Thursday 5 April 2012

Supermarket Alcohol Policy: Help or Hindrance?

The Licensing Act (2003) states that the objectives of restrictive alcohol sales are to prevent crime and disorder in order to maintain public safety and reduce the incidents of public nuisances whilst protecting children from harm. 

Photo: Colognid
It is common knowledge that the legal drinking age in the UK is 18. This legislation also states that an individual knowingly purchasing alcohol on behalf of someone under the age of 18 is breaking the law. 

However, what does the law say in regards to purchasing alcohol from a supermarket, intended for personal consumption, whilst your children are present at the time of purchase? (For instance, whilst on your weekly food shop with your children?)

There appears to be an increasing culture of what the Daily Mail described as "over-zealous supermarket staff" refusing the purchase of alcohol to parents accompanied by their own children. But, is "over-zealous" a fair description? Are they not, in fact, just following the law?

"Workers have been told not to serve adults accompanied by children in the latest crack-down on underage drinking..." the Daily Mail report says. 

"However, diligent shop staff are applying the letter of the law and refusing to serve parents who are on weekly shopping trips with their children".

Diane Binns, 52 from Lincoln was met with a similar refusal to be sold alcohol in her local supermarket earlier this week.

"It seems absurd that a parent should be refused alcohol whilst in the company of their children. I see it as  a judgement on my character and I find that very offensive".

Mrs Binns was refused the sale of a bottle of Rosé wine whilst in the company of her two children (20 and 18), because neither of them had their ID with them when challenged.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: "We have a strict 'Challenge 25' agenda which we uphold throughout our stores".

"We don't have an issue in regards to parents shopping with children; it's legal to do that, we do have a an issue with alcohol being passed from adults to underage children and it is our policy to refuse purchase if we suspect evidence of this".  

The Challenge 25 slogan is "No Proof of Age - No Sale!"

This an identical policy to that of TESCO who say: "We are doing lots of work to try to stop under-age people from being able to get hold of alcohol and one of the biggest problems has become adults buying for people who are under-age."

"If our staff suspect that people are buying for people who are under the age of 18 then we do not serve them."

ASDA have also implemented a Challenge 25 programme which they say "...help[s] colleagues stay on the right side of the law."

It seems that whilst this may appear to be a hindrance to the customer, these policies are in place in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003.

The Challenge 25 scheme, first launched in 2004/5, comes with the full backing of local authorities including the Police and local councils and is something we are all going to have to get used to and be prepared for.

By Benjamin Yates


Sources:

Monday 26 March 2012

My Workout Regime

This is a little embarrassing for me, I only started training 6 months ago after about 3 years of absolutely no exercise and junk-eating having left school and never having to do P.E again!

However, a number of people have asked me what my training schedule is like so I thought I would post a blog about it; other people seem to do this and I know for a fact (after hours of research) that finding a correct answer to a 100% perfect regime is near impossible.

Firstly, I just want to make it clear that it is purely a matter of trial and error; especially in regards to diet. No two bodies are the same and no one workout should be copied to the 't.' Everyone else's opinions and advice should be taken as a guideline and tailored (through trial and error) to your own particular preference; what works best for YOU!

My Goal: Building lean muscle and reducing body fat...

Diet:


I try to eat 6-8 small meals a day, all nutritionally balanced. The general science behind this is:
If you only eat say, 3 big meals a day, your body says "I know I'm not going to get fed for 'X' number of hours, therefore, I need to hold onto any calories I am given in order to give me energy until that next meal."

However, if you eat 6-8 small meals a day, your body says "Okay, I know I'm going to be fed again soon, so I can quickly burn these calories and make space for my next fix."

What this does is it stops the glucose (found in all foods but especially carbohydrates like potato, pasta and rice) from sitting in your body as 'useless energy' essentially becoming fat.

I do not eat potato, rice or pasta because I am trying to reduce my body fat percentage however, it is vital that I still get energy through carbohydrate. Therefore, I eat foods with low GI (Glycemic Index)

There is a list of Low GI foods here which I used to devise my own diet plan:
(http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/)

My Diet: (Yes, it's boring but it works for me...)

Meal 1: Whey Protein Shake (USN IGF-1 ultra low carbs)
             Ground oats in that shake (if done morning cardio)
             or bowl of Low GI rolled oats with water NOT milk (if no morning cardio)

Meal 2: x2 Lightly salted rice cake with RAW honey (Not runny) and raisins

Meal 3: (Pre-Workout) Apple or Banana

Meal 4: (Post-Workout) Whey Protein Shake (USN IGF-1 ultra low carbs)
             Once back home - Friend (in low calorie spray) seasoned chicken breast with microwaved sweet potato and peas

Meal 5: x2 Lightly salted Rice cake with RAW honey and raisins

Meal 6: Oven cooked, seasoned chicken breast with microwaved sweet potato and peas

Meal 7: 1x Lightly salted rice cake with RAW honey and raisins

Meal 8: (Pre-bed) Whey Protein Shake (USN IGF-1 ultra low carbs)

In order to build lean muscle, weight-training is essential. However, reducing body fat at the same time requires a balance of weight-training and cardiovascular exercise.

Note: I swap the raw honey weekly with peanut butter. However, as standard peanut butter is high in saturated fat, I buy natural peanut butter from Holland and Barrett. See the link below. If possible, try to buy natural Almond butter, however, this is more expensive.

(http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=3617&prodid=3133&cid=477&sid=0)

My Workout Schedule:


Monday: Pre-breakfast run for 30 minutes
              Chest and Triceps

Tuesday: Back and Biceps

Wednesday: (If not hanging after Student Night) Interval Training (5km in 30 mins) and Abdominals

Thursday: Shoulders and Traps

Friday: Legs

Saturday: Day off

Sunday: Interval Training (5km in 30 mins)

Supplementation:


People don't always want to take supplements, and that's fine if you can meet your necessary calorific intake through natural diet alone. However, for maximum muscle growth and recovery, it is said you should have between 2.75g and 3g of protein per KG of weight.

I weigh 79kg and I try to eat about 240g of protein a day. Therefore, I take Protein supplements in order to reach this.

I take Jack3d before a cardiovascular workout. It is a stimulant which is largely caffeine based. What it does, for me, is boosts my energy levels; allowing me to run for longer and harder which promotes fat loss.

My Supplements:


USN IGF-1 Pure Protein
(http://www.musclefinesse.com/shop/category/Protein-Powders/22/USN-Pure-Protein-1kg/225/detail)

My Protein Instant Oats
(http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/instant_oats)

Jack3d
http://www.musclefinesse.com/shop/category/Pre-Workout-Formulas/21/USP-Labs-Jack3d-250g/743/detail

Monday 12 March 2012

Left-Handed Disabilities...

As a left-handed writer, I often find that I am unable to write on the seminar tables in numerous rooms around the university. The tables I have most difficulty with are in 'MC2201' (Ola's Thursday morning lecture room.)

I also noticed; as did a few other students, that it was nearly impossible for me to write on the whiteboard in my 'Newsday workshop' on Thursday afternoon whilst I was Editor without either smudging what I had already written, or writing at a ridiculously embarrassing downwards angle.

This led me to question whether or not this could count as a disability. After all, I find my self 'unable' to write comfortably, just as a paralysed person finds them self 'unable' to walk.

I emailed DART; the University of Lincoln's Disability Services and asked them what they thought about the situation. I was most disappointed and somewhat offended by their reply from the Senior Disability Advisor which was as follows:

"Hello, thanks for your email regarding the seminar desks. Most of the desks I have come across are multi-use,  i.e. right or left handed. You have to physically take the desk area out and re-position but its easily done."

I may not be the most 'with-it' person at the best of times, but, obviously I have tried to re-adjust the desks so that I can write with ease. Granted, the desks in Village Hall; whilst not being adjusted fully for left handed use, do have a large enough writing surface to allow me to write with relative comfort. However, MC2201's desks absolutely are not suitable, and you cannot "...physically take the desk area out and re-position it."

There must be other 'leftys' out there who have experienced similar issues? Numerous surveys have shown that around 10 per cent of the world's population are left handed.

Please tell me I'm not alone!

By Benjamin Yates

Sources: 
Pic 1 - http://www.leftorium.com/

Friday 9 March 2012

KONY2012 - The Opposite Effect

If you read my latest Blog post regarding Joseph Kony and the atrocities he has committed across Uganda over the past few years, you may be interested to read the article linked below. 

It is an article by The Telegraph which talks of the dangers that Jason Russell's viral video, 'Kony2012' may have on both the stability of Ugandan society and the fact that it may prompt Kony to "go on the offensive."

It's an interesting read and reveals some previously unknown (by the vast majority of Social Networkers) facts, or ignored facts that could prove to be a severe detriment to the cause promoted by 'Invisible Children,' Russell's campaign group.

Wednesday 7 March 2012

KONY

In 2006, Jason Russell, an American campaigner met with a young Ugandan boy named Jacob.

Having watched as L.R.A rebels (Lords Resistance Army) executed his brother, Jacob was now running for his life, seeking refuge in a hostel designed for children trying to escape from the clutches of one man: Joseph Kony.

As leader of the L.R.A, Kony has abducted around 30,000 children, forcing the boys to become child soldiers and the girls to work as sex-slaves. 

He is guilty of murder, rape, abduction and war crimes and forces his soldiers to mutilate and murder those who will not join his cause. 

His heinous crimes have resulted in him becoming the International Criminal Court's (ICC) number 1 target, above the likes of the late Muammar Gadaffi.

But what is his cause? According to the International Criminal Court it is simply to maintain power. He is supported by no one and uses peace talks to re-arm his forces before repeatedly unleashing attacks on the civilians of Uganda.

"Ninety-nine per cent of the population do not know Kony's name, nor do they know of his terrible crimes." Says Russell, pictured below.

Jason Russell - Campaigner
Through an organisation called 'Invisible Children,' Russell and his campaigners have spent the past few years seeking political action on the part of the United States Government to intervene and bring Joseph Kony to justice.

They took their cause to Washington DC, to the White House and spoke with Congressmen from both the Republican and the Democratic parties. 

Their attempts to gain governmental support succeeded.

In October of 2011, 5 years after Russell began his campaign for change, President Obama agreed to send 100 American troops to Uganda to act as advisers; supporting the Ugandan army in their attempts to track and arrest Kony.

It was the first time in American history that the Government had acted as a result of public demand however, in December 2011, a radio broadcast was intercepted revealing that Kony had caught on to the American presence and was changing his tactics to avoid capture.

Kony's Child Soldier
This has meant that the prolonged American influence in Uganda is costing the American government lots of money with very little to show for it. US support could be removed at any point.

Along with 'Invisible Children' the charity 'TRI' has decided that 2012 is the year which will see the capture and arrest of Joseph Kony.

They intend to make him famous, a household name known to all and by all. Thousands of posters have been put up in major cities across the planet, bracelets are being worn to raise awareness and flyers are being distributed until everyone has heard of Joseph Kony.

Jason Russell's video, 'Kony 2012' can be seen below...


Monday 27 February 2012

My Magazine Feature - The Eiger (National Geographic)

Perched high in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland stands ‘the Eiger.’ 3,970 meters of rock and ice dominating the skies above the valleys of the Bernese Oberland; Switzerland’s inhabited highland region.

Flag: Berenese Oberland
A black eagle soars proudly on the Oberland’s flag, symbolically representing courage, strength and farsightedness. It seems fitting that the region’s flag should possess such powerful imagery; traits to be maintained by every climber who attempts to conquer its limestone buttress.

Having scaled Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn before that, “we needed another challenge,” says Keith Kearns, a 51 year old mountaineer from Lincoln, United Kingdom. “There was only one mountain that fit the bill.”

Since it was first scaled in 1858 by Charles Barrington, an Irish mountaineer from County Wicklow, the Eiger’s become somewhat of a legend earning a firm footing in popular culture. A 1972 novel titled ‘The Eiger Sanction;’ later turned into a movie starring Clint Eastwood, is an example of a common factor that appears within many adaptations of the Eiger’s history - its death count.

Since 1935 it is estimated that sixty-four climbers have lost their lives whilst attempting to surmount to the challenge of ascent.

Whilst crossing a very difficult section on their climb along the Mittellegi Ridge, a member of Keith’s team became stuck. “I had to wait for half an hour in a very narrow chimney of ice. I only had the tips of my crampons for support and I began to lose feeling in my feet.”

As I ask him about the thoughts that were running through his head as he remained dug into the ice, with no more than two, inch long spikes of hard steel between security and an uncertain fate, I question my own nerve should I have found myself in such a position.

“The right mind-set is all important.” He tells me. “At times my body was protesting and my calf muscles were screaming, but giving up was not an option.”
Mittellegi Ridge
At approximately 1500 meters, the earth’s atmosphere begins to decrease and oxygen levels become thin. Breathing gets deeper, the heart beats faster and blood pressure rises. Taking the time to acclimatise to these drops in atmospheric pressure can prevent illnesses such as acute mountain sickness and high altitude cerebral or pulmonary oedema.

However, for this group of climbers there was no respite of altitude training; something which had always been a precursor to their previous expeditions. With the treacherous weather moving in at speed, the opportunity for a safe ascent was disappearing.

“We arrived on a Saturday evening but we had to begin our climb on the Monday and Tuesday. After that, the heavy snowfall and the very real threat of avalanches made the risk of waiting unacceptable.”

An experienced mountaineer; Keith knew that the lack of acclimatisation would have repercussions.

“I could not sleep at all on the first night. I completely lost my appetite and every step I took felt so much harder than before; talking whilst on the move left me breathless.”

Fortunately, his experience had taught him to remain calm and focussed until his body began to slowly grow used to the altitude.

When we are asked to imagine a mountain, a typically generic image springs to mind: a snow covered tip which juts out above the cloud, a misty fog shrouding the summit in an air of mystery. For someone like myself, having never attempted to climb a mountain, I ask Keith what makes the Eiger different from any other.

“All mountains are different” he says from his kitchen table, his certificates and photographs of past expeditions proudly lining the walls of the hallway.

“They all involve different levels of skill, sometimes only on one or two tricky sections. Not the Eiger, that was full on from start to finish. At times it was beyond any climbing I had ever done before.”
North Face

“Total concentration is needed at all times. Exposure, especially above the North Face would have severely punished even the smallest of mistakes.
As he recalls the experience, the tone in his voice changes as the topic of conversation turns to the infamous North Face.

It is this route, visible by telescope from the ‘Kleine Scheidegg,’ a pass between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen that has claimed the majority of the Eiger’s fatalities. 

In 1935, two Bavarian climbers were found frozen to death at 3,300 meters on a part of the face which was morbidly dubbed ‘The Death Bivouac.’

It stuns me how such horror stories do not deter even the most hard-nosed mountaineer. The answer, according to this experienced adventurer, is simple. ‘It’s the feeling you get when you reach the summit.’

“It’s a feeling of elation. As we neared the summit my muscles stopped protesting almost immediately as the adrenaline began to kick in. It was hugs, kisses and high-fives all round.”

The photographs that line the walls of his house are testament to such an admirable achievement.

The views and the emotion encapsulated within four corners of a photograph allow you to imagine the feelings shared by the lucky few who get to experience the panoramic views first hand.

I ask Keith where his next adventure will take him: “Something a little easier, perhaps.” he says, smiling.

“I’d love to go climbing in Slovenia. The ‘GR20’ in Corsica is also on the back burner, as is a desert trek in Jordan.”

By Benjamin Yates




Sidebar - 

The Eiger is situated 5.5 km northeast of the Jungfrau (a summit in the north-eastern Bernese Alps.) The same distance to the north is the village of Grindelwald; a popular skiing destination.

In July 2006, the Associated Press reported that a large section of the eastern face of the Eiger fell away from the mountain landing in an uninhabited area. The incident which lasted for 15 minutes saw 20 million cubic meters of rock sheer away. No one was injured.

Medical definition of oedema: Accumulation of excessive fluid in the brain (Cerebral) or the lungs (Pulmonary)


Monday 20 February 2012

The Simpsons' Hit Milestone...

The popular cartoon comedy, 'The Simpsons' aired its 500th episode yesterday.

The milestone episode titled 'At Long Last Leave,'  featured founder of 'Wikileaks,' Julian Assange. According to Fox; the produces of 'The Simpsons,' Mr Assange recorded his lines from the UK where he is fighting extradition to Sweden over alleged sex offences.

Since they first hit our screens in 1989, the family from the fictional town of 'Springfield' have survived 23 successful seasons making it the longest running American sitcom as well as being the longest-running American animated program. In 2009 it overtook the then leader in prime-time television ('Gunsmoke') making 'The Simpsons' the longest-running American prime-time, scripted television series of all time.

In order to celebrate this milestone achievement, Fox organised a 200 hour viewing marathon on February 8th of this year which involved devoted fans getting together to watch all 500 episodes back-to-back. The aim was to beat the current Guinness World Record of 86 hours, 6 minutes and 41 seconds for the longest ever continuous television viewing; a title currently held by the fans of the television series '24.' 

Only 100 fans were chosen to participate in the mass-viewing. The lucky few were selected from an online application procedure. 


Fox has announced that it intends to extend 'The Simpsons' for 2 more seasons, providing fans with an additional 59 episodes. 


The show's creator, Matt Groening said: "the writers still had stories to tell, mostly involving characters we've never dealt with."

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Groening said: "We have a character we call Squeaky-Voiced Teen. I'd like to know a little bit more about that guy."

Kristian Ziarko, a life-long fan of 'The Simpsons' said of Fox's plans to continue the series for another 2 seasons: 

"I will be devastated when they stop making them. I grew up with The Simpsons. I remember 
watching the first episode which was the Christmas Special episode and I am still watching them now. I love every episode, and then they came out with 'The Simpsons' Movie' which was amazing. Having Fox stop making episodes would be like taking your favourite childhood toy and burning it."


By Benjamin Yates



Sources:
Pic 1: Fox Entertainment.