. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a 100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.

The hotel proprietor then places the 100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything. At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the 100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money and leaves town.

No one produced anything. No one earned anything.

The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the 100 note and runs the future with a lot more optimism. next door to pay his debt to the butcher. The butcher takes the 100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the bailout package the pig farmer. The pig farmer takes the 100 note and heads works. off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.

A J states: “interesting take on the system. But in reality some The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the 100 note and runs to of the £100 might be retained by some body along the way. pay his drinks bill at the pub. The publican slips the money So where is the next hundred coming from? Bank of England along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also via quantitative easing I suspect. Has to be. Any advance on been facing hard times and has had to offer him ”services" on this theory?”

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Why 492 West Indians came to Britain From our Special Correspondent Wednesday 23 June 1948 guardian.co.uk What were they thinking, these 492 men from Jamaica and Trinidad, as the Empire Windrush slid upstream with the flood between the closing shores of Kent and Essex? Standing by the rail this morning, high above the landing-stage at Tilbury, one of them looked over the unlovely town to the grey-green fields beyond and said, "If this is England I like it." A good omen, perhaps. May he and his friends suffer no sharp disappointment.

It was curiously touching to walk along the landing-stage in the grey light of early morning and see against the white walls of the ship row upon row of dark, pensive faces looking down upon England, most of them for the first time. Had they thought England a golden land in a golden age? Some had, with their quaint amalgam of American optimism and African innocence. But these had already been partially disillusioned

by Flight Lieutenant J. H. Smythe, a native of Sierra Leone and now a member of the Colonial office Welfare Department. He travelled with them from the West Indies and towards the end had given them a little homily.

"I could not honestly paint you," he said to them, "a very rosy picture of your future in Britain." That was straightforward. Conditions were not so favourable as they thought. They would see the scars of war wounds that are still bleeding. Were they highly skilled? No - then it would not be easy to find a job.

"On the other hand," he went on, "if you are a serious-minded person and prepared to work hard in any vocation, you can make your way. It is left to you to win the respect of all those you come across and do your utmost to succeed in whatever sphere you may be placed." Flight Lieutenant Smythe had arranged the immigrants into three groups during the voyage; those who had friends to go to, and some prospect of a job; those, ex-Service men all, who wished to rejoin the Army or the Air Force; and those with neither friends nor prospects. The Colonial Office sent some welfare people. The Ministry of Labour sent a regional welfare officer and twenty assistants. There was no band, certainly, to greet the immigrants at Tilbury; but it was a welcome and, for officialdom, a warm welcome. The men seemed encouraged by it. Mr. Isaacs said in the House recently, "I consider that those who organised the movement of these people to this country did them a disservice in not letting us know." However, one could discover no evidence of 'organisation.' They had seen the advertisement of the shipping company in their local papers - a thousand berths on the troop decks vacant, £28 each - found the money, and in due time embarked with high hopes.

What manner of men are these the Empire Windrush has brought to Britain? This morning, on the decks, one spoke with the following: a builder, a carpenter, an apprentice accountant, a farm worker, a tailor, a welder, a spray-painter, a boxer, a musician, a mechanic, a valet, a calypso singer, and a law student. Or thus they described themselves.

And what has made them leave Jamaica? In most cases, lack of work. They spoke independently, but unanimously, of a blight that has come upon the West Indies since those who served America and Britain during the war returned home. The cost of living is high, wages are low. Many can earn no wages. Some had been unemployed for two years. One of them considered his chances in Britain (he was a builder), and said laconically, "If I survive - so good; if I don't survive - so good." Another, lacking this philosophy, said with bitterness unusual in the company, "When the situation is desperate you take a chance - you don't wait until you die."

This man has been idle two years. According to him, a working man in Jamaica, married and with a small family, must earn between £6 and £7 a week in order to live decently. But the average working-class family, where the father is lucky enough to be in work, gets between £4 and £5 a week.

Most of the married men have left their wives and children at home, and hope to send for them later.

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Only five complete families sailed. Two of the wives are Englishwomen who followed their husbands to Jamaica and now return with them to England. One of them, Mrs. Doreen Zayne, formerly, and soon to be once more, of Blackpool, confessed that she did not care for Jamaica and was glad to be home again.

She has two children, a boy and a girl. Her husband hopes to find work in Lancashire.

They are, then, as heterodox a collection of humanity as one might find. Some will be good workers, some bad. Many are "serious-minded persons" anxious to succeed. No doubt the folk poets will find fit audiences somewhere. So will the complete dance-band which is journeying to Liverpool at this moment.

And the boxer, who is going to meet his manager at Birkenhead, will surely find fights in plenty. Not all intend to settle in Britain; a 40-year-old tailor, for example, hopes to stay here for a year, and then go on and make his home in Liberia.

Their arrival has added to the worries of Mr. Isaacs and the trade union leaders. But the more worldlywise among them are conscious of the deeper problem posed. Britain has welcomed displaced persons and has given employment to Poles who cannot go home. "This is right," said one of the immigrants.

"Surely then, there is nothing against our coming, for we are British subjects. If there is - is it because we are coloured?"

DAIRY’S LINK TO BREAST CANCER Why Women In China Do Not Get It Prof. Jane Plant, PhD, CBE I had no alternative but to die or to try to find a cure for myself. I am a scientist - surely there was a rational explanation for this cruel illness that affects one in 12 women in the UK?

I was being plugged in for a chemotherapy session.

He had brought with him cards and letters, as well as some amazing herbal suppositories, sent by my friends and science colleagues in China.

I had suffered the loss of one breast, and undergone radiotherapy. I was now receiving painful chemotherapy, and had been seen by some of the country's most eminent specialists. But, deep down, I felt certain I was facing death. I had a loving husband, a beautiful home and two young children to care for. I desperately wanted to live.

The suppositories were sent to me as a cure for breast cancer. Despite the awfulness of the situation, we both had a good belly laugh, and I remember saying that this was the treatment for breast cancer in China, and then it was little wonder that Chinese women avoided getting the disease.

Those words echoed in my mind.

Fortunately, this desire drove me to unearth the facts, some of which were known only to a handful of scientists at the time.

Anyone who has come into contact with breast cancer will know that certain risk factors - such as increasing age, early onset of womanhood, late onset of menopause and a family history of breast cancer - are completely out of our control. But there are many risk factors, which we can control easily.

These "controllable" risk factors readily translate into simple changes that we can all make in our day-to-day lives to help prevent or treat breast cancer. My message is that even advanced breast cancer can be overcome because I have done it.

The first clue to understanding what was promoting my breast cancer came when my husband Peter, who was also a scientist, arrived back from working in China while

Why didn't Chinese women in China get breast cancer?

I had collaborated once with Chinese colleagues on a study of links between soil chemistry and disease, and I remembered some of the statistics.

The disease was virtually non-existent throughout the whole country. Only one in 10,000 women in China will die from it, compared to that terrible figure of one in 12 in Britain and the even grimmer average of one in 10 across most Western countries.

It is not just a matter of China being a more rural country, with less urban pollution. In highly urbanized Hong Kong, the rate rises to 34 women in every 10,000 but still puts the West to shame.

I then discovered that whatever causes the huge diffe-

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rences in breast cancer rates between oriental and Western countries, it isn't genetic.

BLACKBRIGHT NEWS

Scientific research showed that when Chinese or Japanese people move to the West, within one or two generations their rates of breast cancer approach those of their host community.

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The same thing happens when oriental people adopt a completely Western lifestyle in Hong Kong. In fact, the slang name for breast cancer in China translates as 'Rich Woman's Disease'. This is because, in China, only the better off can afford to eat what is termed 'Hong Kong food'.

The Chinese describe all Western food, including everything from ice cream and chocolate bars to spaghetti and feta cheese, as "Hong Kong food", because of its availability in the former British colony and its scarcity, in the past, in mainland China.

]

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So it made perfect sense to me that whatever was causing my breast cancer and the shockingly high incidence in this country generally, it was almost certainly something to do with our better-off, middle-class, Western lifestyle.

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There is an important point for men here, too. I have observed in my research that much of the data about prostate cancer leads to similar conclusions.

I remember saying to my husband, "Come on Peter, you have just come back from China. What is it about the Chinese way of life that is so different? Why don't they get breast cancer?'’ We decided to utilize our joint scientific backgrounds and approach it logically.

We examined scientific data that pointed us in the general direction of fats in diets. Researchers had discovered in the 1980s that only l4% of calories in the average Chinese diet were from fat, compared to almost 36% in the West. But the diet I had been living on for years before I contracted breast cancer was very low in fat and high in fibre. Besides, I knew as a scientist that fat intake in adults has not been shown to increase risk for breast cancer in most investigations that have followed large groups of women for up to a dozen years.

Then one day something rather special happened. Peter and I have worked together so closely over the years that I am not sure which one of us first said: "The Chinese don't eat dairy produce!"

It is hard to explain to a non-scientist the sudden mental and emotional 'buzz' you get when you know you have had an important insight. It's as if you have had a lot of pieces of a jigsaw in your mind, and suddenly, in a few seconds, they all fall into place and the whole picture is clear.

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Suddenly I recalled how many Chinese people were physically unable to tolerate milk, how the Chinese people I had worked with had always said that milk was only for babies, and how one of my close friends, who is of Chinese origin, always politely turned down the cheese course at dinner parties.

and the lump was still the same size.

Then I eliminated dairy products. Within days, the lump started to shrink.

About two weeks after my second chemotherapy session and one week after giving up dairy produce, the lump in my neck started to itch. Then it began to soften and to reduce in size. The line on the graph, which had shown no change, was now pointing downwards as the tumour got smaller and smaller.

I knew of no Chinese people who lived a traditional Chinese life who ever used cow or other dairy food to feed their babies. The tradition was to use a wet nurse but never, ever, dairy products.

Milk, I discovered, is one of the most common causes of food allergies. Over 70% of the world's population are unable to digest the milk sugar, lactose, which has led nutritionists to believe that this is the normal condition for adults, not some sort of deficiency. Perhaps nature is trying to tell us that we are eating the wrong food.

And, very significantly, I noted that instead of declining exponentially (a graceful curve) as cancer is meant to do, the tumour's decrease in size was plotted on a straight line heading off the bottom of the graph, indicating a cure, not suppression (or remission) of the tumour.

One Saturday afternoon after about six weeks of excluding all dairy produce from my diet, I practised an hour of meditation then felt for what was left of the lump. I couldn't find it. Yet I was very experienced at detecting cancerous lumps - I had discovered all five cancers on my own. I went downstairs and asked my husband to feel my neck. He could not find any trace of the lump either.

Before I had breast cancer for the first time, I had eaten a lot of dairy produce, such as skimmed milk, low-fat cheese and yogurt. I had used it as my main source of protein. I also ate cheap but lean minced beef, which I now realized was probably often ground-up dairy cow.

In order to cope with the chemotherapy I received for my fifth case of cancer, I had been eating organic yogurts as a way of helping my digestive tract to recover and repopulate my gut with 'good' bacteria.

On the following Thursday I was due to be seen by my cancer specialist at Charing Cross Hospital in London .

He examined me thoroughly, especially my neck where the tumour had been. He was initially bemused and then delighted as he said, "I cannot find it." None of my doctors, it appeared, had expected someone with my type and stage of cancer (which had clearly spread to the lymph system) to survive, let alone be so hale and hearty.

Recently, I discovered that way back in 1989 yogurt had been implicated in ovarian cancer. Dr Daniel Cramer of Harvard University studied hundreds of women with ovarian cancer, and had them record in detail what they normally ate. Wish I'd been made aware of his findings when he had first discovered them.

My specialist was as overjoyed as I was. When I first discussed my ideas with him he was understandably sceptical. But I understand that he now uses maps showing cancer mortality in China in his lectures, and recommends a non-dairy diet to his cancer patients.

Following Peter's and my insight into the Chinese diet, I decided to give up not just yogurt but all dairy produce immediately. Cheese, butter, milk and yogurt and anything else that contained dairy produce - it went down the sink or in the rubbish.

I now believe that the link between dairy produce and breast cancer is similar to the link between smoking and lung cancer. I believe that identifying the link between breast cancer and dairy produce, and then developing a diet specifically targeted at maintaining the health of my breast and hormone system, cured me.

It is surprising how many products, including commercial soups, biscuits and cakes, contain some form of dairy produce. Even many proprietary brands of margarine marketed as soya, sunflower or olive oil spreads can contain dairy produce.

It was difficult for me, as it may be for you, to accept that a substance as 'natural' as milk might have such ominous health implications. But I am a living proof that it works and, starting from tomorrow, I shall reveal the secrets of my revolutionary action plan.

I therefore became an avid reader of the small print on food labels.

Up to this point, I had been steadfastly measuring the progress of my fifth cancerous lump with callipers and plotting the results. Despite all the encouraging comments and positive feedback from my doctors and nurses, my own precise observations told me the bitter truth.

Extracted from Your Life in Your Hands,

by Professor Jane Plan Originally published in July 2002 icon

My first chemotherapy sessions had produced no effect

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Items you really should replace often It is the nature of the modern consumer society that most household and personal goods are affordable and easily replaceable.

So why do so many of us insist on using goods past the point they have lost their functionality, and may be even unsafe to use?

We've compiled a guide of the things in your life which you really should consider replacing more often.

-Toothbrush-

-Chopping board-

This is a popular stayer in your bathroom - after all, why replace it if the bristles are still white, and feel comfortably worn in?

Chopping boards are breeding grounds for bacteria. Wash them with soap and hot water and make sure you dry them afterwards.

Well, if your toothbrush is worn out, it does not clean your teeth properly and it may damage your gums.

You can also use an antibacterial product that is safe on food.

If you use plastic boards, you can wash them in the dishwasher. A wooden board is better washed by hand, as it is likely to crack in the dishwasher.

It is a good idea to change it every three months, though, if you have gum disease, you should make that every four to six weeks, as the bristles harbour bacteria.

If you use an electric toothbrush, the bristle change applies to you too.

When should you change your board? Once it has cracks and cuts that are deep and hard to clean - which means they may harbour bacteria.

-Razor blade-

-Computer keyboard-

A razor blade is pretty effective at telling you that it is no longer doing its job, as you may get cuts and razor burn from a dull blade.

Why fret about the cleanliness of your kitchen sink when your computer keyboard is a biohazard? Among other things, your qwerty carries all sorts of bugs that cause food poisoning.

For starters, make sure you clean, rinse and dry the blade after every use.

There is no reason to change the blade every week if it is doing the job properly. But once it starts to irritate your skin, don't be cheap and buy new blades.

Flip your keyboard over, shake hard, and then wipe the surface with antibacterial solution. And don't forget your computer mouse.

If your keyboard is beyond salvation, buy a new one. It's cheap and it will be clean.

-Jogging shoes-

-Your bed-

Well done for being the type that actually runs in your sport shoes. But how often should you change them?

You spend about a third of your life in bed, which is why it's full of bacteria, dust mites and viruses.

Well, if they have holes that may be a start. More importantly, are they providing the cushioning and support your body needs?

Keep in mind that you probably lose about a quarter of litre of body fluid every night, which is why your bed is such a breeding ground for mites.

Experts recommend changing the shoes every 350 - 550 miles, but you would of course have to keep track of the distances covered.

Change your bedding weekly and wash it at 60C or more and use bleach if you can. Dry it at high temperatures.

A simpler approach is how the shoes feel. Does your body ache after a run? Do you have joint pain and shin splints?

Get your pillows and duvets professionally cleaned every few months, and replace your mattress every few years - 10 at most.

Check if the cushioning of your shoe still holds in the high impact area on your heel - if it looks like it has collapsed, it's time for new shoes.

If it sags, you can put a board under it until you can buy a new one. But really, a new mattress costs the equivalent of a big night out, so do your back a favour and get one.

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DID YOU KNOW....?

In January 2008, based on a survey of 1,000 workers aged 50 to 64 years, 38% said they planned to carry on working beyond 65. Currently only 11% of the workforce work beyond state pension age.

- People in the UK aged 50+ have 30% more disposable income than the under 50s - 90% of older employees believe that employers discriminate against them - For the first time in 2006 there were more 55-64 year olds than 16-24 year olds - By 2011, under 16s will make up only 18% of the population compared with 23% in 1961 - By November 2007, 27% of the UK’s 29.4M work force were over 50.

The popular actor Ricky Tomlinson says he is living proof that someone older can adapt to a new career successfully. He was in his early 40s when he switched from being a plasterer to an actor and, now in his 70s, he is one of the UK’s best known actors.

Press Release!

Asante Amen Designate Autumn 2011 for His Debut Album Release!

(Kingston - Jamaica 26th, January 2011. Asante Amen is a well learned individual, schooled by some of the best musicians and entertainers in the industry as well as a multi-talented entertainer and producer. Although desirous of a hit single, Asante is not at all deterred by not having one, instead he is encouraged to continue working. The positive feedback and accolades he has received across the industry both nationally and internationally for the music he has released to date, keeps him going. His music can be heard on radio stations throughout Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, New York, St. Lucia as well as the United Kingdom.

Asante Amen’s most current song in rotation is a track called, ‘Wipe Your Tears’ http://soundcloud.com/newimage-music/asante-amen-wipe-your-tears on the Flower Beat compilation album produced by Nite Lite Productions. Nite Lite is an Italian record company that also manages the Italian Reggae artiste Brusco, who performed here in Jamaica at GT Extravaganza last December. The song has been receiving rave reviews so far and a music video for it was recently completed and is being distributed to media companies both local and overseas for rotation. However the video can be found on YouTube and also his facebook fan page.

Asante has been working with various producers and record companies both locally and internationally on a number of projects including other compilation albums over the past year. One of the local companies he has been working closely with in recent times is the Kleva Roots Production Label. Kleva Roots is an independent label that is based in St. Ann, Ocho Rios, and is owned and operated by Shawn Edwards. The label’s main

focus is to produce, “quality reggae music that is reminiscent of what Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis and Beres Hammond, our idols have made and still make and the world has come to love and appreciate” said Asante in a passionate tone. This in fact is one of the main reasons why he has chosen to work with the label, outside of the fact that Shawn is also a good friend. So far Asante has recorded two songs for Kleva Roots and is currently working on the third one, which he thinks will be a winner with the public at large.

However promotion is an ongoing process so the singer has turned his focus towards the release of a debut album. Most of the tracks for this album have already been laid, Shopping has begun and the prospect for a major deal is already on the table but Asante is tight lipped about the arrangements because, “it is too early to call” he says.

With a few local events booked for performances in the coming weeks/months, Asante has been working closely with Kurfew Band. His most outstanding performance to-date with the band was at Taurus Riley’s annual free concert held in December last year. The response from the audience was great and the positive feedback from that show is still flowing in today.

Asante is however looking forward to the benefit concert for the band’s leader Andrae ‘Carlos’ Marsh, to be held on March 26, 2011. Asante refers to Carlos as his brother and so this event more than all is nearest and dearest to his heart. Other events Asante will be performing at include working with the band on a weekly event called ‘Plug n Play’ at the Wyndham Hotel in February and a special event in Ocho Rios in July.

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What does your writing say about you Handwriting analysis is referred to as Graphology. Handwriting may also be regarded as "brainwriting". It is an expression of the whole personality. Writing is expressive movements and these movements have there meanings and interpretations.

Graphology is the study of handwriting and the connection it has to a person’s behaviour.

There are three main systems of graphology. In Holistic Graphology a person’s profile is formed on the basis of Form, Movement and Space. Integrative Graphology is constructed on the basis that specific stroke formations relate to personality traits. Symbolic Analysis is based on the analysis of symbols seen in the handwriting. Every system of graphology has its own vocabulary that makes the meaning those words different.

Graphology has been actively used in compiling profiles for Employment, Business Partnerships and Marital Compatibility. In Switzerland, approximately 80 percent of large corporations use graphology in their hiring procedures. Forensic document examination is not Graphology as it is only used to determine whether or not a document was written by the person concerned.

History of Graphology: Most of what we know about Graphology dates back over the last few hundred years. The first known book about Graphology was published in 1622 by Camillo Baldi, an Italian doctor of medicine and philosophy. In 1872, Jean Michon published his book on Graphology which became the Authority on the subject at that time. Soon, European universities started to offer a Ph.D. or Master's degree in graphology. With the advancement of psychology as a profession so did the study of Graphology advance.

Conducting a Graphology Analysis: To do an accurate analysis, you will need a sample of spontaneous handwriting written on plain paper using a ballpoint or fountain pen of not less than 12 lines long with a signature. The age and sex of the writer. Graphology instruments needed are a magnifying glass, plastic ruler showing millimeters and a protractor for assessing the slant of the writing.

How accurate is Graphology?

A lot depends on the ability of the person doing the Graphology analysis. As an indicator of personality and behaviour, Graphology is around 80-90% accurate.

Source: www.paralumun.com/grapholoy.htm

Graphology Explanation

By Alan Chapman ©

Graphology is the study of handwriting, which for hundreds of years has been recognized as being unique to each individual.

Through the centuries, starting with Suetonius, the Roman historian, scholars like Shakespeare and Walter Scott believed that personality is reflected in the style of writing. The scientific establishment began to compile evidence and theories proving this as early as the 17th century.

Early work in Italy and France was taken forward in Germany, and the basis of today’s methods were set down during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This makes graphology a relatively new science, which perhaps explains why many remain sceptical.

The term ’graphology’ was first used by the Frenchman Michon in 1875, from the Greek ‘grapho’ meaning I write, and ‘logos’ meaning theory.

Graphology is now widely used in fields ranging from education, recruitment and human resources, to criminal psychology and illness diagnosis.

At its most complex, graphology is a large and dynamic subject. At its basic level however, it is relatively easy to understand and to begin to apply. Used as a simple guide, graphology can provide useful indicators to the writer’s personality, whether you are analysing yourself or those around you.

N.B. Experimenting with analysis is interesting, enjoyable and a good way to learn, but do not to attempt formal analysis of others, particularly staff reporting to you, until and unless you become expert in the use of graphology and preferably receive some certification or accreditation to that effect.

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The basic features of handwriting Write a few sentences freely on a level surface without any lines. Now look for and be able to identify the main features of your writing: Size and proportions Covering of space General layout Shading Direction of lines Angle of writing (slope) Degree of connection Right and left tendencies Regularity - Rhythm (or evenness) Spacing Degree of broadness Degree of attention Speed of writing Pressure Form of letters Decoration/distortion Now follow the basic analysis process below, which you can use on other samples. The more you practice, the you become able to analyse without referring to the written guidelines: Graphology - the basic analysis is the sample valid? That is, has the style of the writing been affected by any external influences? Eg., an uneven writing surface; an awkward writing position; or written on the move (in a car or train, etc.). You cannot analyse a sample that is not reliable. For the purpose of checking slope and coverage it is more difficult to analyse samples that have been written on lined paper.

Size - There are many aspects to the size of writing and alone it doesn’t indicate many things. Size (and especially the relative size of letter parts) needs to be considered along with other factors. There are some simple indicators however. Small writing is generally a strong indicator of a detailed, technical personality. Large rounded and dominant central case (see the later explanation of ‘cases’) letters indicate a friendly and sociable personality.

Letter-word slope - Is there a consistent slope to the letters and therefore the words in the sample? Check by drawing lines through the up and downward strokes. Backwards slopes indicate an introverted personality; forward slopes are extraverted.

Upright strokes indicate a personality who is motivated by factors other than people, (ie neither extrovert nor introvert). The degree of slope reflects the degree of extraversion or introversion. The degree of consistency of the slope (ie parallel strokes) indicates the degree of emotional consistency.

Line slope - Writing which rises to the right shows optimism and cheerfulness. Sagging to the right shows physical or mental weariness. (This applies to signatures sloping-downwards also.)

Flow - One of the essential indicators, but like any other factor not to be used on its own. Generally, restraint is indicated every time the pen leaves the paper, and the converse applies. Gushing, eager, impulsive people have a more continuous flow of writing. Flowing writing has linked letters and sometimes linked words. Thoughtful, considered people will have fewer linked letters and no linked words. Artistic and conceptual people who like space and time around them will often have completely separated letters. (It follows that pressure at school on some children to ‘write joined-up’ - because the common view is that to do otherwise is ‘not grownup’ - is unnatural and often counter-productive. In any event continuity of flow does not correlate to intelligence.)

Spacing - Space between words indicates social attitude to others. Close words are a sign of sociability. Large spaces between words indicate the person is comfortable alone, and may even distrust others. Spacing between letters shows artistic spatially aware character, (artists, etc.)

Decoration and distortion - Don’t confuse the two. Decoration is intended; distorted is malformed and unintentional. Both are different to unfinished letters, which is a different indicator. Decoration is generally a sign that the writer wishes to be noticed more than he or she is at present. Malformed letters indicate a variety of things which must be dealt with individually. Unfinished words can be a sign of intelligence and impatience.

The three cases - divisions of the personality An essential aspect to analyse is the bias of the writing towards upper, central and lower cases. The upper case is the area in which the extended up-strokes are found in the tall letters like b, d, f, h, l, t, etc. The central or middle case is the central region occupied by letters with neither long up-strokes nor long down-strokes, such as a, c, e, m, n, o, etc. Which obviously means that the lower case is the area occupied by the extended down-strokes of letters such as g, j, p, q, etc

Idealism religion philosophy

upper imagination logic pragmatism

central common-sense instinct animal appetite

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lower physical force

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The central case contains most of the writing. The upper and lower cases are those which extend above and below the central body of each letter. The three cases represent the three aspects of our personality. If it helps you to assess the relative dominance of the three cases draw a horizontal set of ‘tram-lines’ through some lines of writing to mark the division between the three cases. Look at the relative dominance and extent of each of the cases.

Upper our ‘higher’ selves, and thinking about religion and philosophy Central our mental and social approach to life Lower our physical aptitudes and attitudes - Look where the writing is mainly concentrated, and where the emphasis is; this is where the emphasis of the personality is too. Look for any encroachment from upper case to the line above or from lower case to the line below - it’s a sure indication that the encroaching case is dominant. Also look at the central case to see if there is an upward or downward pull. An upward pull is best spotted if you see an arched pattern running through the central case. A downward pull is best spotted by seeing a pattern of troughs through the central case. The pull pattern in the central case also indicates the emphasis of the personality.

Some other simple indicators: - Large broad upper loops are a sign of emotion.

- Right-pulled lower loops show interest for the good of others.

- Left-pulled upper case shows a fondness for the past.

- Uneven upper loops show changeable satisfaction, or disillusionment.

- Full left-pulled lower loops show physical fulfilment.

- Closed ‘e’s and other small closed central loops show secrecy.

- ‘Stand-alone’ or properly formed ‘s’s at word ends show independence.

- Word-end ‘s’s where top of letter is formed into downward right loop show a yielding or co-operative nature.

- Angular central case is a sign of an interest in ideas rather than people.

- Rounded central case shows interest in people.

- Uncompleted case letters, eg ‘a’s, ‘b’s etc., (open when they would normally be joined loops) show a casual nature; very open shows propensity to gossip.

- Small writing is generally a sign of technical personality.

- Loops in angular writing show a potentially difficult character.

- ‘T’ cross strokes connecting a number of ‘t’s with a single line shows speed of thought (but not a guarantee of correct thinking).

- Omitted ‘i’ dots and ‘t’ cross strokes shows forgetfulness or carelessness.

- Position and style of ‘i’ dots show different things: Directly above, close to and in line means exacting.

Ahead means active and thinking.

Flicked shows sense of humour.

Behind shows thoughtful.

Inconsistent (varying positions) means a distracted mind.

In general - You should try to build up a picture of the person you are analysing using as many different indicators as possible. Also try to use other psychometric tests and systems to build up a multi-dimensional picture; the more perspectives you can use the better. If this brief introduction interests you then get hold of a book or two on the subject and teach yourself more. It’s a fascinating subject and a useful additional way of providing insight into your own personality and those around you.

This tool was developed by alan chapman consultancy and you may use it personally or within your organisation provided copyright and www.businessballs.com is acknowledged. Publication in any form or use in provision of business services to a third party is not allowed without permission from alan chapman. Support and advice on using this system is available from alan chapman via email advice@alanchapman.com. More free online training resources are at www.businessballs.com.

© alan chapman 2002. www.businessballs.com

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A Glimpse at Blackbright’s Journey!

Thank you for your Patronage & Support!

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BLACKBRIGHT NEWS Giving Hope to Our Young

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