We did some research on foods you should avoid if you want to age gracefully. Below we compiled a list of 11 foods that, if consumed frequently, will age you.
Soda As a beverage high in sugar, soda tends to dehydrate the body. This fatigues the body and makes you look tired. "A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So if you weight 130 lbs, you need 65 ounces of water a day — just over eight cups," according to GalTime.com.
Sugar There are several reasons why a sugar-filled diet makes you look older. When there is excess sugar in the body, it attaches itself to collagen, making the skin look stiff and inflexible. According to "Diet Myths Busted; Food Facts Not Nutrition Fiction" by Ann A. Rosenstein, "losing this elastic resilience of young skin will give the skin deep wrinkles and make it look old."
Trans Fats Like sugar, excess trans fats make the skin look stiff and inflexible. "Trans fats clog and stiffen the arteries and smaller blood vessels," which makes the skin look old, wrote Rosenstein.
Salt Salt dehydrates the body. When you are dehydrated, you become fatigued, which makes you look tired and worn out. In addition, excess salt contributes to kidney disease, high blood pressure and interferes with bone metabolism.
Coffee Coffee and caffeinated products also dehydrate the body, making you look tired and worn out.
Candy The sugar in candy causes inflammation in the body and can make skin look wrinkled and old.
Artificial Sweetener Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are associated with headaches and joint pain and can make you crave sweets.
Alcohol Consuming too much alcohol dehydrates your body and causes wrinkles, loss of collagen, redness and puffiness, according to "The Dr. Oz Show."
Energy Drinks Energy drinks damage the enamel in your teeth eight times more than soda does. This erosion makes your teeth look yellow and unhealthy, according to Dr. Oz.
Carbohydrates An overconsumption of carbohydrates can damage the collagen and fibers in your skin, according to WebMD.
Fried Food Fried food contributes to collagen break down in the skin, making one's skin look wrinkled and worn out, according to GalTime.com.
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes happily ever after. End of story, right? Not quite… While it's true that couples relax a bit after they think they've nabbed the matrimonial Holy Grail, the reality is that they may also find themselves dumbfounded if their fairytale starts slipping away. "Many people think that marriage is about marrying the right person, so when things go wrong, they automatically go to the 'Crap, I accidentally married the wrong person' place," says Alisa Bowman, author of Project: Happily Ever After. "Although you do want to marry someone you are basically compatible with, marriage has a lot less to do with marrying the right person than it has to do with doing the right things with the person you married." In other words, relationships are a constant work in progress. To keep the happy connection that made you say "I do" in the first place—or maybe even create a newer-and-improved version—try out these 10 tips to rehab your romance.
1. Nurture yourself. Marriage is about giving, but don't make the mistake of giving too much. "To have a good marriage, you need to be a good you," says Bowman. "Learn how to prioritize and put boundaries around activities that keep you healthy and whole—activities like rest, relaxation, fitness and time with friends." In other words, remember that scheduling "me" time into your day is not selfish, it's a necessity. It will strengthen your relationship because you'll have a saner version of "you" to bring to the "us" equation.
2. Define your problems. Spend some time looking at your relationship and figure out which parts work and which parts don't. Bowman suggests that you take a moment to imagine a perfect day in your perfect relationship. What would this look like? How would you and your partner interact? Then create a plan of how you might get from point A (your current reality) to point B (that perfect day). Write it down if you need to, then start breaking the issues into bite-size pieces and tackling them one at a time. Before you know it, there will only be a few bite-size problems left.
3. Make a financial plan together. Money is one of the biggest stressors in a marriage. Couples worry and argue about it constantly. If you find you and your spouse are starting to badger each other over the bottom line, it's time to have a penny-pinching powwow. "We are all guilty of something economists call 'passive decision-making,' which just means defaulting to the easy option," says Jenny Anderson, coauthor of Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage, and Dirty Dishes. "Couples need to make an active plan about how they will manage their money: Combine it? Separate it? Create a joint account and keep some separate? Whatever the decision, both people have to be part of the decision to do it and then figure out what needs to be done to keep the system humming."
4. Use the three-sentence rule. When you need to ask your partner for something that could be misconstrued as nagging, keep the request at three sentences—max. "The art of being assertive without coming off as aggressive lies in being succinct and using a warm tone of voice and body language," says Bowman. "When you keep your requests to three sentences or fewer, it's almost impossible to blame, use sarcasm or use put-downs." It's also a lot more likely that you'll get your point across without losing your spouse's attention. Make your request with a smile. Be sincere and encouraging. You might even rest your hand on his thigh as you say, "Honey, the house is a mess and I am exhausted. Could you help me clean this place up? I could really use your help."
5. Take your fighting gloves off. Don't duke it out. Instead, consider taking a time-out. "There's a concept called 'loss aversion' in economics, which simply means we really hate to lose. And when we think we are losing, we fight like there is no tomorrow to try to win," says Anderson. "It happens when couples talk about hot-button issues like sex, housework, money or the kids. If either person thinks he or she is losing, he or she will ratchet up the stakes and escalate the issue." The next time you see a spousal spat going to a not-so-happy place, take a break and revisit the subject when neither one of you feels overwhelmed by the topic.
6. Just do it. Yes, by "do it" we mean have sex. Intimacy is an important part of a vital relationship, and one of the first areas to suffer if feelings are floundering. But sexual encounters can also be one of the quickest ways to reconnect and rekindle with your partner. "Of the many forms of couple intimacy—a smile across a room, a kiss, a touch—sex has the potential to be the most powerful positive physical experience most of us enjoy," says Joel D. Block, PhD, coauthor of Sex Comes First: 15 Ways to Save Your Relationship…Without Leaving Your Bedroom. "This is especially true if sex results in emotional fulfillment, better communication, security and reassurance."
7. Burn your grudges. It's time to set some bad memories on fire. Literally. Sometimes hanging on to those "Do you remember the time you did such and such?" moments are the things that lead to relationship sabotage. Instead of carrying grudges around forever, torch them. "Write them all down on a piece of paper. Then set a timer for a certain amount of time. It might be 10 minutes. It might be 30. It might be the whole day. The point is: Give yourself as long as you need to really wallow in the misery of these grudges. Savor them. Get angry about them. Mutter about them. Do whatever you need to do to get sick and tired of them," says Bowman. "Once you are done, say, 'I will not think about these anymore. These grudges have lost their usefulness.'" Then take a match and burn them.
8. Don't be overly confident. Overconfidence can lead to complacency, which is not good for any relationship. According to Anderson, in a survey published in August 1993 in the journal Law and Human Behavior, couples who had recently applied for a marriage license were asked to estimate the average rate of divorce. Almost uniformly, they accurately predicted about 50 percent. Then they were asked to estimate the chances that they would get divorced. They answered zero percent. The problem with this statistic is that, if there is no perceived risk of failure, no "work" is put into maintaining the relationship—until it's suddenly faltering. Don't let yourself gloss over the little things. Don't forget to make an effort to keep your romance alive. Don't find yourself in a situation where you realize that you could have done more…when it's already too late.
9. Write your spouse's eulogy. This one isn't as macabre as it sounds. It's more of an exercise in appreciation. Bowman suggests that you work on it a little at a time as a way to notice what your spouse does right (since these are the things you'd likely eulogize him with, not the negatives). "Think back over the years you've known this man. When did he make you laugh? When did he make you cry tears of joy? When did he surprise you? When did he feed the cat because the smell of cat food makes you want to hurl? Put it in the eulogy," says Bowman. "The funeral fantasy will help you remember to appreciate your spouse."
10. Remind yourself you have a choice to stay married.
Many people stay in troubled marriages because they believe they have no other choice. "They think that they are stuck, and they blame this sensation of being stuck on their spouse. But if you are stuck, it's your fault and not your spouse's," says Bowman. That fact is, "you are not stuck; you have choices. Three of them: Do nothing and remain miserable; face your fears and try to save your marriage; ask for a divorce." Choose to either be married or not. Make a choice. And wake up every morning and make that choice again. The surest path to happiness is knowing that you are not a helpless damsel in distress, but rather a woman who can make her own decisions. You have the choice to live happily ever after.
OSUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has urged the nation's leaders to rise up to the challenges facing the country, saying the indices in the polity raise fears of possible disintegration.
He particularly urged the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibilities by initiating policies aimed at reducing the excruciating effects of poverty and deprivation, which he said, have brought disenchantment by various groups across the country.
Aregbesola spoke at the weekend in Osogbo at a dinner he organised in honour of the newly-elected President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina, and other executive members of the association.
The governor, who said the nation should learn from the recent Somalia's experience, lamented the protracted unrest in virtually all the regions of the country, stating that unless the Federal Government urgently takes some concrete steps, the nation may collapse.
According to him, anyone with the interest of the country at heart would certainly know that Nigeria at present is closer to failure than success as a nation.
According to Aregbesola, instead of addressing the fundamental causes of challenges confronting the nation, the federal authorities are merely scratching them on the surface.
"I am particularly worried about the fate of this nation today. Nigeria is very close to being a failed state than being successful. A nation can only remain indivisible and hold itself together when people charged with responsibilities refuse to shirk in the dispensation of such responsibilities. Crises manifest in different ways but the real causes of the nation's abnormalities have not been addressed. It is not enough to tag the insurgency in the South as militancy or youth unrest and the one up North as religious crisis or Islamic fundamentalism, rather the utmost things needed are solutions to all these unrests," Aregbesola said.
He charged the media, which is the source of information to the people, to practise development journalism that can really make those in political power to change their attitude and restore hope to the people.
"Media should challenge the leaders and wake them up to their responsibilities. I want you to use your medium to also correct the bad impressions created for our state. All these are borne out of rumour-mongering," he said.
Earlier in his remark, Adesina said the Guild of Editors and the entire media would always support and cooperate with a government that stands for the people.
"We will cooperate with any government that serves the people, gives them dividends of democracy and puts smile on their faces like you are doing," Adesina said.
MONDAY, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, will hear the appeal filed by Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, and Lateef Shofolahan, an aide to the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, over a death sentence passed on them by a Lagos High Court.
Justice Mojisola Dada had convicted both for the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and accordingly sentenced them to death by hanging until confirmed dead.
Abiola had contested the 1993 presidential election on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the administration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The events following the cancellation of the results of the election and his subsequent self-declaration as winner led to his detention when Abacha held sway as Head of State and Commander in Chief.
Meanwhile, the appellate court presided over by Justice C.C. Nweze had fixed today for hearing of the appeal after counsel representing both convicts had applied for a regularisation of their briefs of argument.
Counsel to both appellants, Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Mr. Olalekan Ojo, moving in terms of their motion paper, had applied for leave to file their appellants' brief of arguments and serve same on the respondent. Both convicts were arraigned in October 1999 on a four-count charge of "conspiracy and murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on June 4, 1996, along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway."
The appellants had prayed the Court of Appeal that the death sentence passed on them was unwarranted. They further argued that the trial court erred in law when it arrived at the conclusion that they conspired to kill Kudirat on June 4, 1996.
Therefore, Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan are urging the appellate court to entertain their appeal, set aside the judgment, discharge and acquit them of conspiracy and murder, accordingly.
Al-Mustapha's appeal was premised on four grounds, while that of Shofolahan was hinged on five.
IT has been an intermittent disagreement that is sometimes considered to have been magnified by the public. But the face-off now festers, and erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo did not mind letting the public know this.
He told Jonathan that he should demonstrate his fight against corruption by directing it on him (Obasanjo) rather than one of his former ministers, Oby Ezekwesili.
Obasanjo, who spoke in Abuja at the 50th birthday thanksgiving of Ezekwesili, said that the Jonathan government would not find anything against the former Minister of Education and World Bank chief.
He noted that as head of government for eight years, he should be held liable if any of his ministers was found wanting.
Obasanjo, who also spoke on the planned pipeline protection contract, described it as an avenue for corruption.
The former President said in defence of Ezekwesili: "Those who wanted to probe you, you should have asked them to, because if they are honest probers, they will find out that the government of Nigeria should give you money for what you have done for this country without stealing money.
"I have always said this. Whatever you want to blame in my government, blame me, don't blame any of those people who assisted me. If there is any credit to dispense, we share it. But for anything you want to say is wrong, I was the one in charge."
He continued: "This morning, I was travelling from Abeokuta and I was listening to radio. I heard that they said that they are going to set up an agency for pipeline protection. Now, what are the police there for? What are all the security agencies that we have doing? This is another chop chop.
"I just hope that we will get it right. We have no choice. We have to get it right. Let us decide individually that I would do what I have to do to bring about change in Nigeria. If you do that, let me assure you, you will be called names. You will be abused. Some people are hired to do that. But like Oby said, if what you believe is right, stand by it."
On her part, Ezekwesili, who spoke with reporters after a church service held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and a reception at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, lamented that endemic corruption was destroying the country.
She said the country was suffering from the woes of the past, calling on the citizens to demand accountability from their elected officials.
She said: "I am not a politician. The day I decide that I want to become a politician you don't need to guess, you will see me. I am very candid. I am very frank. I am too honest to play games on things that I believe in.
"I am not a politician but I am an active citizen who is basically carrying out the role that every citizen of this nation must carry out. We are going through challenges that require a very strong sense of sacrificial leadership. The corruption in the society now is so endemic it has almost become democratised and that is going to sink us. We need to tackle corruption as we will tackle cancer. It can kill. There is no need pretending that this country is not burdened by corruption. Every Nigerian knows that we have a problem."
Ezekwesili attracted criticism from the Jonathan administration when she raised questions on what the Jonathan Presidency has done with the $67 billion purportedly left by Obasanjo. She spoke at a convocation of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Since then, Obasanjo's and Jonathan's aides have been at loggerheads, leading to another call by Ezekwesili for a public debate on the issue.
The Jonathan government has subtly turned down the call for a public debate on the issue. The government has rather sent some of the nation's anti-corruption agencies to the Ministry of Education to snoop around if there were suspicious contracts awarded during the tenure of Ezekwesili, who is fondly called "Madam Due Process."
Leave Former Ministers Alone, Probe Me Instead, Obasanjo Challenges Jonathan
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the establishment of an agency to protect oil pipelines and described it as corruption in governance.
The former president also said he is ready for a probe of his eight-year administration instead of the present administration descending on his cabinet ministers.
Mr Obasanjo, who made the criticism at the 50th birthday thanksgiving of former minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili in Abuja, said he is ready to account for his stewardship.
He said if the present government finds anything wrong with his administration, he would bear the responsibility.
The former President was reacting to the recent moves to probe Mrs Ezekwesili by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and challenge thrown to the former World Bank VP by the presidency to account for her tenure as Minister of Education.
He said, "I have always said this, whatever you want to blame in my government, blame me, don't blame any of those people who assisted me. If there is any credit to dispense we share it.
"But for anything you want to say is wrong, I was the one in charge and I was in charge."
You can't register as APC, INEC tells ACN, CPC, others
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to the All Progressives Congress, disclosing that its acronym, in its application seeking registration as a political party, clashes with that of the African People's Congress.
In a letter dated April 23, 2013 and signed by its secretary, Abdulahi Kaugama, the commission informed leaders of the All Progressives Congress of another party, the African People's Congress, advising that a change of name may be an option.
Similar letter was sent to the lawyers of the All Progressives Congress, though the commission did not make any reference to ongoing court action by the African People's Congress, challenging its non-registration by INEC.
Meanwhile, the battle over the APC acronym may have entered a crucial stage, as the African People's Congress has also initiated a counter move to have INEC reject the application of the All Progressives Congress, which is expected to be submitted after all the merging parties had concluded their conventions.
In a one-page letter by its lawyer, Awa Kalu, to the INEC chairman, dated April 26 and received same day by INEC, the African People's Congress reminded INEC of the pendency of the legal action seeking to upturn the decision of INEC not to register the African People's Congress, in a suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/224/13 between Chief Ikeagwuonu and 29 ors vs INEC.
It will be recalled that the African People's Congress, a political association seeking registration, was denied registration by INEC on the grounds that their application did not contain the address of its national officers, an action the party had countered as untrue, stating that INEC was on a deliberate mission to stop it.
Section 79 of the Electoral Act gives a political association, whose application for party registration is rejected, 30 days within which to seek judicial review of the decision, a provision the African People's Congress had already exploited, with its pending litigation at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking judicial review of the decision of INEC.
Making noise may soon be a punishable offence if information out of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is anything to go by.
The Agency, through its Coordinator, Olanrewaju Anjorin, disclosed that making noise will be punishable by imprisonment or fine, or both.
The gazette made available to the press outlaws noise making by individuals or groups or a corporate body.
The regulation makes provisions for 'permissible noise levels, noise in excess of permissible levels, duty to control noise by place and time and noise control zones' among others.
According to Anjorin, "Noise-making is just one of the numerous environmental conditions which are considered as public disturbance and therefore, the agency has zero tolerance for it."
He added that the owner of any item seized or impounded will bear the cost incurred.
"The agency may seize, impound, confiscate or prohibit the use of any property… which is likely to, or has caused the emission of excessive noise… if it will restore the permissible noise level in the area.
"The owner of any item seized, impounded or confiscated under these regulations shall be responsible for the costs incurred," stated the regulation.
According to the law, "Any person who contravenes any requirement or condition of a permit commits an offence and shall be liable to a fine of five thousand naira for everyday the offence subsists.
"On conviction, the person may be liable to a fine not exceeding N50,000 or face imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.
"Where an offence is committed by a body corporate, it shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N500, 000 and additional fine of N10, 000 for everyday the offence subsists," it added.
We hope our religious organisations are aware of this regulation.
Photos: Juju Man Caught Trying To Pack The Remains Of Accident Victims
This was sent in by a LL reader. On Thursday a ghastly Motor Accident occurred along Owerri Port Harcourt express road after the Army Barracks in Obinze just a few meters after the entrance of Arab Contractors Nig Ltd, involving a Petrol Tanker and a bus carrying full load of passengers.
Three passengers died on the spot including the driver, two died later at the hospital. As if that was not enough on Friday a Sienna coming from Owerri and heading to Imo state Polytechnic Ohaji somersaulted severally on the same spot. The car was seriously damaged but thankfully the three occupants came out alive with praises to God. Click to continue and see more pictures.
Today Tuesday, a man was caught on that same spot with charms doing what was best known to him in a language most people didn't understand. He was promptly surrounded by the youths of Ohaji and the man was taken to the Eze who handed him over to the police.
Before this, the man who could only converse in hausa language mentioned that he had links in the community and named a man well known to the youths. The youths swung into action and went in search of the man and found him hiding in the ceiling of his house. They beat him up while he claimed not to know why he was being wanted, but when he had a little chance, he escaped into a nearby bush. The hausa speaking juju man also mentioned that he had customers that visited him at night dressed in suits carrying a briefcase. Thereby showing that he had people who patronize him at the expense of the lives of innocents ones. They use the parts and blood stains of the accident victims for their evil acts.
Photos: Nigerian Girl Attempts To Kill Herself Because She Prefers To Die In Uk Than Come Back Home
Her name is May Brown, she is a 19 year old Nigerian who resides in the UK. UK Border Agency officials believe her marriage to a white man isn't real and so they want her deported. May didn't find that funny, and believe if she gets deported she would be killed in Nigeria. Instead, she decided to take her own life. Read her suicide note below.
In her suicide note, May wrote:
'I am deeply sorry that I had to go this way, without even saying goodbye. 'The UK immigration has finally driven me insane. They've pushed me too far this time and I can't take the pain any more. 'I don't want a life or a future you won't be part of. I love you so much, more than life itself and can't endure the agony of not being with you. 'Please forgive me for ending it this way. It's better to die with my dignity than be subjected to torture and undignified death back in Nigeria.' She said: 'If they send me back to Nigeria they are signing my death warrant, they will cut my life short because I will be killed. 'I have found peace with Michael, he gave me a reason to live. I have got a family here and we don't claim any benefits. 'Michael works and I am studying to become a barrister, we have not harmed anybody.'
May Brown is currently in a coma after attempting suicide. May who is a student of public affairs at Weymouth College moved to the UK three years ago. She met her husband Michael Brown a year ago and they got married in December 2012. She applied for asylum in the UK. However, her request was denied. According to the UK Daily Mail – "Mr Brown, 34, said UK Border Agency officials believe their marriage to be a 'sham' with no 'emotional attachment'." While May was due to be deported tomorrow, her husband and mother in-law insist that their marriage is real.
She was so distressed at the prospect of returning to her home country she took an overdose of medication. In the report on May's ordeal via the Daily Mail, her mother in-law outlined reasons why May did not want to return to Nigeria.
Helen-Claire Brown, Ms Brown's mother-in-law, said the 19-year-old is part of the family and blasted border officials as 'heartless'
WhatsApp Dedicated Button Built Into Nokia Asha Phone
Nokia has released a mobile phone with a dedicated WhatsApp physical button.The feature triggers the cross-platform messaging app which offers a free alternative to SMS texts. HTC and Nokia have previously released handsets with Facebook-devoted buttons, but this marks a first for WhatsApp.Analysts suggested the move would make WhatsApp the text app of choice on the handsets, but suggested it would have limited impact on the wider mobile phone market. Nokia's Asha 210 runs on the firm's proprietary Series 40 operating system and will be targeted at consumers in emerging markets looking for a cheaper alternative to the Finnish firm's Windows Phone range and other companies' smartphones. The OS supports third-party web apps and software written in the Java programming language. To achieve a targeted retail price of £47 ($72) Nokia decided that the device's 2.4in (6.1cm) screen would not be touch-enabled. Users have to use its built-in Qwerty keyboard and navigation button to launch and operate apps, so having a dedicated key gives WhatsApp an edge over alternatives on the handset. In addition owners of the phone are offered a subscription to the app for the device's lifespan rather than having to pay the normal annual fee. Nokia refused to reveal the financial terms of the arrangement and said it would monitor customer response before deciding whether to include the feature on any of its other devices. Room to grow Silicon Valley-based WhatsApp launched in 2009. Its chief executive Jan Joum recently told the AllThingsD tech site that his firm had more active users than Twitter which claims more than 200 million people use its service at least once a month. Mr Joum did not give an equivalent figure of his own. However, he did say that WhatsApp processed about eight billion inbound messages and 12 billion outbound messages a day. According to a study published by tech consultancy Ovum, WhatsApp is the world's third most popular social messaging service after Facebook Chat and Google Chat. Reports earlier this month suggested the firm was in talks to be taken over by Google in a $1bn deal - however, they were later denied. A survey by Ovum suggested that 51% of WhatsApp users reduced the amount of SMS messages sent after downloading the app. That threat has prompted some telecom operators including Telefonica to launch their own rival services, while others such as India's Reliance Communications have preferred to sign formal partnerships with WhatsApp itself. Since Nokia's Asha range is predominantly targeted at consumers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East any benefits from the tie-up will come from those territories. "WhatsApp is doing quite well in emerging markets, but you have local players who are outstripping it simply because they are more culturally specific and can therefore outshine the US firm," said Neha Dharia, an analyst at Ovum. "The most prominent example is in China with WeChat. "But the emerging markets still offer huge potential for all the social messaging apps to grow because the amount of mobile internet available is still lower than in mature markets." However, another industry watcher questioned what impact the move would have. "Having a dedicated hard key is a nice touch and it might help differentiate Nokia's Asha line," said Roberta Cozza, research director at tech analysis firm Gartner. "But I don't think it will make a big difference for either of the firms involved because there are already lots of affordable low-end full-screen touch-enabled Android phones out there which can be customised to offer quick WhatsApp and other messaging software." Culled from BBC
Bill Seeking To Unban Use Of Factory Tinted Glass Passes Second Reading In Senate
A bill seeking to stop the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other security agencies from harassing people who use vehicles with factory fitted tinted glasses passes the crucial second reading on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. The sponsor of the bill, Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East), said initiating the bill had become imperative in view of the incessant harassment of motorists who use tinted glasses, saying if the security agencies do not want Nigerians to use vehicles with tinted glasses, the best they can do is to completely prohibit the entry of such vehicles into the country. According to Enang, it falls short of reason to ask persons who buy tinted glasses to go and remove them when it is common knowledge that the factory which produced such vehicles do not exist in Nigeria. He also faulted the move by the police to compel people to obtain permit before they can use their vehicles with tinted glasses. Senator Enang, who is the Chairman, Rules and Business in the Senate, added that whereas the police always claimed that obtaining permission for the use of tinted glasses was free, such claim existed only on the pages of newspapers as persons who sought such permission reported that they were given various charges ranging from N10,000 and above. He also queried the custody of the charges for tinted glasses' permit, wondering who are the custodians of the money and the treasury where the money is kept as he, insisted that it was wrong for the police authorities to perpetrate the attitude of exploiting Nigerians without any legal basis. There has been a running battle between motorists and the Nigeria Police over the use of vehicles with tinted glasses in Nigeria since 2008 resulting in a continuous clampdown on the former over the development. Only the president, vice-president, governors, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Senate President and the majority leader are allowed to use tinted glasses in the country. The police said the need to ban the use of tinted glasses in the country had become necessary in view of the increasing state of insecurity in the country.
I Saw People Screaming and Shouting Inside Church...
Olufamous.com have gotten similar messages before but none touched us like this one did. We are at a cross road in the world today with too many strange and negative events unfolding by the minutes. Atrocities are now a past time for many people who should know better.
Is the time for people to pay for their actions now here? See the revelation below...
I saw it again. This time more scary. The end-time is more than nigh.
It will happen like a flash unexpected and time shall be no more for repentance. In my dream, I didn't make it to heaven despite I was saying my last prayer for forgiveness of sins, it was as if God shut his ears. I saw multitude of people running into a church. But inside that church, screaming and shouting everywhere; people making utterances to heaven.
Behold it was as if a strange spirit entered into some people more clearly, I remember seeing an old man who was beside me whom the said spirit entered into and as he let out a cry, he disappeared and few other people. At that point, I realized that the rapture has taken place. I cried the more.
Immediately, the devil took over and started making mockery of the left over Christians. He had a register of everyone's name.... At this point, I woke up.
The end is more than near. Don't keep this message and don't get annoyed when u receive this just do God a favour and keep re broadcasting. You might save a lost soul. God bless you!
Exercise is not just about aerobic capacity and muscle size. Sure, exercise improves your health and your physique, but it has even greater benefits for your energy, mood, and brainpower. A study in the ACSM Journal of Health & Fitness asked those who had been regularly exercising for an average of 13 years what motivated them to continue exercising. Rather than being motivated by building muscle or flattening their stomachs, for example, most exercisers cited the feelings of well-being they derived from exercise, along with increased pep and energy, and how exercise helped them sleep better and made them more relaxed.
• Easing stress and anxiety. A 20-minute bike ride won't sweep away life's troubles, but exercising regularly helps you take charge of anxiety and reduce stress. Aerobic exercise releases hormones that relieve stress and promote a sense of well-being.
• Lifting your mood. Exercise can treat mild-to-moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication. Exercise also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energises your spirits and makes you feel good.
• Sharpening brainpower. The same endorphins that make you feel better also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline.
• Improving self-esteem. Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body, and soul. When it becomes habit, it can foster your sense of self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful.
• Boosting energy. Increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more get-up-and-go. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise a day, and increase your workout as you feel more energised.
How to port your mobile number from your current provider to another
If you are interested in porting your mobile number from your current service provider to another, here is how to go about it:
1. To move your number to a new mobile operator, you need to bring the following into the new operator's stores: Proof of identity – Either an identity card, passport or driving licence or an officially validated photographic identity document, and the working mobile number you wish to port. If you are unable to present any ID card, a webcam will be used to take your photograph.
2. Do not terminate your service with your existing service provider before initiating porting with the new service provider.
3. Go to the customer care office, retail shop or outlet of their chosen new service provider and meet with the authorized sales person to request to port their number. Porting can only be undertaken by visiting the customer care office, retail shop or authorised dealer of your chosen new service provider and is not available by telephone, online or other electronic means.
4. You will be required to complete a Port Request Form. You will also be asked to send a text message with the word "PORT" to a short code "3232". Assistance will be made available if required.
5. You can change your mind anytime before you send the confirmation SMS. Once the confirmation SMS has been sent, you can no longer cancel your port request and the porting process must progress to completion.
6. You will be issued a new SIM by your new provider which you must switch to after your port is complete. You will be informed of the progress of your porting request by text messages, so you will know when to discard your old SIM card and start using the new.
7. Your port will be completed within 48 hours. If your porting request is rejected or fails to complete, you need to contact your new service provider to resolve the problem.
A few more things to note:
- "Pre?paid" customers won't be able to take outstanding credit with them, and should use it up before they switch service providers.
- Messages which have been sent to the customer prior to porting, but not delivered, may be lost.
- You can port your number as many times as you like in a given year. However, there is a 90 days restriction before your next port.
- After porting is complete, you will lose all services on the old provider and have to setup new services on the new network.
- Yes; though you get a new SIM card from your new provider, your mobile number remains unchanged.
Your brain takes at least 15 minutes to register fullness, so if you shovel food into your mouth at a frantic pace, your stomach could become overstuffed before you actually know you've had enough.
Who hasn't thrown their diet rules out the window on the weekend or gone crazy with a super-rich and gooey chocolate dessert? Of course it's fine to splurge every once in a while, but over time these seemingly minor violations―in addition to some other not-so-small diet sins―can add up to a big number on your scale. To the rescue: our guide to the 10 most common diet mistakes that even smart women make―and straightforward advice on how to fix them.
Caution: Gulping down food
If you make a habit of rushing through meals, you could end up eating more than you intend to―or even realize. Your brain takes at least 15 minutes to register fullness, so if you shovel food into your mouth at a frantic pace, your stomach could become overstuffed before you actually know you've had enough.
The fix: Make a conscious effort to savor the flavor. Try to dedicate more chews to every mouthful. You can also place your fork on your plate between bites and pick it up again only after you've swallowed. This will double the time it takes to eat. The payoff: In a recent study from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, women were told to eat a pasta dish slowly by pausing between bites and chewing each mouthful 15 to 20 times. As a result they consumed about 70 fewer calories during the meal than when they consumed the same dish at a fast pace.
Caution: Confusing liquids and solids
Sometimes you may reach for something to eat when you're really thirsty―an easy error to make because the body's signals for hunger and thirst are similar. But nibbling when you should be sipping (or downing a lot of sugary drinks) can send your daily calorie intake soaring.
The fix: Drink up throughout the day to keep thirst at bay. Try to consume at least 9 8-ounce glasses of water or low-calorie beverages daily and eat a lot of water-rich foods (think fruits and veggies). Is your stomach grumbling? If four or five hours have passed since you last ate, and you're well hydrated, you know that you're hungry and should reach for a healthy snack or meal.
Caution: Falling prey to multiple choices
Variety may be the spice of life (and a good way to ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs), but too much variety can spell trouble for your diet. Why? Having too many options can entice your taste buds and tempt you to eat past the point of fullness because you want to keep experiencing the tastes, aromas and textures of different foods.
The fix: Be strategic about your selections. If you're at a buffet, fill half your plate with an assortment of plain veggies, then take only small portions of three or four calorie-dense meats and poultry, pasta and rice dishes that look appealing to you. In other words, think of the heavier offerings as if they were side dishes or condiments, not the main event, then add them to your plate accordingly.
Caution: Shirking strength training
You know that regular exercise goes hand in hand with trimming calories when you're trying to lose weight, but if you skip strength training in favor of cardio, you're overlooking one of the best friends a dieter can have. Strength training builds muscle mass, which helps you burn calories at a faster rate all day long, and it can give you a leaner, more toned look.
The fix: Schedule it in. Two or three times a week, cut your aerobic workout in half and do a strength-training circuit―one set (8 to 12 reps) of five to 10 exercises for key muscle groups in the arms, legs, shoulders, back and abdomen. Taking this approach will help you begin building your body's lean muscle mass within weeks, which will boost your weight-control efforts.
Caution: Refueling excessively
Sure, it's smart to replenish your body after you exercise. Just don't go overboard and consume more calories than you just burned!
The fix: Drink water only. Avoid high-calorie sports drinks unless you've been exercising at a high intensity for more than an hour. Snack on some thing with no more than 100 to 150 calories. Be sure your after-workout munchies contain a mix of protein and carbs―half a high-protein energy bar, for example. The protein-carbohydrate combo will help restore energy reserves and repair the muscles and tissues that were stressed during the workout.
Caution: Eating with friends who overindulge
You might feel pressure to splurge when you're with buddies who overeat. And being overweight can be socially contagious, according to research from Harvard Medical School. Researchers there found that having a friend who becomes obese will increase by 57 percent your chances of gaining weight. Experts suspect the reason for this is that you mirror your friend's eating habits when you're together, or you choose activities for the two of you that involve eating rather than exercising.
The fix: Avoid bonding over food. Instead, get manicures, go to a museum, bowl or play tennis. When you do eat together, be careful to not match your friend bite for bite. Stick to your dietary resolve by going slowly and putting your fork down between mouthfuls.
Caution: Relaxing the rules on the weekends
If you show great restraint during the week, only to indulge over the weekend, your habits will take a toll on your waistline. In fact, many calorie-conscious people gain a small amount of weight on the weekends because they eat more and exercise less than during the week, a recent study at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found.
The fix: Aim for consistency. Try to keep your eating and exercise habits similar on both weekdays and weekends. Anticipate tempting situations, and watch your portion sizes even if you're dining out or going to a party. And check your alcohol intake: Besides containing hidden calories, cocktails can loosen your inhibitions, leading you to eat more than you intend to.
Caution: Snacking when you're beyond hungry
It's easy to lose control of what and how much you're eating if you snack or have a meal when you're famished. And if you leave your snack choices to chance, you end up grabbing whatever is accessible from a vending machine, coffee cart or convenience store. Chances are, what's available won't necessarily be what's healthy.
The fix: Plan snacks ahead of time. Healthy snack choices contain 100 to 200 calories and a combination of protein (for lasting fullness) and produce, which can keep you feeling full with its high water content. Good choices: 1 tablespoon of peanut butter smeared on a few stalks of celery, string cheese and a small apple, or a small container of plain low-fat yogurt with sliced strawberries.
Caution: Eating out of a bag or box
It's easy to operate on autopilot ― repeatedly going from hand to mouth ― when you munch straight from the package. With this kind of mindless noshing, you can quickly lose track of how much you've swallowed.
The fix: Measure out a portion. Put a single serving (check the nutrition info!) on a plate or a bowl and sit at a table, not on the couch in front of the TV. This will help you stay aware that you are actually taking in calories.
Caution: Forgetting your good habits after losing weight
Reverting to your old ways will bring you right back to the previous number on the scale. That's because your new, smaller body requires fewer calories to sustain basic functions (like heart rate and breathing) than your larger self did.
The fix: Give yourself a new calorie limit. You need eight fewer calories per day for every pound you lose. So if you used to eat 2,000 calories and you drop 20 pounds, you'll need 160 fewer calories now―1,840 total―to keep your slimmer profile.
Let him see you without all the hair and make-up work, so he can see and accept the real you. You may feel a little insecure but once you see that its safe to be yourself, he will feel safe too.
If you complain that your husband or partner does not trust you, he may have good reason not to. Of course there are men who are just insecure, suspicious and jealous and do not have the ability to trust anyone. In the case of the man who is unable to trust, you may be able to change your behavior to make him more comfortable, but he also has to take the steps that are needed to overcome his trust "issues".
The following are the reasons that may be standing in the way of a loving and trusting relationship with your "honey":
You try to control everything If you take over everything, you never give your man the opportunity to "do his thing". This sends him a silent message that you have no faith in him and you don't trust him. Why should he trust you if you don't trust him? Trust is learned and earned and it is a two way street. To build trust with your man, start with small things like letting him pick the restaurant when you go out to eat or letting him pick the movie on date night.
You're not vulnerable No one can be a "superstar" at everything and when you allow your man to see where you fall short, you are opening the door to a more intimate and trusting relationship. Let him see you without all the hair and make-up work, so he can see and accept the real you. You may feel a little insecure but once you see that its safe to be yourself, he will feel safe too.
You don't cry on his shoulder You don't have to be a weepy mess all the time and literally cry on your man's shoulder but you can confide in him when you have something troubling on your mind. When you confide in him, he feels more comfortable confiding in you as well.
You're judgmental Being judgement and critical of your partner is one of the quickest ways to kill the trust in a relationship because it makes your partner feel unsafe. People make mistakes and if they don't feel like they can still be loved and accepted, they are less likely to trust. If your man makes a mistake and tells you about it, judging and criticizing him means that next time he won't trust you enough to tell you what happened. The same goes for feelings; if he tells you how he feels about something and you dismiss his feelings, he will not tell you how he feels next time.
You don't keep your word If you say you're going to do something, do it-period. Once you start saying you're going to do something and then don't follow through, you're showing your partner that you can not be trusted. Even with seemingly small things like time; when you agree to be somewhere at a specific time, don't be late.
You're two faced If you act one way in front of him and then another way in front of your parents, he may start wondering about you. If you can hide who you are from other people, who's to say you're not hiding things from him as well? The same goes for telling lies. If he hears you being dishonest with others, he can wonder if you are dishonest with him as well.
You're not honest all the time Tell your man the truth. Even small lies add up over time. It is better to just tell the truth rather than risk eroding the trust in your relationship.
You're secretive If you're a secretive person, it can be hard for your man to trust you, especially if he's been betrayed by you or someone else before. Be as open as you can about who you're talking to, emailing, texting and spending time with.
You don't "have his back" Your man needs to feel like you're on his side. If you disagree with him, it's better not to do it in mixed company, for instance. Support him in the moment and if it's important, you can tell him about which points you disagree with, in private. Your man can't trust you if you throw him under the bus in front of other people but he will appreciate it if you reserve your disagreements until the appropriate time.
With Mobile Number Portability, customer is king – Ojobo
By DURO ADESEKO
The Director, Public Affairs of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Tony Ojobo, has disclosed that the much talked about Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will take-off today, after its formal launch by the commission. He made the disclosure when he paid a visit to the corporate headquarters of The Sun last weekend. Ojobo spoke on plans by NCC to ensure improvement in services rendered to telecom consumers across the country.
Excerpts:
What is MNP?
It is a kind of service that will enable Nigerian telecom consumers to switch to service providers without necessarily losing their numbers. In other words, it is a number for life. You have your number and you can determine the network of choice. If you are dissatisfied with the service provider or maybe you are not satisfied with the tariff or the services or the way they attend to you or all of that, this gives you the opportunity to take a walk away from your service provider to a new service provider with your number. What that does is to put power in the hands of the consumer in the sense that the consumer now becomes the king. You have the power to determine who serves you.
Benefit to consumer
You will now be able to get better services and better attention from the service provider. We had complaints from consumers that when they call customer care line, they keep them on hold for a long time, playing advert and all of that. People don't have the patience to wait for such things.
What we see happening with the introduction of MNP is that people will have the right of choice. As a result of the competition that is going to be engendered in the telecom space, what we envisage will happen with the launch of the MNP is that we are going to see a deepening of competition in the sense that, even as we speak, there is already a stiff competition. Someone called to tell me that one of the networks he called yesterday, and he was asked if he was satisfied with the quality of the network. The person said I am not satisfied because as soon as the MNP starts I am going to migrate from you to another network. And they told him no, they don't want him to migrate and asked what the problem was. She was not satisfied with the tariff plan in terms of international calls. They said they had so and so plans. At the end, the person was able to get a good bargain from that network. So, that is just an example of what is going to happen. Before now, no network will call to ask you whether you are satisfied with the kind of service you are getting. So, it is an indication of what is coming.
We are also going to see real segmentation of market. Networks are probably going to identify some particular Nigerians and begin to provide services to some segment of the market. They provide corporate services. They may say we can provide services to your organization and to your staff. We are going to see some kind of innovation. There will be a bit more of creativity on the part of networks. Competitions challenge you to think. There is a situation in which the consumer does not have choice. They just sit idly by because they know that come rain, come sunshine, they are going to need your services. You are not really motivated to look for creative ways to retain them.
New face of competition
What this is going to do is that competition would be different; customer services will improve because people would be sensitive to how they are approached by their network. You are also going to see new service offerings. All kinds of innovative services will begin to come into the market space. We envisage that the quality of service will improve. Why am I saying so, I am saying so because in the Telecom industry, especially in the area of revenue generation, it is actually a game of number. Now, the more subscriber base you have, the more likelihood that you have higher volumes of traffic and the more likelihood you have more subscribers. So, there is a correlation between subscriber base, volume of traffic and the revenue. So, if you have a situation in a network, you have dissatisfied customers, when they migrate, it will affect you because you are going to have reduced volume of traffic which will also impact on your network. For some networks, they probably will see increase in subscriber base, increase in the volume of traffic and it will reflect in the revenue they will generate. All of those will make these networks put up their thinking hat and begin to look for ways that they can keep their customers.
Tackling challenges
We are not oblivious of the existing challenges. We are not also pretending that the quality of service should be what it should be. Last year, you will recall that the quality of service regulation gave us the voice of law. Sanction for breach was a bit more pungent. Before now you have networks paying N5 million for a network. It is not really a big deal as such. But now you have sanction based on key performance indicators. We have seven indicators. But there are just five where we take our readings. Things like core set of success rate (SCSSR), things like Dedicated channel, Traffic Congestion channel, Drop rate and all of that. These are the parameters that we have. So when we take measurement from the equipment of the service provider, it will give an indication of what has happened in the network in terms drop calls, in terms of set up rate, congestion in the network and all of that. You know it is congestion that makes them say the number you are calling cannot be reached.
Customer expectations
What we expect is that networks should dimension their equipment to be able to take up additional traffic and subscribers. Many ask that if you allow them to take up additional subscribers and their quality of service is poor. Why don't you stop them from taking additional subscribers until they have improved their networks?
It is an option that has its good side and also the bad side in the sense that in a liberalized market, in a free market, you have freedom of entry and freedom of exit. Once you begin to regulate entries and exits, you are tampering with the market as it were. Market is no longer as free as it should be. Of course, there are countries where they have attempted to do that and that in itself, you are also cutting certain individuals from having access to services. What you need is a smart regulation that tries to balance all of the issues in the market place. Also a regulation that takes into accounts the level of competition in that particular market.
These are the things we see happening. We see responsiveness on the part of the networks. We are also going to see pro activities on the part of networks. Network should be able to anticipate the kid of pressure that will go on the network so that we don't have a situation in which you will be running a promo and you will begin to create problems.
Quality of service
On quality of service, we have said to the service providers that they should dimension their network in such a way that the additional traffic that would be generated or maybe additional subscriber intake because some of these promos make people to buy sim cards. It is not because they want the service. It is like kalo kalo now that people want to play. What you see is that it is congesting the network. We have a particular network that said people should buy sim card for
N500.00 and must finish the same day. Whether the person has some important calls to make or not, but because he has to finish it because the next day he can't use it, he must be making the calls. So, all of that congest the network.
But as December last year, after the fine they paid the fine in July last year, and they said look, these fines can't be every month otherwise they won't have resources to take care of the network and to expand our activities. They asked for six months and take another measure. That is what we did.
She's a big girl now: Toddler warns her dad to 'worry about yourself' (WATCH – Adorable video)
If you haven't been informed, possibly in an adorable but strangely strong little voice, toddlers can DO IT THEMSELVES. Yes, they are pretty much expert at everything because they are definitely NOT A BABY anymore. So when dad Ryan Hunley tries to buckle his little girl August into her car seat, he gets what's coming to him — and what might be a preview of the little girl's teenage years. "Worry about yourself!" she insists.
Of course Dad cracks up behind the camera, mostly because she is so dang cute, but also because he knows something about being a parent that August does not. That "not worrying" thing … never gonna happen kid.
Britain bids farewell to Baroness Thatcher: After stunning send-off which united friends and political foes and saw thousands cheer procession along streets of London, family says a private goodbye
Family attend private service at Mortlake Crematorium where they said their final goodbyes to Lady Thatcher
Earlier, more than 50,000 lined the streets of London, clapping and cheering as her coffin processed through London
Others threw white roses in the path of the gun carriage that carried Lady Thatcher to St Paul's Cathedral
Chancellor George Osborne seen sobbing as the service went on, while other high-profile figures were also moved
Richard Chartres said in address that Lady Thatcher was just an ordinary woman and mentioned Tolpuddle Martyrs
David Cameron says in his speech Iron Lady's 'difficult decisions, led to less division, less strife at the end of it'
Lady Thatcher's only granddaughter Amanda delivered reading after flying in from America with brother Michael
More than 2,300 people from 170 countries attend the former Conservative prime minister's funeral
4,000 officers on duty today in an attempt to guard against violent demonstrations, which failed to happen
Baroness Thatcher was today honoured with a sombre but spectacular funeral ceremony that paid tribute to the 'courage and perseverance' of Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister.
The Iron Lady's daughter Carol wept as she said a final goodbye to her mother, and was comforted by her twin brother Sir Mark and his wife Sarah as they arrived for the private service at Mortlake Crematorium.
Earlier, under the great dome of St Paul's Cathedral, the Queen joined dignitaries from 170 countries worldwide, friends, political foes and Lady Thatcher's closest family members to celebrate the life of the UK's first and only female premier.
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Emotional: A tearful Carol Thatcher is consoled by her brother Sir Mark and his wife Sarah, as they arrive at Mortlake Crematorium to say goodbye to Baroness Thatcher
Grief: Sarah Thatcher (left) and Amanda Thatcher. They attended the private service for close family and friends
Final journey: The hearse carrying the coffin of Baroness Thatcher arrives at Mortlake Crematorium in Richmond, south London. Her ashes were buried alongside those of her husband Denis, who died in 2003
London's streets were also packed with mourners who broke into spontaneous applause and gave cheers and whistles of support as the coffin passed by.
The emotional crowds threw white roses in the path of the gun carriage that carried Lady Thatcher through the capital, while many of the 2,300 inside St Paul's openly sobbed with Chancellor George Osborne 'overwhelmed'.
Outside on the streets, the predicted protests and disorder failed to materialise, with the few boos drowned out by supporters' applause.
As Big Ben once again started to chime after the 11am service, the procession started its final journey. At exactly 4.30pm, the coffin bearing grocer's daughter Margaret Hilda Roberts, who rose to become Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, arrived at Mortlake crematorium. Her ashes are due to be interred at the Royal Hospital Chelsea next to those of her beloved husband Denis, who died in 2003.
Sarah Thatcher, right, consoles her sister-in-law Carol at Mortlake Crematorium as they arrive for the private service
Loss: Mark Thatcher, his wife and two children grieve at the cemetery earlier today
Final leg of her journey: The hearse carrying Lady Thatcher's coffin arrives at Mortlake Crematorium in Richmond, London, after her funeral service at St Paul's Cathedral
Moving: The hearse arrived from the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where Lady Thatcher's late husband Sir Denis is buried. She was interred next to him after the cremation
High security: The hearse is escorted to the crematorium by police outriders after the coffin was loaded into the vehicle by five pallbearers
Leaving the cathedral: Baroness Thatcher's coffin is carried down the steps of St Paul's by the bearer party before being taken to a private cremation ceremony
Sombre: Lady Thatcher's family, including (L-R) daughter Carol Thatcher, Marco Grass, Sarah Thatcher, son Mark Thatcher, grandson Michael and granddaughter Amanda outside St Paul's
Respectful: Queen Elizabeth II speaks with (L-R) Sarah Thatcher, Carol Thatcher, Marco Grass, and shakes hands with Sir Mark Thatcher as they leave St Paul's
Fantastic setting: An overhead view of the ceremonial funeral with Baroness Thatcher's coffin shown draped in a Union flag below St Paul's famous dome
Patriot: The flag-draped coffin arrives the funeral service of Baroness Thatcher
Controversial: The Bishop of London raised eyebrows with his address, referring to the Tolpuddle Martyrs and how Lady Thatcher was just an 'ordinary' woman in a series of barbed comments, while Prime Minister David Cameron gave a reading during the service
Address: The Right Reverend Richard Chartres said: 'After the storm of a life led in the heat of political controversy, there is a great calm. The storm of conflicting opinions centres on the Mrs Thatcher who became a symbolic figure - even an ism'
Poignant: A tri-service bearer party, drawn from ships, squadrons and regiments associated with the Falklands, take the coffin on their shoulders as the gun carriage draws away
Procession: The Union flag-draped coffin bearing the body of Lady Thatcher is carried on a gun carriage drawn by the King's Troop Royal Artillery on the way to St Paul's
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attendance the St Paul's service broke with Royal protocol, as it was the Monarch's first political funeral since Sir Winston Churchill's in 1965.
Her Majesty joined Lady Thatcher's family on the steps to watch a hearse take the former premier's body away from the grandeur and solemnity of the official funeral to a private cremation at Mortlake in south-west London.
The funeral cortege arrived at 4.30pm while dozens of onlookers lined the street and applauded as the coffin entered through the crematorium gates, which were guarded by two police officers.
Another two police officers saluted as the hearse went into the grounds, followed by two Jaguar cars and a Range Rover.
Two coaches carrying guests had arrived at the crematorium half an hour earlier.
But it was the Bishop of London raised eyebrows with his address, referring to the Tolpuddle Martyrs and how Lady Thatcher was just an ordinary woman.
The Right Reverend Richard Chartres said: 'After the storm of a life led in the heat of political controversy, there is a great calm. The storm of conflicting opinions centres on the Mrs Thatcher who became a symbolic figure - even an ism.
'Today the remains of the real Margaret Hilda Thatcher are here at her funeral service.
'Her upbringing was in the Methodism to which this country owes a huge debt. When it was time to challenge the political and economic status quo in nineteenth century Britain, it was so often the Methodists who took the lead. The Tolpuddle Martyrs, for example, were led not by proto-Marxists but by Methodist lay preachers.'
The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of six agricultural labourers from the village of Tolpuddle who founded the very first trade union movement in protest at the lowering of their wages. They were convicted of contravening the obscure law of swearing a secret oath and transported to Australia for seven years.
The Bishop of London went on: 'Lying here, she is one of us, subject to the common destiny of all human beings.'
He added: 'There is an important place for debating policies and legacy; for assessing the impact of political decisions on the everyday lives of individuals and communities.
'Parliament held a frank debate last week - but here and today is neither the time nor the place.'
He said: 'This, at Lady Thatcher's personal request, is a funeral service, not a memorial service with the customary eulogies.
'At such a time, the parson should not aspire to the judgments which are proper to the politician; instead this is a place for ordinary human compassion of the kind that is reconciling.
'It is also the place for the simple truths which transcend political debate. Above all it is the place for hope.'
Royal guest: The Queen leaves St Paul's Cathedral with the Bishop of London (left) and the Lord Mayor of London (right) after the St Paul's service
Right royal greeting: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh shake hands with members of Lady Thatcher's family after the service
Protocol: The Queen was attending her first political funeral since Sir Winston Churchill's in 1965, and stopped to speak to people as she left
Emotional time: Mark Thatcher scratches his eye as he leaves the funeral service with his wife Sarah and son Michael
The great and the good: Dignitaries walk down the steps of St Paul's after paying tribute to Britain's first female Prime Minister, who served from 1979 to 1990
Service: The coffin of British former prime minister Margaret Thatcher rests as the 2,300 mourners stand during her ceremonial funeral
Difficult time: Lady Thatcher's son Mark Thatcher, his sister Carol and other family members listen to prayers during the service
Confident: Margaret Thatcher's only granddaughter, Amanda, paid tribute to the former Prime Minister with a clear and heartfelt reading at her funeral
Shedding a tear: Chancellor George Osborne becomes emotional during the service for the former Conservative Prime Minister
David Cameron appears to wipe a tear from his eye as his wife Samantha looks on. Also pictured is former Conservative Prime Minister John Major
Lady Thatcher's twins Sir Mark and Carol looked moved throughout and her grandchildren Michael and Amanda were waiting at the cathedral door
holding cushions bearing the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit, which they then placed on the Dome Altar as the coffin arrived.
Margaret Thatcher's only granddaughter also paid a heartfelt tribute to the former Prime Minister with a perfectly-delivered reading.
Speaking with a pronounced American accent, Amanda Thatcher, 19, read from the book of Ephesians to mourners.
The teenager showed how she takes after her grandmother as she spoke with self-assurance and confidence during the service in front of the Queen, former Prime Ministers and foreign dignitaries
Amanda's reading called for the righteous to put 'on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil'.
The Prime Minister told the congregation in his tribute: 'In the end, the breaking of the mould, the difficult decisions (Lady Thatcher made), led to less division, less strife at the end of it.'
David Cameron said: 'Lady Thatcher was a much more subtle politician than people often gave her credit for, and did not rush into confrontations.
'One of the things about her legacy is some of those big arguments that she had everyone now accepts,' he said.
'No one wants to go back to trade unions that are undemocratic or one-sided nuclear disarmament, or having great private businesses in the public sector.'
Mr Cameron, who was 12 when Lady Thatcher came to power in 1979, said her influence was partly responsible for him joining the Conservatives.
He said his aim was to take the 'resolution' Lady Thatcher brought to economic problems and apply it to Britain's social problems.
Former Cabinet member during the Thatcher years, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, said the funeral had been 'in every respect perfect for the occasion'.
'You can't mourn too much when someone is 87, has had an extraordinary life and has achieved so much,' he said.
'Lady Thatcher wrote much of the service herself and who knows, perhaps she was enjoying it from somewhere else as we listened to the music and listened to what was being said.'
Former chief policy adviser to Baroness Thatcher, John Redwood, fought back tears when he said: 'The most moving moment inside the cathedral was when they opened up the great doors and we could hear the noise outside.
'It was exactly the kind of tribute you would hope for - we are grieving a loss but also commemorating a life well-led, an extraordinarily active life.'
Choral: David Cameron, George Osborne, the Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen sign a hymn during the service
Rousing tune: Baroness Thatcher is believed to have begun making arrangements eight years ago for the service, which featured the hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country
Ready for the service: The congregation, which comprises friends, family and dignitaries from around the world, talk among themselves
Sombre, but spectacular: More than 2,000 guests attended the service, including 50 associated with the Falklands, 11 serving prime ministers and two heads of state
Divided opinion, but was respected: A long list of celebrities, old friends and foes joined royalty and world leaders past and present to pay their last respects to Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister
Dignitaries queued as the doors to St Paul's opened. Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Sir John Major arrived together, before David Cameron arrived with his wife Samantha.
The guest list included all 32 members of the current British Cabinet and 30 former members of Lady Thatcher's Cabinets from her premiership from 1979 to 1990.
International guests included 11 serving Prime Ministers from across the globe and 17 serving Foreign Ministers. In total 170 countries were represented.
Former Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown rubbed shoulders with Baroness Thatcher's successor Sir John Major.
But also among the mourners were Lord Heseltine and Lord Howe, who famously helped to bring about the demise of the Iron Lady's premiership.
The 55-minute service concluded with a blessing by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
VIDEO Baroness Thatcher's funeral. A recap over the day's events...
Family: Lady Thatcher's grandchildren, Amanda and Michael (left), wait for their grandmother's coffin to arrive at St Paul's as her son, Mark and his wife Sarah enter
Sad: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh look on as the bearer party, dressed in their regimental or service uniform, bring the coffin into the cathedral
The bearer party was carefully selected according to their height and were made up of the Royal Navy/Marines, Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Parachute Regiment, Royal Gurkha Rifles and RAF
Solemn: Members of the armed forces carry Baroness Thatcher into St Paul's for her funeral service
Nearing her final journey: The Union Flag-draped coffin of Lady Thatcher just after it arrives outside St Paul's on a horse-drawn gun carriage
Significant role: The Bearer Party made up of personnel from the three branches of the military stand alongside the coffin
Grand entrance: The gun carriage carrying the coffin drawn by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery arrives at St Paul's Cathedral
Armed guard: Sailors march during the Ceremonial funeral of former British Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher at Dean's Court
Military honours: The coffin was carried on one of six First World War-era gun carriages of the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery, used routinely for gun salutes, most recently to mark the 61st anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne
Leading figures: The officer in command of the bearing party was Major Nicholas Mott of the Welsh Guards, while the chief marshal, who will walk behind the procession band, is Falklands veteran Colonel Hugh Bodington
Armed police stand guard over the crowds as the funeral procession, led by a marching band, makes its way through central London
Last journey: The funeral procession for Baroness Thatcher passes along Ludgate Hill
Showing their respects in different ways: Pockets of onlookers applauded as the hearse travelled up Whitehall, past Downing Street, while others fell silent
360 degree view of Baroness Thatcher's coffin's journey past the Houses of Parliament
The event was dominated by the Britain's military, as the Iron Lady was given a 'war leader's' ceremonial funeral. Thousands of troops took part, many of whom had strong links to the 1982 Falklands War, arguably Mrs Thatcher's greatest moment in office.
Falklands veteran and former Welsh Guard Simon Weston said the funeral had been 'special and I felt honoured and privileged to have been there'.
'It was great that the services had an involvement particularly because we had such a big role in her career,' he told reporters.
'She was always really good with the guys.
'The Falklands will always be one of the biggest parts of her legacy.'
Mr Weston said Baroness Thatcher 'showed every woman in the world you don't have to come from great beginnings'.
And he dubbed protests against the former prime minister as 'pathetic'.
MP Ken Clarke also took a swipe at the 'childish' protests, dismissing those celebrating her death as 'adolescents making silly points'.
He said it was 'entirely suitable' that such a high-profile funeral should be held to send off a 'huge national personality'.
'I thought the arguments about the funeral were childish quite frankly,' he said.
'As were some of the supposed celebrations of her death - they were rather tasteless, adolescents making silly points.'
Sombre occasion: Lady Thatcher's son, Mark, comforts his twin sister Carol as they make their way into the cathedral
State occasion: The Queen, who has only ever been to the funeral of one Prime Minister, that of Winston Churchill's in 1965, arrives at St Paul's
Paying respect: Former Prime Ministers John Major (C) and Tony Blair with their wives Norma Major and Cherie Blair (L) arrive at St Paul's Cathedral
Remembering a fellow PM: Current Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrive dressed in black for the funeral service
Political representatives: Prime Minister David Cameron takes his seat as Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow arrives to pay his respects at the service
Attendees: British opera singer Katherine Jenkins and London Mayor Boris Johnson are also among the guests for the funeral service
Guests: The Duchess of York and army veteran Simon Weston, who suffered horrific injuries during the Falklands War, arrive at St Paul's to pay their respects
Relaxed atmosphere: Sarah Ferguson has a laugh and a joke as she takes her seat inside the cathedral ahead of the funeral service
Political heavyweights: Chancellor George Osborne and Business Secretary Vince Cable make their way into the cathedral ahead of the service
Taking their position: Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Minister without portfolio Ken Clarke
Admirers: Margaret Thatcher's longest-serving cabinet minister Geoffrey Howe (left) and Michael Portillo who served as a junior minister under the late PM
Star turn: Actress Joan Collins attends the ceremonial funeral of former British Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher
Saying a final farewell: Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson (left) and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond (right) are also among the attendees
Mourners: Friends, family and dignitaries gather on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral ahead of the service which will started at 11am
Grief: Lady Thatcher's press secretary Bernard Ingham (left) and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond (right) prepare to take their seats inside the cathedral
Processing in: The service, conducted by the Bishop of London, the Right Rev Richard Chartres, a long-standing friend of Lady Thatcher, will reflect her public love of her country and her private literary tastes
After the service Baroness Thatcher's children Sir Mark and Carol Thatcher went to the Lord Mayor's official residence in the city of London for a reception.
The pair were joined by Lady Thatcher's grandchildren Michael and Amanda and a host of visiting dignitaries at Mansion House, a stone's throw away from where thousands had lined the streets to say goodbye to the former prime minister at St Paul's Cathedral.
Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha also attended the reception with coalition partner and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and his wife Miriam.
Security around Mansion House was exceptionally tight with other guests including a range of current international leaders, former Prime Minister John Major, opposition leader Ed Miliband as well as members of the cabinet and members of Lady Thatcher's cabinet.
Up to 1,600 family members, friends and dignitaries came to fill the medieval landmark's Great Hall, Old Library and Crypt following the ceremonial funeral.
Honour: The casket was mounted onto the gun carriage to be transported from St Clements to the cathedral
Cortege: The carriage was pulled with a horse down the Strand and Fleet Street towards St Paul's
Off with a bang: As the Lady Thatcher's coffin leaves St Clements Danes Church on route to St Paul's Cathedral, the Honorable Artillery Company fire Processional Minute Guns in front of Tower Bridge
Rammed: Some onlookers had been waiting in Fleet Street for hours to welcome the funeral cortege
En route: The gun carriage on its journey from the church to the cathedral for the ceremony
Cheering: Despite fears of disruptions, most of those in attendance reacted joyfully to the appearance of the cortege
March: A military band walks past, heralding the arrival of Lady Thatcher's coffin at St Paul's
Band: Drummers, trombone players and trumpeters marched through London in ceremonial dress
Prayers: The scene inside St Clement Danes, where prayers were said over Lady Thatcher's body
Commemoration: The short service on the Strand took place around half an hour before the funeral itself
Many of those who gathered on the pavements had been camping out overnight to get the best view, and were dressed in sombre colours for the occasion.
Before being transferred to the gun carriage that would take her to St Paul's, prayers were said by St Clement Danes resident chaplain the Rev David Osborn. Her coffin was then taken by six black horses slowly, led by a brass band, to St Paul's.
As a mark of respect all Union flags and the national flags of the UK were lowered to half-mast at buildings she passed.
Sarah, Duchess of York, was among the first to arrive. The former wife of the Duke of York, wearing a black dress and matching hat, arrived shortly after the cathedral doors opened. Broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan was also among the first mourners.
Roots: People of Grantham in Lincolnshire, where Lady Thatcher grew up, gather at the town's museum to her funeral on a projector screen
Overcome with emotion: A member of public reacts as the coffin containing late former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher is taken from St Clement Danes church
Clamber to see: Lady Thatcher, who died last week, was the first British female Prime Minister and served from 1979 to 1990
Emotional occasion: Gloria Martin wipes away tears while another fan holds an 'I Love Maggie' T-shirt as they join the crowds on the procession route
First to arrive: Spectators gather by St Paul's Cathedral along the route of today's funeral procession. Many had arrived by 6.30am
Paying tribute: A supporter holds a 'Thank you, Mrs Thatcher' sign as crowds gather outside St Paul's Cathedral ahead of her funeral
Fans: Margaret Kittel and John Loughrey camped out in London overnight to ensure they got the best viewing point for Baroness Thatcher's funeral procession
Sign of respect: Bashkim Krasniqi, 28, from Kosovo, holds up a sign along the route. He grabbed his spot before dawn to ensure a good view of the procession
Proud police officers take their places outside St Clement Danes this morning, ahead of the funeral procession
Patriots: A man holds a Union Jack umbrella as he leans against a post box as crowds prepare to welcome Lady Thatcher's coffin at St Paul's
Waiting her arrival: At precisely 10.33am, the coffin was due to begin its journey to St Paul's Cathedral, with guns fired from the Tower of London every minute
In her memory: The Union Jack flies half mast over Trafalgar square ahead of the funeral procession for the former prime minister this morning
Security operation: Police head out to their positions after a final briefing to ensure the funeral goes ahead without any violence
Keeping the streets safe: Police sniffer dogs are deployed on Whitehall prior to the funeral service of Baroness Thatcher
Applause greeted Baroness Thatcher as the hearse carrying her coffin arrived at St Clement Danes church.
BRITONS SPLIT ON LADY THATCHER
An Ipsos Mori poll released today suggests Britons are still fairly evenly split about Lady Thatcher's legacy, with 47 per cent saying her time in office was good for the country, and 42 per cent believing the opposite.
Some 51 per cent disagreed with the statement 'I wish more politicians today were like Margaret Thatcher', while 39 per cent agreed.
Just under a third (29 per cent) of those surveyed said Mr Cameron would be a better Prime Minister if he were more like Lady Thatcher, compared to 23 per cent who thought it would make him worse.
Lady Thatcher was rated as the premier who would do the best job at getting Britain out of economic crisis, with 31 per cent backing her above Tony Blair on 21 per cent.
Mr Cameron trailed in fourth with 12 per cent support - behind Labour predecessor Gordon Brown on 13 per cent.
:: Ipsos Mori interviewed 1,010 adults across Great Britain by telephone between April 13 and 15. Data were weighted to match the profile of the population.
Just after 10.05am her coffin, draped in the Union flag and topped with a large white bouquet, was gently eased on to the shoulders of four pallbearers and carried in to the church.
St Clement Danes church, the RAF chapel on The Strand, is where the coffin was carefully transferred to a gun carriage and borne in procession to St Paul's Cathedral for the funeral service.
Statues of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, commander-in-chief of RAF Bomber Command from 1942 to 1945, and Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding who led Fighter Command from 1936 to 1940, stood proud and protectively as the hearse arrived.
The gentle clapping was in stark contrast to the sound of loud church bells which had pealed out from 9.45am ahead of her arrival.
It was the first activity of the funeral procession for the crowds who also saw lines of military personnel march by in precision waves.
With the coffin now out of view, the crowds stood in silence except for the sound of a military band playing in the background.
Then the words 'Oh beautiful' could be heard as the pristine gun carriage pulled in at 10.19am.
There was silence as the crowds, pinned back by barriers, waited patiently for another glimpse of the coffin.
The loud church bells signalled movement at just before 10.30am and hundreds of cameras which were being held by members of the public to try to catch a personal memento of the historic event.
A tri-service party of pallbearers of 10 personnel, led by an Officer and Garrison Sergeant Major of the Welsh Guards, then carried the coffin out of the church and placed it on a gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Lady Thatcher was now re-united with the Falklands units and military personnel who would escort her to St Paul's Cathedral.
Then the applause came once again from the onlookers - only this time it was louder than before and came in a boom rather than a ripple.
The crowds had slowly grown after the morning rush hour from the odd commuter passing by to include well-wishers, tourists and some people who were not fans of the former prime minister.
Two St George's flags flew at half-mast from either side of the church, which was closely guarded by pairs of uniformed police wearing white gloves at every entrance.
Emotional scenes: Lady Thatcher's body driven past the Houses of Parliament, where she served for more than five decades
Protection: Police riders accompany the hearse away from the Palace of Westminster on the way to St Clement Danes
Seat of power: The hearse passing Downing Street, where Lady Thatcher lived for her 11 years as Prime Minister
Tribute: Police inside Downing Street watch the hearse drive past
Procession: Undertakers take Lady Thatcher's coffin out of the chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster
Back in Parliament: Baroness Thatcher's coffin resting in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft beneath the Palace of Westminster
John Loughrey, who was dressed head-to-toe in Union Jack clothing, arrived at St Paul's yesterday morning.
'I came in respect of Lady Thatcher,' the 58-year-old said.
'She came to power in a man's world and she won. Everything she fought for, she won.
'She was a great politician. We were living in the dark and she brought us back to the light. She put the 'great' back in Great Britain.'
In Whitehall, opposite Downing Street, housewife Wafa Alsamarrai, 59, said: 'Mrs Thatcher was a great lady. She did a lot of good things for the country.'
Standing in the rain with Mrs Alsamarrai was grandmother Maria Ruotolo, 78, from Fulham, who said she had 'nothing but good memories' of Lady Thatcher.
Next to her was Jane Moss, 66, also from Fulham. She said: 'Mrs Thatcher was a real lady. I met her once and she was so nice and kind to my daughter Lucy who was just seven at the time.'
American Robert Cunningham, 29, diverted his holiday in Norway to make it to the funeral.
He said: 'She was a foreign prime minister, regardless of the good, bad or otherwise.
'She did a lot for our country, a lot for the relationship between the UK and the USA.
'She was a powerful lady, she stood by what she believed, even if it was not popular.'
Richard Sibley, 63, of Chigwell, Essex, said he was pleased not to see any protesters outside St Paul's ahead of the funeral.
He said: 'She deserves it, she deserves every respect of this occasion.
'There are always people who want to write things down but she put the 'Great' back in Britain.
'Although people in mining communities say she destroyed them, it was the democratic right of the people of this country.'
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE FUNERAL OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER BARONESS THATCHER
2,300 - the number of guests that attended the service at St Paul's Cathedral.
32 – all of the current cabinet ministers attended.
50 - attendees associated with the Falklands, including veterans.
30 - attendees from Baroness Thatcher's cabinets from 1979-1990 attended
Two - heads of stateattended
11 - serving prime ministers and 17 serving foreign ministers from across the globe attended
170 - countries were represented by foreign dignitaries (including members of royal families; serving presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers; former PMs and presidents and heads of missions).
11 - Overseas Territories represented.
Eight horses from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in the procession - led by 'Mister Twister'
4,000 - Officersthe Metropolitan Police on duty.
6,650 - online condolences have been received via the No 10 website.
36,300 views of photos on Flickr released by Downing Street of items related to Baroness Thatcher and pictures from her time as Prime Minister.
1.2million views to the Prime Minister's Facebook content following the death of Lady Thatcher.
RE: I would like to know who paid for the funeral , Family or Country ? . Maggie was not a serving prime minister , Nor was she The queen or someone given birth to a future King or Queen . So why was she given such a elaborate funeral , No doubt at the expense of the tax paying country . What about finding the money for Pensioner's and hospitals Etc. Etc. Etc. . No they cant find money for whats really important , THE LIVING . I am sorry to say this but i think at this time it was such a waste of money . The family should have to pay for the funeral the same as everyone else has to . The country wont pay for my funeral . - pemberton johns , ST.NEOTS, 18/4/2013 11:24 -----------TYPICAL IGNORANCE OF LISTENING TO BBC AND THE LIKES! IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE PLANS FOR HER FUNERAL WERE DRAWN UP AND APPROVED BY BLAIR WHEN HE WAS IN OFFICE (LABOUR), ALSO PART OF THE FUNERAL COST "IS" BEING MET BY HER ESTATE/FAMILY ON HER INSISTENCE WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
- MyThoughts , London, United Kingdom, 18/4/2013 14:02
Thank you DM for the great coverage of this solemn occasion. I particularly liked the rotating photo - can we have more of those in other articles please?
It seems, by the best rated comments in this rightie paper, that the Thatcher love-in is amongst a very small misguided minoriity and the rest of the people, even those that are Tory supporters, are not in agreement with the small few that are fawning over Thatcher. And the worst rated comments are from the deluded that are posting in favour of Thatcher. Are you all getting the message now? Now all we need is a democratic government that don't rob the poor to finance the rich, that allow tax avoidance to the tune of billions of pounds by the corporate companies and the Tory benefactors - the bankers. Most importantly, we need a government that aren't a bunch of liars, social dividers and unemployment creators. She's gone now, let us also put her legacy of social division, poverty for the working classes and economic abuse by deregulated financial companies and privatised utilities away too. The country has really had enough, maybe not the Tory minority, but the vast majority of people.
- A Human Being , Newcastle upon Tyne, 18/4/2013 12:58
Your comments: I would like to know who paid for the funeral , Family or Country ? . Maggie was not a serving prime minister , Nor was she The queen or someone given birth to a future King or Queen . So why was she given such a elaborate funeral , No doubt at the expense of the tax paying country . What about finding the money for Pensioner's and hospitals Etc. Etc. Etc. . No they cant find money for whats really important , THE LIVING . I am sorry to say this but i think at this time it was such a waste of money . The family should have to pay for the funeral the same as everyone else has to . The country wont pay for my funeral .
10 million on this naval gazing exercise while hospitals, schools and policing face cuts. Good to know where Tory priorities lie. - Dino the pleb, Grommet, Wallis And Futuna, 17/4/2013 23:32 =====================I didn't realise it was a Review of the Fleet
- GrumpyPhart , Back of Beyond, United Kingdom, 18/4/2013 09:11
Haha, you can say that's how it went but we can all see it on TV and it did not ring with applause or love. - Bonnie, Edinburgh ==== I don't know what you were watching but certainly there was spontaneous and respectful applause. My guess is that you are someone for whom facts get in the way of your childish prejudices. You will never admit that Thatcher stopped the downward spiral of this country, you will never admit that the Wilson government of the 1960s threw more miners out of work than Thatcher, you will never admit that Thatcher smashed the power of the unions in order to save Britain. By 1979 the people wanted real change and we got it. Were you even alive during the 1970s?
Every time I say this I get red arrowed but I don't care because just like Mrs Thatcher this lady is not for turning. The money spent by the goverment on this funereal was obscene, and it. Doesn't matter if some of it was wages for " public servants" they have had to spend time doing something other than sort out the mess we are in and how many police armed services personnel were called in on rest days how much overtime were they paid? But even more than that why were her children put into a goldfish bowl at a time when they are grieving the loss of their mother just so politicians could have their egos stroked. The funereal should have been a private one followed by a simple public remembrance service at a later date
Photo by: Anthony Harvie / Getty Images
MONDAY, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, will hear the appeal filed by Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, and Lateef Shofolahan, an aide to the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, over a death sentence passed on them by a Lagos High Court.
• Says ' hold me liable, not Ezekwesili'
Emotional: A tearful Carol Thatcher is consoled by her brother Sir Mark and his wife Sarah, as they arrive at Mortlake Crematorium to say goodbye to Baroness Thatcher
Confident: Margaret Thatcher's only granddaughter, Amanda, paid tribute to the former Prime Minister with a clear and heartfelt reading at her funeral 
Sombre occasion: Lady Thatcher's son, Mark, comforts his twin sister Carol as they make their way into the cathedral
RE: I would like to know who paid for the funeral , Family or Country ? . Maggie was not a serving prime minister , Nor was she The queen or someone given birth to a future King or Queen . So why was she given such a elaborate funeral , No doubt at the expense of the tax paying country . What about finding the money for Pensioner's and hospitals Etc. Etc. Etc. . No they cant find money for whats really important , THE LIVING . I am sorry to say this but i think at this time it was such a waste of money . The family should have to pay for the funeral the same as everyone else has to . The country wont pay for my funeral . - pemberton johns , ST.NEOTS, 18/4/2013 11:24 -----------TYPICAL IGNORANCE OF LISTENING TO BBC AND THE LIKES! IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE PLANS FOR HER FUNERAL WERE DRAWN UP AND APPROVED BY BLAIR WHEN HE WAS IN OFFICE (LABOUR), ALSO PART OF THE FUNERAL COST "IS" BEING MET BY HER ESTATE/FAMILY ON HER INSISTENCE WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
- MyThoughts , London, United Kingdom, 18/4/2013 14:02
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