The misery is set to continue with the number of flood alerts soaring for southern England and Wales, with forecasters revealing there will be no respite from the rain over coming days.
The EA said there is a "continued" risk of surface water flooding from overwhelmed drains across parts of London, East and West Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
Some 51 flood alerts have been issued across England and Wales, with seven flood warnings for parts of the River Ouzel in Leighton Buzzard, the River Mole in West Sussex and Surrey, the River Colne in Hertfordshire, and the Barnham, Aldingbourne and Lidsey Rifes in West Sussex.
Further flood alerts are expected for the South West later amid forecasts of torrential downpours in Torbay and south Devon.
Wiggonholt in West Sussex received the biggest lashing on Monday with 63 millimetres of rainfall during the last 24 hours.
"It is June's rainfall in one day," said Victoria Kettley, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association. The average June rainfall for south east, central and southern England is 50 millimetres.
The flooding has already wreaked havoc across parts of the country, causing the closures of roads and a hospital. Emergency cases at Worthing Hospital in West Sussex were diverted to neighbouring Brighton and Chichester for several hours overnight because of flooding.
Meanwhile, a special disaster fund is to be set up after more than 1,500 people were evacuated and 150 rescued in Mid Wales over the weekend. Water up to five feet gushed through homes and businesses in Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd, with the clean-up and insurance costs expected to run into millions of pounds.
Further rain is forecast to fall across the UK on Tuesday but with less ferocity. On Wednesday there will be further showers, the heaviest of which will be across Wales and south-west England.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Kent professor Dr Cyril Isenberg cleans up with soap suds theory - Kent Online
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A professor from Kent is hoping to clean up...
by using soap to solve mathematical problems.
Dr Cyril Isenberg from the University of Kent came up with the idea which works out distance and area equations using the properties made from soap bubbles.
Now his idea - which involves a wire cube dipped into a soap solution to explain it - has been dubbed one of the best articles of the last 100 years by American Scientist magazine.
The work, titled 'The soap film: an analogue computer', was first published in 1976.
But it got scientists into a lather, and is now considered a game-changing piece of work.
Dr Isenberg, now an honorary lecturer at the University of Kent's school of engineering and digital arts, still soft soaps students with talks linking the beauty and art of bubbles with their science.
Dr Isenberg said: “Mathematicians have been trying to work out
area problems for years.
“By using the soap film you can provide an analogue solution… and
it gives them a guide of trying to find an analytic solution to
these problems.
"It’s a subject where everybody can do the demonstrations and see
for themselves the interesting properties."
Professor Mark Burchell, Dean of Kent’s Faculty of Sciences, said
he’s delighted Dr Isenberg’s article has been recognised in the
prestigious journal.
He said: “For many years he has given his highly popular talks linking beauty and art of bubbles with the equally beautiful science that explains them.”
Tuesday, June 12 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Children to get stronger rights in divorce - The Independent
The stringent new penalties will be introduced with changes to the law which will establish a legal right for both parents to have a meaningful relationship with their children after a marriage breakdown.
Ministers will today propose different ways to establish the notion of "shared parenting" after separation in law. Judges will be expected, where possible, to ensure that fathers are given time with their sons and daughters and mothers who defy court orders requiring them to give such access will face a range of penalties including the removal of passports or driving licences and the imposition of home curfews.
"The Government believes that there should be a level playing field on enforcement so that denial of maintenance or refusal to facilitate contact both give rise to the same or very similar penalties," the consultation document to be published today states.
Despite some grandparents reportedly being legally warned not to send birthday cards to grandchildren last week, laws will not be changed to ensure grandparents are granted access to grandchildren. Ministers will announce that mothers will in future be warned that they may lose custody of their children if they repeatedly defy court orders. "We want the law to be far more explicit about the importance of children having an ongoing relationship with both their parents after separation, where that is safe and in the child's best interests," said the Children's minister, Tim Loughton.
Campaigners say that without a legal right to see their children, fathers can be excluded. Over the past decade, Fathers 4 Justice has staged high-profile protests including climbing on to the roof of Buckingham Palace.
According to the Government, studies show that following a divorce, 90 per cent of children reside mainly with one of their parents – with just 12 per cent of these children living with their father. Under the four options proposed by the Government, family courts will have a legal duty to ensure that parents have a continuing relationship with their children if a marriage breaks down – because a "child's welfare is likely to be furthered".
Ministers point to a 2008 study which claimed children with "highly-involved dads develop better friendships, more empathy and higher levels of educational achievement and self-esteem".
According to the study children with involved fathers are less likely to become involved with crime or substance abuse. Earlier this year, ministers had rejected the advice from the economist David Norgrove, who chaired an independent official review into family justice, and warned of the situation in Australia after the country introduced "shared parenting" rights. There a series of legal claims and counter-claims led to severe delays in child custody cases.
"Amending the law will allow people to appeal. It's really not needed as judges already take into account these factors," said Matt Bryant, of Resolution, which represents 6,000 family lawyers.
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Severe weather warning for Wales and south-west with more rain forecast - The Guardian
More torrential showers are expected to sweep across Britain on Wednesday, bringing the risk of flooding to areas that have so far escaped the deluge.
The Met Office said parts of south-west England were likely to bear the brunt of the next wave of heavy showers, with up to 60mm (more than 2in) of rain, about the average for all of June, threatening to fall in Cornwall.
Further effects of the recent weather were predicted for west Wales, still mopping up after the "once-in-a-lifetime" floods that wreaked havoc over the weekend. Up to 30mm of rain could fall on the saturated ground.
And scientists were investigating whether the rain could have swept potentially harmful metals, such as lead and zinc, from old mines into farmer's fields and close to villages and towns.
Surveyors were checking roads, bridges and dams that might have been damaged in the downpour and the Welsh government promised to treat sympathetically any appeals from local authorities to help with rebuilding.
The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for Wales and for the south-west of England. Andy Page, the chief forecaster, said: "Due to the nature of showers some areas will miss them altogether, but where they do occur large amounts of rainfall are possible in a short space of time which has the potential to cause flooding."
David Bunt, the Environment Agency's emergency planning manager for the south-west region, said: "We are keeping a close watch on river levels, as the weekend's heavy rain has left many areas more vulnerable to flooding.
"Environment Agency teams have been working round the clock, with other emergency responders, checking flood defences, clearing blockages, monitoring river levels and issuing flood alerts or flood warnings where necessary."
By Tuesday night more than 30 flood alerts (signalling flooding a possibility) were in place in all areas of England except the north-west. Four of the more serious flood warnings had been issued, two in the south-east, two in Bedfordshire.
One of the worst affected areas in England was West Sussex, where firefighters had to use boats to reach about 250 homes cut off in Elmer, near Bognor Regis. More than 30 people were rescued from holiday parks in Sussex.
People who had been driven out of their homes were sheltered in rest centres and in bed and breakfast accommodation.
Some schools were closed and A-roads shut. There were lengthy delays on the M3 in Hampshire after two lanes were closed because of flooding.
It was not only people who found themselves in danger. The RSPCA rescued a herd of 21 cows marooned on a patch of high ground when the river Arun broke its banks in West Sussex.
In the Welsh assembly, Carl Sargeant, minister for local government and communities, said the devastation in west Wales had been astonishing. He said that at one point a device to measure flow recorded 250 tonnes of water passing every second.
Sargeant said he was shocked at reports of some insurance company representatives telling people to put furniture contaminated with raw sewage back into their homes, and he said officials would be talking with the industry to make sure people got the right advice.
Assembly members representing some of the areas that were affected expressed concern that tourism in west and mid Wales would be harmed by the pictures of devastation being transmitted around the world. Sergeant emphasised that the flooding was very localised and Wales was "open for business".
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Divorce Hotel: Founder Jim Halfens Dishes On Hotel - Huffington Post
On May 26 the New York Times reported on the Divorce Hotel, a Netherlands-based company that enables married couples to take a rather unusual trip -- for about $3,000, spouses can go away for a long weekend and return as exes (by comparison, an average divorce in the Netherlands costs between $5,000 and $10,000 and can take weeks, even months to finalize). Despite its name, the Divorce Hotel is not actually one physical structure; the company partners with multiple boutique hotels to offer its clients a swifter, cheaper -- and chicer -- way to call it quits (locations in New York and Los Angeles are currently in the works). To learn more about this unusual service, HuffPost Divorce asked founder and general manager Jim Halfens to dish on what really goes on when a couple checks into the Divorce Hotel for the weekend.
How do you help your divorcing guests feel at ease?
We want to give couples the feeling of being at home. One of the suites [we do the divorce proceedings in] has a fireplace. That said, we also want to take them out of their comfort zone -- if they live in the south, we invite them to [a hotel location] in the north. This also helps keep them far away from new partners or their mother-in-laws.
How do you keep your divorces discreet when there are also regular hotel guests staying at the hotel?
Our clients have their privacy -- nobody knows they are checking in for their divorce. We work in specific departments of the hotel. All conversations take place in suites behind closed doors.
Our guests can use the hotel for their purposes, and walk around freely, but we don’t always know how people will react [to the divorce process] -- sometimes it’s emotional, sometimes it’s more businesslike -- so we always have staff members around. If [a client] is getting emotional and walking around the hallways, someone will be there to comfort them. They aren't creepy or anything, but they are trained and know what to do.
What's the most surprising thing you've seen among the couples who have stayed at your hotel?
There was a husband who ordered a bottle of champagne to toast on a new future. He wished his ex-wife all the best. It was a fantastic moment. We also had a divorce and a wedding on the same day. We were fully booked last December and a divorcing couple wanted a specific hotel, but there was only one date available. The hotel warned me that there was also a wedding there that day -- there would be no escaping it, there would be flowers everywhere. But, if couple didn’t come that day, they would have had to wait on the list for two months. I called the wife and she said she didn’t mind at all. When the couple arrived, they went to check out the wedding. They looked around, looked at the wedding dress. Then they had dinner that night downstairs right next to the wedding party.
Wait, they had dinner together? Do couples usually do that?
Yes, they ate together. The divorcing couples typically have dinner together. And breakfast together in the morning. We don’t mandate that they do anything -– everything is up to the couple. Couples can also choose their rooms. Sometimes they prefer to be close to each other, sometimes they prefer to be far away. One couple decided to sleep together. They emailed me and said, “This might be a strange question” then asked to be in one room.
Has a couple ever come to the hotel but not get divorced?
We’ve been successful with every couple except for one. The guy was trying to get a deal in his favor and disadvantage his wife in every way. The reason he wanted to do the divorce quickly [with the Divorce Hotel] was to blind her of the important details of his company and his possessions and money. He didn’t give enough information to our professionals and more investigation was needed. In the Netherlands, a mediator is not allowed to take a position [or give preference to one spouse], so we sent the couple to work with lawyers.
Can you tell me more about the reality show that you’re creating?
People might think “Why should I go to the Divorce Hotel for arranging my divorce?” We’ll show [our process] in an emotional TV show with wonderful moments -- something you would never expect in a program about divorce. I want to show that what happens in our hotel is very special. I don’t want to [show] creepy, "Jerry Springer," horrible shit.
Do you have a personal connection to divorce?
I have never married or divorced. I am convinced that I will marry in the future. I believe in real love. But not everybody is lucky to find it, so I would like to help those people split up in a positive way.
What do you mean by “positive way”?
Some people have the mindset that, if they divorce, they need to ruin their spouse. I think it’s better to do it quickly. It’s better for your money, of course, but it’s more about the end result: I had an experience with a woman told me that she had problems with her friends because they told her things like, “Why don’t you ruin his life? He wants the divorce, take what you can and get his money.” This woman told me that she didn’t want to ruin his life, personally or financially. She said, “My intention is to be able to, if I run into him in two years, be on speaking teams with this guy.”
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
David Arquette files for divorce from Courteney Cox (days before 13th wedding anniversary) - Daily Mail
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David Arquette has filed for divorce from Courteney Cox.
The Scream 4 actor filed divorce papers citing irreconcilable differences on Friday - just days before their 13th wedding anniversary, which is today, and almost two years after they separated.
He is asking for joint legal and physical custody of their daughter, Coco, who turns eight tomorrow .
Beginning of the end: David Arquette formally filed for divorce from Courteney Cox on Friday it has emerged today, on what is the couple's 13th wedding anniversary, pictured here in June 2010
Nuptials: The pair married in San Francisco on June 12, 1999
According to the papers, David does not ask for spousal or child support and is representing himself in the divorce.
According to TMZ.com David signed the divorce papers in March, meaning he has held on to them for almost three months.
The couple got together after meeting of the set of the first Scream film in 1995 and married in 1999.
They formally separated in October 2010.
At the time they released a statement saying: 'We are comfortable with the boundaries that we have established for each other during this separation and we hope that our friends, family, fans and the media also show us respect, dignity, understanding and love at this time as well.'
The couple remained on good terms, with Courteney and Coco supporting David when he appeared on 'Dancing On Ice' last year.
The former couple were also interviewed together by radio DJ Howard Stern last year, and while David hinted he would like for them to get back together, Courtney was not so sure.
However, she did say during the interview: “We are always going to be a family - whether we're together or not.'
Making it official: The actor cited 'irreconcilable differences' in the divorce papers
Mazal Tov! Arquette, pictured in Jerusalem, Israel, yesterday where he had his very first Bar Mitzvah
Since their split, David had a short romance with TV presenter Christina McLarty, while Courteney has remained single.
Arquette is currently in Jerusalem where he was Bar Mitzvah'd on Monday
The actor donned a traditional Yarmulka and Talli at the ceremony, traditionally celebrated at the age of 13, at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City.
Amicable: The couple have remained friends since separating almost two years ago, pictured here with their daughter Coco in January
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Volunteers pit their wits against the controversial Kent 11-plus - thisiskent.co.uk
AS DEMAND for places continues to soar for already over-stretched grammar schools across West Kent, pressure is increasing for pupils taking the controversial 11-plus.
Amid mounting criticism from parents and education groups over the strain the exam is piling on pupils at such a young age, the Courier invited a group of volunteers to try it out for themselves.
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BACK TO SCHOOL: Our volunteers sweat it out at Courier House
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EXAM PRESSURE: Volunteers sit the 11-plus at Courier House. Pictured are Amanda Manuel, Teresa Stevens, Jo Paine, Amy, and Graham Naismith TWGF20120525C-006_C
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EXAM PRESSURE: Volunteers sit the eleven plus exam at Courier House, Tunbridge Wells.
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EXAM PRESSURE: Volunteers sit the eleven plus exam at Courier House, Tunbridge Wells.
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EXAM PRESSURE: Volunteers sit the eleven plus exam at Courier House, Tunbridge Wells.
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EXAM PRESSURE: Volunteers sit the eleven plus exam at Courier House, Tunbridge Wells.
They ranged from parents striving to get their child into their school of choice to teachers keen to experience the ordeal their pupils are put through.
The group took three practice papers – mathematics, plus verbal and non-verbal reasoning – under exam conditions.
Father-of-three Graham Naismith was one of those inviting ridicule from his children by taking part.
He said: "I think it is wrong for a ten-year-old to be spending the summer revising. I accept the system, I just think it's too early."
He is going through the appeal process with his daughter, who passed the 11-plus but failed to get a grammar place.
Former maths teacher Teresa Stevens was a borderline 11-plus case and failed to get a place at a grammar school when she took the test 50 years ago.
She had strong views, saying: "I'm against the 11-plus and against dividing children at 11. I have taught children that come into their own much later and some who stop developing at 11.
"I just think it's madness to push children into exams when they should be enjoying their youth."
The Kent pass rate is about 25 per cent and this year 61 children who did pass still missed out on a grammar school place. Of these, 40 were from West Kent.
Margaret Tulloch, secretary of Comprehensive Future which campaigns for a fair admissions policy, slammed the system which makes many children feel like "failures", adding: "It puts needless stress on children and the majority get the message that they are failures. It's ridiculous.
"We should be opening doors for children, not closing them."
Critics say the 11-plus and division of children does not lead to better results or a more successful schooling system.
Michael Pyke, from pressure group the Campaign for State Education, said the top international schooling systems were all based on a comprehensive system.
He added: "Selection does not produce better all-round results. The most efficient education system is that which educates the most people. Systems that are elitist are inefficient."
Nevertheless, many parents turn to private tutoring to secure a place at a super-selective school, which allocates places due to scores, such as Judd School, Tonbridge Grammar School and The Skinners' School.
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys allocate places to children who pass the test and live within a catchment area.
Chair of governors at the boys' school, Michael Reidy, defended the testing process, saying: "The pass rate doesn't really justify the criticism of the exam.
"We have got children in West Kent clamouring for places. It's not unreasonably challenging for them but it's a filtering process."
But mother of two and chairman of Sevenoaks Action for Community Education campaign group Amanda Manuel said the admissions process was "flawed" and welcomed a county council review.
Pass marks...
The Kent 11-plus pass mark was 360 last year
This year, Judd School in Tonbridge wanted 418, The Skinners' School in Tunbridge Wells wanted 414 and Tonbridge Grammar School wanted 412 for children out of area and 409 for children within the area
The Kent pass rate is about 25 per cent
There are 164 selective schools in the UK
36 out of 152 LEAs have a selective system or some selective schools
The results...
Name: Graham Naismith, of Hazelbank, Langton Green
Age: 44
Occupation: IT
Reason for volunteering: Father of three, his daughter recently passed the 11-plus but missed out on a grammar school place so he is currently appealing
Score: 99 per cent
Reaction: "I thought it would be a mental challenge, timing and technique play a massive role in the 11-plus. "I'm frustrated I got a couple of questions wrong."
Name: Teresa Stevens, of Lower Green Road, Pembury
Age: 61
Occupation: Former maths teacher
Reason for volunteering: Took the 11-plus 50 years ago, was a borderline case and didn't get a spot at grammar school
Score: 82 per cent
Reaction: "It's what I expected.
"I was very slow on the non-verbal reasoning paper, I think it was that paper I originally fell down on.
"My maths is fast but I'm a slow thinker and it takes me a while to absorb it.
"I was curious to sit it again."
Name: Jo Paine, of Tristan Gardens, Rusthall
Age: 44
Occupation: School secretary
Reason for volunteering: Her daughter is due to take the 11-plus in September
Score: 96 per cent
Reaction: "I thought it would be supportive to try the 11-plus, my daughter thought it was hysterical.
"I'm hugely surprised by my result.
"The questions were fine but I think some would be tough for an 11-year-old.
"If you are trying to do it quickly it's really easy to misread it."
Name: Amanda Manuel, of Wickenden Road, Sevenoaks
Age: 41
Occupation: Businesswoman
Reason for volunteering: Mother of two and chairman of campaign group, Sevenoaks Action for Community Education
Score: 93 per cent
Reaction: "I have never seen an 11-plus paper, my children aren't at that age yet and I come from out of the county so it's not something I am familiar with. I thought it would be interesting.
"The first question on the verbal reasoning paper took me forever to get my head around but once I worked it out it wasn't too bad.
"I messed up several maths questions from not reading it properly.
"If we go down this path with our children I will make sure my son knows to read the question carefully, check his answers and write out the maths."
Name: Amy De-Keyzer, resident of Sevenoaks
Age: 23
Occupation: Reporter
Reason for volunteering: Born and brought up out of county and unfamiliar with the 11-plus
Score: 82 per cent.
Reaction: "Having gone through lots of exams in relatively recent years I was optimistic about the test.
"Some of the questions seemed tough and I made a major mistake in answering more questions than necessary because I didn't follow the instructions."
Source: www.thisiskent.co.uk
DivorceYes.com Offers Free Florida Divorce Resources - YAHOO!
Legal service releases a collection of free resources on its website to educate visitors on Florida divorce.
Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) June 12, 2012
DivorceYes.com, an online service designed to offer a low cost, fast way to get divorced, recently released a collection of free Florida divorce resources on its website. Now, those interested in learning more about the process of getting divorced in Florida have a robust resource to turn to.“We want our clients to understand the Florida divorce law that applies to their case, as well as the court process,” explained Jeff Miller, senior counsel at DivorceYes.com. “Because an informed client is our best customer, we offer general Florida divorce information on our website. In addition to walking through the divorce process, step by step, we have made source materials available for those who want to take their study to the next level.”
Some of the resources included on the DivorceYes.com website are as follows: introduction to the divorce process, information on filing for divorce without kids, information on filing for divorce with kids, alimony explanation, child visitation law overview, and much more.
Of course, DivorceYes.com is a real law firm, so visitors to the website can also speak to a real divorce lawyer to get answers to their questions and practice advice.
“Our lawyers are available to consult with our clients, to answer their questions and to offer them sound practical advice,” said Miller. “Giving our clients the opportunity to have an informed understanding of the law and the process is where we start. Providing them with low cost legal representation of the highest quality and giving each client our full, undivided attention are the hallmarks of our services.”
To access the free Florida divorce resources, visit http://www.DivorceYes.com.
About the Miller Law Firm and DivorceYes.com
Miller Law Associates is a Florida divorce law firm with offices located in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida. Managing attorney Jeff Miller has been practicing law as a trial lawyer in Florida and throughout the United States since 1980. His practical in court experience brings a wealth of experience to those needing divorce representation in Florida. All Florida divorces must be obtained in court. The purpose of the divorce website, DivorceYes.com, is to ease the burden of divorce on families and to get the process completed as quickly as possible at a fair and affordable price.
Jeff Miller
Miller Law Associates
866-343-4556
Email Information
Source: news.yahoo.com
Divorce parties - a celebration of life or just bad taste? - Sydney Morning Herald
Is divorce really reason to celebrate?
Are divorce parties in bad taste?
We love rituals. We do. They make us feel connected and purposeful. Rituals may be religious, or not. They may be shared with hundreds or few. But we love them because they are transformative. Weddings transform single people into a married couple, funerals transform dead bodies into living souls. Dinner dates make Friday night sexy. Grand finals make families from strangers, and enemies of others.
Of course, while passion for ritual process is common, commonly loved rituals are rare; one person’s sacred practice is another’s silly superstition – a waste of time, a hassle, even an inexcusable horror.
But what makes some rituals more supported than others? What makes one ritual right and another wrong in the eyes of society?
I’d like to talk here about a relatively new ritual phenomenon. The divorce party – a modern, Western ritual spawned in America sometime in 2007 that has grown in popularity since.
Though Jack White and Karen Elson’s divorce party was a shared affair, in the main divorce parties are organised independently, a la Heather Mills who famously forked out $500,000 for one of her own.
And while women may be seen as the hostesses with the mostest divorce party inclination, they aren’t the only ones doing it; many men’s events organisers cater to divorce parties for boys. In fact, the divorce party has been described as the “final frontier of the wedding industry complex”.
But are divorce parties rituals that are good or bad for society? Are they generally appropriate or in very bad taste?
The Guardian this week had an article written from a pro-perspective. In this context, divorce parties were not about celebrating the end of a marriage, but the start of a new life. Following von Gennep’s famous ‘three phases’ ritual model, the divorce party prompts healing by first separating the protagonist from their married identity, then passing them through the awkward post-separation threshold before finally rejoining them with the fresh life and love potential beyond.
Looked at this way, divorce parties can be seen as a ritual with myriad positive consequences. As a sacrament devoted to a person’s newfound singledom, the divorce party might be a ritual with power to transform woebegone broken-hearts into optimistic hoping-hearts. Surely this is a good thing in a world where divorce happens, and happens often.
Yet when viewed from the other side of the fence, divorce parties can look like very negative exercises in regret - visions of vitriol spewed into tacky, stabby invitations, cocktails of misery and bitterness served up with slices of dead-spouse blood-velvet cake.
Instead of a positive trajectory of healing, divorce parties can see the central character stuck in a regressive loop or loathing. Beginning with hate for the old relationship, middling with stewing over the old relationship and ending with refreshed hate for the old relationship, a divorce party can read like a downward spiral of doom.
How, you might ask, could anything good come from something so vindictive?
Indeed, in this age of social oversharing, it’s likely the shenanigans of a divorce party will be captured and disseminated, possibly intentionally so (especially to the wrong people, ie The Ex). Such grave-dancing is reprehensible, and gains little. Actually, it could lose the jigger quite a lot if the settlement is not quite finalised, and the ‘celebration’ is used to sucker-punch funds.
So perhaps they key factor here is time. Divorce parties might be a healthy, socially desirable ritual practice if held at the right time. That is to say after the bruising and swelling has gone down. Then perhaps the focus will be of new life, rather than ruined life. Then, maybe, likely guests would be contributing to a new future rather than being caught up in a messy war. Then the party is more ‘new-you debut’, less ‘divorce party’ – something we surely should support.
But what do you think?
Have you ever been involved with a divorce party? What do you think about them? Are they are healthy ritual practice, or should we stamp them out on the grounds they’re a socially destructive force?
kfeeney@fairfaxmedia.com.au (I promise I do read mail, even if I don't respond right away...)
Source: www.smh.com.au
Kent cancer specialist Dr Howard Smedley failed patient - BBC News
A Kent doctor's fitness to practise has been found by a medical watchdog to be impaired.
Retired consultant oncologist Dr Howard Smedley will now apply to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service to be removed from the medical register.
Canterbury cancer patient Debbie Westwick made a complaint amid claims that he gave her the wrong treatment.
A fitness to practise panel found the doctor failed to follow guidelines and his actions showed serious misconduct.
Mrs Westwick was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.
She complained that Dr Smedley prescribed chemotherapy and radiotherapy instead of following the correct management protocol of a mastectomy.
'Significant failure'“Start Quote
End Quote Debbie WestwickI didn't expect any special treatment or a miracle cure, but I did expect the clinician looking after me to be competent”
Chairwoman of the fitness to practise panel Kathryn Whitehill said Dr Smedley had admitted he did not obtain properly informed consent to the treatment he provided.
She also said the doctor had not informed the patient that surgery was an option, or that it was recommended in recognised medical guidelines.
She said: "Taking into account all facts admitted and found proved the panel has determined that Dr Smedley's actions amount to serious misconduct.
"Dr Smedley's misconduct involved a significant failure to follow established guidelines in relation to the treatment of breast cancer.
"Although this was one episode of misconduct it was protracted.
"Dr Smedley had the opportunity to reflect upon the appropriateness of his treatment plan, but failed to do so."
'Too little too late'The panel is due to hear an application on Wednesday from Dr Smedley's defence for "voluntary erasure" - a process where a doctor takes himself off the medical register.
If the application is not accepted, the panel will consider sanctions against the doctor.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service has taken over running fitness to practise hearings from the General Medical Council.
After the hearing, Mrs Westwick said: "It all seems a bit too little too late but there's nothing I can do.
"I can make the best of the time I've got left. And I have to be honest, having the GMC part-settled and sorted means I don't have to waste energy on that any more."
She added: "I didn't expect any special treatment or a miracle cure, but I did expect the clinician looking after me to be competent and to provide me with the most effective treatment that was available.
"To discover along the way that your treatment has been poor or sub-optimal is like being diagnosed all over again."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
