High-street banks are still hitting businesses with retaliative interest rates for overdrafts and loans and furthermore, are resorting to increasingly severe measures to make sure they are paid.
Some are demanding that proprietors of small businesses use personal assets as collateral in exchange for a business loan. Others are altering the conditions of loans by emailing customers instead of meeting them in person, and allowing borrowers just 48 hours to meet with unilaterally-rearranged lending and overdraft agreements.
Lord Mandleson, the Business Secretary, was reported to be alarmed by the banks’ attitude saying that this behaviour cannot be the formula for an ongoing constructive relationship between businesses and banks.
He confirmed that he does want a positive relationship with the banks but said that they have to realise that they will be judged and tested by the role they elect to play in supporting Britain and British businesses to weather this economic storm.
Pressure was also piled on misbehaving banks by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, he was quoted in a Sunday newspaper as saying “There is a loss of confidence in the banking system and they are increasing that loss of confidence by not acting the way banks usually do.”
One businessman, who did not want to be named but who runs a small building firm said he now risks losing his family home since the bank forced him to use it as collateral against a loan. He claimed it was a complete nightmare because the problem was one of cash-flow and not related to the viability of his business yet the bank is taking a back seat approach knowing that they have the house as collateral.
Paul Cox, another property investor, from Surrey, was requested to put his personal property up as collateral as well last month, in this case against a business loan by the Royal Bank of Scotland and in spite of the fact that he had enjoyed an excellent record with them in the past. Mr Cox said he was fortunate enough to be able to walk away but others are not so lucky and are forced to accept punitive deals. RBS were the largest recipient of the Government’s bailout deal – around £20bn.
FSB (The Federation of Small Businesses) revealed that when some of their members consulted the banks about loan agreements, harsher lending terms were applied to their accounts.
There have been regular meetings between Britain’s big banks, small business groups and the Government and the chief executives of the big banks have all made positive comments about making sure that viable small businesses can access the finance that they need. In practice, however, it seems branch managers are often hesitant to go back to relaxed lending policies which could put their branches in jeopardy.
Stephen Alambritis, a spokesman from FBS reiterated that promises made at the higher echelons need to reach local level where damage is most apparent. The FBS supports any method of helping businesses to acquire finance even if this means borrowing directly from the Government.
There was some good news for small businesses, when RBS announced recently that it would not be changing the terms of its overdraft agreements for a year. According to skeptics though, this does not necessarily mean that RBS would lend money under those conditions.
He’s behind you! – The evil banker strikes again
Traditional pantomime villains like wicked witches and nasty stepmothers are old hat. These days, it seems, writers are focusing on the banking world to source their evil characters. At King’s Head Theatre in Islington for instance, a banker set on throwing Gran Canaria’s economy into turmoil by immediately withdrawing small business loans is personified in the character of the King Rat. True in real life? Oh no it isn’t. Oh yes it is!
Sheila Challiner
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/businesses-face-huge-bank-charges-693567.html
If your family is like most, you have special holiday celebrations and traditions that you do every year. To display these holiday memories, create a scrapbook to show past years’ celebrations. Whether your traditions include Trick-or-Treating, going to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap for a picture, or preparing a special holiday meal, you’ll have fun looking back to see how your family has changed from year to year while the traditions have stayed the same.
First, decide whether you want to place all of the holiday memories for one year into their own scrapbook album, or keep each holiday in a separate album that shows the change from year to year. You can start with your earliest photos and work forward, or start with recent years and work backwards. It’s completely up to you; there is no one right way to make a scrapbook.
Now, gather all of your photos. If you’re like most people, you’ve got boxes of them hiding somewhere. Bring them out, and look through them to pick out the best photos. Don’t just pick out the portraits of your kids sitting on Santa’s lap or smiling in their cute Halloween costumes. Choose the less formal ones of your family gathered together, too. These will be the memories you’ll cherish for years to come. Pick the best photos from each holiday to include in your scrapbook.
Don’t just include photos in your scrapbook. Gather together loved family recipes for the food and cookies you make for the holidays. If you have young children, include holiday-themed art that they’ve made at school, like turkeys made from handprints. Collect your holiday cards and programs from holiday events. Clip out advertisements for the toys your children want for Christmas. Anything related to your family’s holiday traditions will be a great addition to your holiday scrapbook!
Once you’ve picked out the photos and other memorabilia you want to use, find background pages and embellishments. You can use holiday-colored cardstock for your backgrounds, or be creative and use scraps of wrapping paper or pieces of halloween costume fabric for unique backgrounds. Layer different colors and textures to make a unique page. For a handmade Christmas background, try cutting out a green tree and painting on ornaments. Cut out a paper Jack-o-Lantern for a Halloween themed page, or draw a black spider web behind the photos.
Embellish your pages with everything from holiday-themed cutouts and paper punches. You can even find special paste that dries into 3-dimensional glittery snow. Decorating your holiday scrapbook doesn’t have to break the bank. You can make your own embellishments, or choose from a whole array of ready-made decorations at your local craft store. Be creative! No two families celebrate the holidays in the same way, and your scrapbook should reflect your unique traditions. Add to your holiday traditions by bringing out your new scrapbook each year, looking through past years’ celebrations together. It can be quite a treat to see past years’ celebrations and watch your family grow from year to year. Once the holidays have passed, set aside time as a family to choose photographs to represent that holiday in your scrapbook.
Kelly Yuile
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/scrapbooking-how-to-display-your-holiday-memories-669306.html
Looking for a fun – and safe – way to celebrate Halloween with your children? Try throwing a Halloween party, loaded with lots of fun games!
There’s no better way to celebrate Halloween than throwing a party for your children and their friends! But how will you keep them busy? Try some of these classic Halloween party games – or invent a few of your own! These are great ideas for classroom use as well.
Wrap the Mummy
Divide the children into groups of three to five kids. Select one child in each group to be a mummy. Then give the other children a roll of toilet paper or crepe paper. Have them wrap the mummy with the paper, leaving the eyes, nose and mouth uncovered. The first group to finish (using the entire roll of paper) wins.
Pass the Pumpkin
This game is very similar to “hot potato”. Have the kids sit on the floor in a circle. Give them a small pumpkin to pass around. Play halloween music as they pass the pumpkin. Stop the music at irregular intervals, and whoever is holding the pumpkin is out. The game continues until one person is left with the pumpkin.
Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin
Make a large cardboard pumpkin and secure it to a wall. Taking turns, blindfold each child and give them a cutout shape of a nose, prepared with double-side tape on the back. Spin the blindfolded child three times, then have them try to pin the nose on the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Penny Toss
Carve out a large pumpkin, leaving a wide opening at the top (or use a plastic pumpkin). Give each child a handful of pennies. Have them stand an appropriate distance from the pumpkin and try to toss the pennies in, one at a time. For each penny that makes it in, give the child a piece of Halloween candy or other small treat.
Ghost Waiter
Prior to the party, set up a simple obstacle course. Divide the children into two or three teams. Taking turns, each child has to balance a balloon on a paper plate while walking it down the obstacle course and back to their team. (Have one child from each team begin at the same time). The first team to have all members complete the obstacle course wins.
Get your child’s Halloween party started (at home or at school) with these classic games – and get ready for everyone involved to have a howling good time!
Heather L. Clark
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/got-fright-kids-halloween-party-ideas-581707.html
Children love the sense of creativity. When a guest appreciates something in the house and the child says, “I made it,” one can easily read that sense of pride and happiness in their eyes. Crafts are an easy means to pave way to your child’s creativity, innovative skills and thoughts. This Halloween, chalk out sometime guide your children through easy crafts and help them decorate their own room or the house.
It would be real fun working with your child and would also add to your festive mood. Here are some easy Halloween crafts that you can try with your children.
1. Pick out fun foam from the neighboring craft or department stores. Next buy a pack of sheets is varied shades like white, green, black and orange. Now, cut out oval & circular shapes in varied colors or paper.
On the World Wide Web that is the internet; look out for colorful Halloween images. Try searching bats, witches, black cats and skeletons. Take out prints of these images through a printer. You might need to reduce the size of the images so as to fit on to the base you have made. In case you are a good artist and can draw well, try drawing some images on your own! Now cut these images from contrasting shades of fun foam. Glue these on the shapes you had cut out. Now, punch a hole on the top and draw a string through this hole. Alas, hang the fun ornaments where ever you feel like!
2. You can also adapt ideas from some difficult crafts. Try hanging scary ghosts on your trees.
For this pick out an ordinary plastic bag from the near by grocery store. Now cut off its handles. In place of the head, place Styrofoam ball at the top. Secure it using a rubber band. Now, shred the bag’s bottom into strips. Above the head, poke a hole so as to insert a string to hang. Draw a scary face on the ball!
You can also make your ghost sing in the wind. Just attach some bells at the bottom of strips. This would b real fun!
3. Purchase some dark colored candles. Black would be a great option. Give your child interesting trinkets like candy corns, sequins, fun foam shapes, etc., just any vague things you get your hands on. Tell your child to glue those trinkets on the candles. Place them where ever you like in the house for some fun halloween decoration!
Try these and apply your creativity to device more of such easy and interesting stuff for your kids!
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/making-halloween-crafts-3-simple-fun-ideas-for-kids-740238.html
Hello, I want to play a game. All of you are here tonight for one reason: you want to be scared. You want to know the thrill of being close to death without ever having to confront it face to face. This is why you watch horror movies: to experience death at a safe distance. Well tonight, all that is about to change. When this vehicle stops, the doors will open and you will get out and walk through a series of tests. Tests inspired by the very horror movies that you are so obsessed with.
Have you ever asked yourself why you watch horror movies? Then let me ask you.
Don Roberts. For you and your friends, horror movies are an act of revenge on, are drawn to anything your parents object to. But do your parents know about your “other hobbies”? The acts of vandalism that you have committed? You’ll do anything to leave your mark, but now you are the one who is marked. Tag, you’re it.
And you Sherrie Matthews. You say that horror movies give you a rush of adrenaline. But adrenaline is not the only thing coursing through your veins, is it Sherrie? Do your friends know about your “secret addictions”? Do they know about the things you have stolen from them, to feed those addictions?
And what of you Charles Robuck? You say horror movies are just an escape. But what are you running from? Could it be the alcoholism that ruined your life? Even now. Do you feel the weight of that bottle you snuck, hidden away in your jacket? The one you snuck past security?
The day of reckoning has arrived for all of you. But to survive this test, you’re going to need help. For you see, this is a group test. And to succeed, you must survive it together. The game is about to begin. Will your selfish individual needs trump the safety and well-being of the group? Remember: stay together, for even if one doesn’t make it to the other side, you will all pay the ultimate price. Lose one, lose all. Live or Die? The choice is up to you.
LET THE GAME BEGIN…
Duration : 0:8:56
Witch – Framed
Duration : 20 min 9 sec
Your Good Witch Costume headquarters for halloween or anytime! Large selection of good witch costumes for kids and adults. Wicked witch costumes, too.
Duration : 1 min 15 sec
Kids from the Junior Kindergarten class walk through the other classrooms.
Duration : 31 sec
The "Tonight Show" of the Paranormal
Duration : 6 min 12 sec
- Nigerian Soap operas/drama productions, rocked our TV screens back in the days (especially in the 80’s), which transcended into the 90’s from “Cock Crow at Dawn, Village Headmaster, Mirror in the Sun, Behind the Clouds, Ripples, Mind Bending, to Supple Blues , Checkmate, Fortunes, amongst others. Foreign comedies as well dominantly from the USA and Britain gave Nigerians a worth while fun time viewing experience, such as “Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Sons, Different Strokes, Mixed Blessings, Mind your language, Doctor in the House, Rising Dam, Some Mothers do have them, Rent A Ghost,” amongst others. Unfortunately, they stopped the broadcast of these programmes and Nigerians had to be content with the stream of local productions that were flung in our faces.
However, “The Rich Also Cry” back in the late 80’s set the precedent for a plethora of Latin American telenovelas (dominantly from Mexico) and in some cases Venezuela, to flood our screens. It was the first Telenovela that ruled the Nigerian airwaves back in the days. Following the viewership hit recorded, “Secrets of the Sand”, “No One But You”, “Lady of the Rose”, “Maria de los Angeles”, took successive turns in entertaining Nigerians with the latin American flavoured stories. Unfortunately, somewhere along the 90’s, the broadcast of the Telenovelas came to an abrupt halt, closing the book of the Latin American epoch of thrilling, exciting, cliff hanger moments, and intricate plots. Nigerians especially those living in Lagos state (The Hub of the Entertainment Industry) had to make do with other foreign genres other than drama, broadcast straight into our living rooms especially from God’s own country.
However, the revival of telenovelas on our screens returned with a big bang in 2005 with “Cuando Seas Mia(when you are mine)” with 238 episodes starring Paloma/Elena Olivares( Silvia Navarro), Diego Sanchez Serrano (Sergio Basanez), broadcast on African Independent television (AIT) at 9pm and MITV at 7pm from Monday to Friday. To say the least, at such times especially at 9pm, women, teens, children and surprisingly a good number of the men folk tuned to AIT’s frequency to watch fresh episodes of the programme. Great was the response to the telenovela that even with the epileptic power supply in the country at that time(which hasn’t changed) families were seen eagerly powering on the generators to watch, while those who didn’t have one could be spotted at open bars, clubs, local restaurants, shops, neighbours/ friends apartments gladly watching same.
The cliff hanger moments were always heart stopping and at the end of each episode splinter groups would emerge, giving their views about what transpired in various scenes in the episode, what could and couldn’t have been done by a particular character, who they suspected was the guilty party, and a prediction of what would happen in the next episode. To miss an episode was to miss out big time! and those who did miss it where seen the next day eagerly asking to be filled in on the details by their friends at schools, offices etc. All the actors and actresses played their roles well and none was found wanting. Shouts of Paloma, Diego, The three witches (Barbara, Berenice, Angela), Mariano, Fabian and other characters never failed to come up during discussions. It was a great story which kept Nigerians glued to their TV sets at the fixed times. Thumbs up to the script writer, casting director, director, and the entire crew who made our viewing pleasure a memorable one.
“Catalina n Sebastian”, “The Gardener’s Daughter”, “Second Chance” also recorded good viewership. Second chance having been concluded an American soap took over in its stead, unfortunately Nigerians were not that receptive to it and I think the sponsors realized that they ought not to have changed the winning brand, and have come up with another telenovela “Until my last breath” shown only on AIT at 10pm. Other TV stations such as Galaxy, MBI (now defunct), NTA 10, STV, TVC have also leveraged on the popularity of the Latin American telenovelas and have / still airing them such as “Lorenzo’s Wife”, “la Usurpadora”, “Esmeralda”, “Camila”, “Rebeca”, “Rubi”, “La Revancha, “Storm Over Paradise”.
Perhaps, the beauty of these televovelas lies not only in its foreign origin but its content which brings to bear the realities of life encapsulated in betrayal, deceit, love, hatred, thirst for power and fortune, heart breaks, class distinction standing as a hurdle to marriage, weakness of man, seeming insurmountable mountainous challenges which man irrespective of race, nationality, tribe, gender, religion, confronts on a daily basis. The suspense/cliff hanger moments, intrigues, makes one want to watch the next episode. Love, quest for true love and happiness is greatly projected in the telenovelas and tends to revolve around the plot of the story. Serenade (which is alien to this part of the world) is respectively seen in scenes where love is being professed and re-assured. They no doubt have a great love culture.
The English voiceovers for the characters with certitude achieved through a high level of professionalism helps non- Spanish speaking people follow the unfolding drama in the story easily. Imagine if it had been subtitled, not everyone would have been able to keep up with the on going dialogue. Another thing they have going for them happens to be the theme songs. The theme song for “When you are mine” became a ‘soap opera anthem’ on the lips of Nigerians (even though we couldn’t understand the lyrics of the song) but the beats, chorus, and the voice of the lead vocalist made the song a memorable one. La Usurpadora, Rebeca, Until my last breath also have good theme songs. Nigerians can clearly reel out certain phrases reflected in the dialogue process by the actors and actresses such as “My Love, Love of my life, I swear to you, forgive me, On the contrary, Salu,”.
However, certain negative re-curring decimals such as unforgiveness, paving the way for revenge, the propounding of the love theory as a justifiable reason for adultery and sought after happiness, divorce, separation, single parenting, lustful desires, cleavage revealing tops relegates Christian doctrines to the background in a country where the Christian faith is presumably practised. This has the tendency to send the wrong signals to people from other Nations.
Despite the short comings, the Telenovelas have overtime proven to be worth being sponsored and watched by the Nigerian populace. It is my utmost belief that more of these exciting soaps will continue to hit our screens. Nigerians, are however waiting patiently for the Latin American telenovela that would surpass the overwhelming effect “The Rich Also Cry” and “Cuando Seas Mia” had on them.
Cheerio…auggiepo@yahoo.com
Augusta okon
