Sunday, March 25, 2012

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Top 10 Celebrities Who Snubbed the Queen

Posted: 24 Mar 2012 09:05 PM PDT

Big names like Sir Elton John, Dame Judy Dench and Sir Paul McCartney wear their honours with pride. They enjoy having been honoured by the queen. Others on the list below refused to be honoured. Some have actually regretted the decision and eventually accepted it.

 

1. Phillip Larkin:



This poet refused to become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He was to be recognized for his service in the arts, sciences, charities and as a public body. He later did accept the honour.

 

2. Roald Dahl:



The author of Charlie and Chocolate Factor also refused to receive the honour. The notice was released by the British government. Before this, the information was kept private until the individuals announced it themselves.

 

3. Benjamin Zephaniah:



In 2003, this man really went overboard to snub the Queen's honour. He made a statement that said, "Me? I thought, OBR me? Up yours, I thought…" Not really nice, if you ask. I can see how much he loves his Queen, not.

 

4. David Bowie:



This musician who is still famous and alive today also refused to be honoured by the Queen in 2000. He is an amazing singer with an exceptional talent. Hopefully he changes his mind before it is too late.

 

5. Alfred Hitchcock:



Yes this man and film director also made this list of people who snubbed the queen's honour. In fact, he regretted the decision so much that he changed his mind in 1979 and got knighted. This man is really a master of suspense. Yet, he died only a couple of months later.

 



 

6. JG Ballard:



This novelist rejected a CBE for his role in literature. He felt it was deplorable because left wing playwriters got the same knighthood. He found it atrocious that a man like David Hare knelt down in front of the Queen.

 

7. Vanessa Redgrave:



This baroness and the mother of the late Natasha Richardson also snubbed the queen and her honour. Her class has still not changed.

 

8. John Lennon:



We loved John Lennon and for his exceptional voice with the Beatles. Little do we know that he was one of those who snubbed the queen in 1966. He not only refused her honour, but returned the award by protesting the British government's involvement in the Nigerian civil war. He really made a bold statement that he stood by until his death.

 

9. C.S. Lewis



In 1952, this creator of the Chronicles of Narnia series declined to receive the honour in 1952. It is quite a darn shame, since he is very well liked and is famous for his books, which are now motion pictures.

 

10. Audrey Callaghan:



In 1979, this woman refused the honour for Damehood as well. Her husband James Callaghan led the Labour Party into its 18th year out of office. I kind of understand why she felt she never deserved the honour. She was, however famous for her fundraising efforts to improve children's health and welfare.

 

Top 10 Hazards Of Elderly Driving

Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:05 PM PDT

In the next 20 years, the number of elder drivers is expected to increase 3 folds. Statistics show that elders as well as teenagers are more likely to get into accidents as well as fender benders. This article sets to examine the causes of impared in elders while driving.

 

1. Cataract:



Cataract can be defined as the clouding of the les of the eye. This affects someone's vision to varying degrees. First of all clumps of protein can reduce the sharpness of an image reaching the retina. When that happens, it not only clouds the lens, but reduces the light that reaches the retina. Cataracts are very common in elderly people. By the age of 80 at least half of Americans have had cataract or have gone through cataract surgery.

 

2. Heart & Stroke:



Heart & Stroke are the major forces that cause impaired driving. I have a friend who was crushed by a 20 wheeler whose driver suddenly died of a heart attack. He lost 3 months of his life, lying in a coma. In May of 2011, 2 pedestrians were killed in Toronto when the driver suffered a fatal heart attack. This may happen to anyone, but at least we can do our part to do something about it.

 

3. Lyme Disease:



Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia Burgdorferi. Ticks are the most common causes of Lyme Disease. They receive the bacteria when feeding on mice, squirrels, birds and other small animals that carry the bacteria. Individuals with Lyme Disease have difficulty with cognitive functions. They may become lost in familiar locations when driving. They may also have difficulty following directions while behind the wheel. Losing track in the middle of a task also is a common problem individual with Lyme Disease face.

 

4. Glaucoma:



This is a form of an eye disease which affects the optic nerve in the eye. It is often associated with elevated pressure in the eye. The pressure leads to damage in the eye, which may cause blindness. 6 million people in the United States suffer from the disease and are blind as a result. There are no specific symptoms. Many people are thus unaware that they have it.

 

5. Dementia:



Increasingly people with dementia and Alzheimer's are getting into repeated fender benders and accidents. 4 million Americans suffer from this, especially those over the age of 65. Many cities now require a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Test to be done. This is helpful in identifying unsafe drivers.

 



 

6. Slowness:



Many elderly people experience slowness. It takes them longer to complete tasks, including driving. This poses as a risk, especially when driving on the highway.

 

7. Recklessness:



This too happens as we get older. For example, in 2007 a 90 year old Elizabeth Grimes mistook the gas pedal and went for a joy ride through the streets. She hit a car on the way which fatally injured a 17 year old student driving to take her algebra test. George Russell Weller, 86, drove in to a crowded farmers market in Santa Monica and killed 10 and injured 70 people. He confused the accelerator for the breaks.

 

8. Diabetes:



Elders with diabetes should caution before driving. Impaired sensory and motor functions, diabetic eye diseases and nerve damage are some of the complications that could affect a person's driving skills. This should be of great concern since 1 in 3 elders have diabetes. 20% have type 2 and half are unaware that they have it.

 

9. Arthritis:



Pain and stiffness in the neck caused by arthritis can make it harder for an elder to look over the shoulder. Arthritis can also cause leg pains which could affect the mobility of legs.

 

10. Declining Health:



This is simply a reason to be worried. All elder drivers should gradually be able to earn back their license as they once started. It is simply a precaution.

 

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Nortel Networks

Posted: 22 Mar 2012 09:05 PM PDT

Nortel Networks, formerly the Nortel Telecom Limited, was a multinational telecommunications company with headquarters in Canada. In 2012, top executives at Nortel, including CEO Frank Dunn, were accused of cooking the books. Accruals were shifted in order to prevent profit which would trigger employee bonuses. Frank Dunn specifically was accused of encouraging the manipulation of numbers to make his company seem more profitable at good times so that he and other executives would receive bonuses. Only financial statements would reveal the scam. The company went bankrupt in 2009.

 

1. January 14, 2009

Nortel Networks Corporation and other affiliated companies were given protection from their creditors under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA).

 

2. July 30, 2009

Representing former employees of Nortel and those receiving long term disability benefits, Koskie Minsky was hired to assist with future claims. There are no claims at the present moment as Nortel pays for the claims to disability.

 

3.

The company originated in 1885 when Bell created a mechanical department to manufacture telephones and telephone equipment. In 1889, the department started to manufacture the first switchboard. The Nortel company was not incorporated until 1895 under the name Northern Electric & Manufacturing Company Ltd.

 

4.

The name changed to Northern Telecom Ltd in 1976. The company aimed to focus on digital technology. The following year, it introduced its DMS line of Digital Central Office Telephone Switches. The new development was a success.

 

5.

Northern Telecom/Nortel was the first non-Japanese company and supplier to market its switches in Europe and China.

 



 

6.

The name changed to Nortel Networks in 1998 to deal with the change of focus. Nortel now was providing solutions for multiprotocol, multiservice, global networking over the Internet.

 

7.

When Frank Dunn became CEO, the company underwent massive restructuring and layoffs. The company was no longer prospering.

 

8.

In 2004, Dunn and 2 other executives were fired for financial mismanagement. This case is still under investigation as of January of 2012.

 

9.

Nortel has had a large presence in the United States since 1971. R & D and Software Development were all located in the United States.

 

10.

Although the company has filed for Chapter 11, it is awaiting a buyer to bail them out. It is uncertain what the future may hold for this company.

 

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