I am a journalist, writer and broadcaster ... lately I've been concentrating on music, I spent many years as a music critic and a travel writer ... I gave up my last editorship a while ago and started concentrating on my blog. I was also asked to join AirTV International as a co host of a new show called Postcard ...
35Bn euros to Russia for fuel and 1bn to Ukraine for survival … the Tony award for EU self-interest
Yes, the world has to survive as the powers-that-be fuel the bloody war in the Ukraine.
We need oil and gas to stay alive, of course, But should we still be getting it of Putin?
As far as we can prove, these figures are accurate. Tony Parsons, a fire-brand writer and broadcaster who likes to hit with a Left hook, curated them.
We don’t always see eye-to-eye – but I stand strong with Tony on exposing the reality of ALL the Horror in Ukraine.
Tony Parsons
All the horrors invaders, murderers, madmen, maniac soulless troops, generals, tank commanders, foot soldiers, Kremlin crazies, OUR OWN politicians, business bosses, EUROPE’S OWN don’t want us to know about…
A woman hosting a Ukrainian refugee family fleeing the war has said they were asked to pay for luggage by an airline providing free ‘escape’ flights.
Agnese Edmonds said the family was asked to pay £108.49 for two suitcases when they booked their tickets from Krakow, Poland to London Luton ewith Wizz Air.
The flight itself was free, but the family was asked to pay for their bags.
Ms Edmonds, from Essex, is ‘gobsmacked’. She said: “I’m not sure for those people who didn’t have any money, you know, how would they get through? Who would pay for them?’
‘I couldn’t believe, the family couldn’t believe it – well if you’re offering the flight, they’re already on the flight, well surely they can take their luggage with them?’
A Wizz Air spokesperson said: ‘Wizz Air is committed to helping Ukrainian refugees reach their final destinations, wherever that may be in the WIZZ network.
‘To that end, Wizz Air continues to add larger planes and extra flights from Ukrainian border countries, as well as rescue fares from non-border countries, to help support the movement of refugees as necessary.
‘However, our policy states that trolley bags and checked-in luggage are subject to additional fares.’
Earlier in March the airline announced that it will provide 100,000 free seats from neighbouring countries to support Ukrainian refugees.
A statement on its website said: ‘Wizz Air…will support Ukrainian refugees by offering them 100,000 free seats* on all continental Europe flights departing from Ukraine’s border countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania).
‘Wizz Air is committed to helping the refugees reach their final destinations, wherever that may be.’
On its website, Wizz Air however does say Ukrainian refugee flights may still be subject to additional bag fees.
People are saying that making the Ukraine a candidate for EU membership is a good day for Europe. It sends a ‘very strong signal’ to Putin.
The move has set in motion a long process – potentially taking years – which could bind Ukraine closer to the West
Candidate status was also granted to Moldova, a small country boarding Ukraine
Officials have said Ukraine will need to implement changes to meet EU rules
So, as another political move to stop Putin’s murderous horror grinds on as the death count grows, The Society looks back at what ordinary people have been doing to end the situation:
Russian diplomats look out at lake of blood and tears at the Lithuanian embassy
The Society asks, how can we remain neutral in the face of this bloody war. We all need to take an active part in fighting for the lives, the freedoms and democracy of Ukrainian people who are being tortured, raped and murdered by Russians.
Ablood-red lake has appeared in front of the Russian embassy in Lithuania.
The ‘protest art’ in Vilnius is a way of graphically pointing to the threat of genocide from the monsters of the Russian military and the horror of Putin’s ambitions.
Lithuanian Olympic swimming Rūta Meilutytė, aged 25, is pictured swimming across the lake dyed which has been dyed with ecological paint.
Pictures by AP
Rūta said the lake represent the blood of the Ukrainian people murdered by the invading troops in the regime’s war on Ukraine. She was a star of the London 2012 Olympic Games at 15.
She was based in England working with Jon Ruddand coaching staff in Plymouth.
Her swim was called “Swimming Through”, a call for action in support of the Ukrainian people as allegations of war crimes mount and evidence of atrocities is documented for submission to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Bruce almighty: Daughter’s instagram photos speak a thousand words to victims of the ‘silent’ disease
This snap – and many others – taken by Bruce Willis’s 10-year-old daughter a few days ago express the loneliness of the long-distance aphasia victim…
Mabel Ray Willis visited a ‘special’ place with her mum and dad and took cam-pix of them being a real family, away from the glitz, glamour and punched-up publicity of Beverley Hills.
The photos were purposely shared with the world on instagram and show the love which has kept Bruce Willis close to his family over his 40 year career which captured the imagination of millions.
Mabel is one of his two daughters with wife Ema Heming.
Born in Malta to a British father and an Indo-Guyanese mother, Ema was raised in north London, United Kingdom, and California, United States. On 21 March 2009, she married Bruce in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Bruce also has three daughters – Scout, Rumer and Tallulah – with his ex-wife, Demi Moore.
In this snap the star of Die Hard, A Day to Die, Red, Sin City and Sixth Sense looks confident but pensive as he picks his way through the sun-dappled woods and fields.
But in this one (below) the strength of his relationship with Ema is captured … they are so obviously close and facing the future together.
Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic language disorder which can affect speech, comprehension, writing, reading, and general communication. Aphasia is the most common type of speech language disorder in stroke patients.
Loved ones help by Keeping language clear and simple and giving the sufferer time to speak and formulate thoughts.
Mabel captioned this photo ‘Mom & dad in their favorite habitat’.
Earlier Bruce’s family, i issued a joint statement via Instagram last week saying that the Hollywood icon ‘has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.
Please share any stories of hope and determination here with The Society …
Jacques Levy’s widow has lost her wayward battle to cash-in on Bob Dylan’s giant song catalogue sale.
Claudia Levy failed to overturn a previous Manhattan ruling that denied her lawsuit seeking a portion of the money Dylan made when he sold off his catalogue to Universal Music Group in 2020.
She had argued that her late husband Jacques Levy’s estate was entitled to 35 percent of the profits Dylan made when he sold the seven songs her husband collaborated on him with for the 1976 album “Desire.”
But an appeals court decided that Jacques Levy’s contract with Dylan was “unambiguous, and does not entitle plaintiffs to proceeds from the sale of the copyrights of the compositions co-written with Dylan”.
Levy had received 35 percent royalties totalling roughly $1 million.
Bobby Rydell, born in Philadelphia, became a teenage idol in the 1950s and was still working when he died at the age of 79.
In more ways than one Bobby was a survivor … he survived the musical revolution of 60s and 70s and survived the rigours of the rock’n’roll way of life.
And he went on to help others survive too.
Bobby was best know for songs like the Wild One and Volare, and he first hit the big screen in Bye Bye Birdie in 1963.
But he admitted the casino and club life brought him head-long in to a battle with alcohol.
He said: “I became a total alcoholic. When I say ‘drinking,’ I used to hide bottles of vodka in my golf bag in the back of the trunk of my car, and God forbid half of a bottle was gone, I’d have to go to a liquor store and get a new one. My God, you know, I couldn’t run out of my friend.”
The problem got significantly worse after the death of his wife from breast cancer.
The best that can be said is that Bobby had a pleasant voice. But he also had affability in metophorical buckets and in later years teamed up with Frankie Avalon and Fabian and enjoyed great success on the oldies circuit. They became known as the Golden Boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVv1GCO5JQU
But Bobby never forgot his ‘near death’ years. He had a kidney and liver transplant in July 2012 and five months later, he haad cardiac bypass surgery. Many of his later appearances were charity promotions for organ donation.
Bobby Rydell, legendary 1960’s era singer, actor, and teen idol died at the age of 79 in Abington Jefferson Hospital from non-Covid-19 related pneumonia complications.
Robert Ridarelli, known in the music industry as Bobby Rydell, was a singer and actor who rose to fame after being discovered in 1950 as a young entertainer on Paul Whiteman’s TV Teen Club. In 1959, his first hit single with Cameo-Parkway, “Kissin’ Time,” landed on Billboard’s Hot 100 Hits, launching him into stardom. His recording career resulted in the sale of over 25 million albums, and awarded him 34 top 100 hits, placing him in the top five artists of his era.
History was made for Rydell when at the age of 19, he became the youngest singer to perform at NYC’s famous Copacabana nightclub – a legendary appearance recently portrayed by Von Lewis in the 91st Academy Award-winning film, “Green Book.”
Rydell made his film debut in the 1963 hit classic, “Bye Bye Birdie,” as Hugo Peabody, the love interest of Ann-Margret’s character, Kim McAfee. He later went on to star in multiple movies, television series, and comedy specials throughout his career.
Rydell was known for multiple appearances on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and for becoming the high school namesake in the iconic 1978 movie “Grease,” a 1950’s-era teen love story starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
In 1985, talent manager Dick Fox, paired Rydell with three other Philadelphia-area entertainers, Frankie Avalon and Fabian, to create The Golden Boys. The entertaining trio continued performing for over decades, packing auditoriums across the country with audience members of all ages.
Rydell released his biography, Teen Idol on the Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances, a story about Rydell’s struggle with alcohol and depression following the death of his first wife. The book follows Rydell through a journey of recovery after receiving a double organ transplant in July 2012.
Loved by his fans, Rydell was known for taking time to meet and greet audiences after shows, during book signings, and at private dinner events. He was an advocate for The Gift of Life, a non-profit organization aimed at helping families whose loved ones experience and recover from organ transplants.
Rydell is survived by his wife, Linda J. Hoffman, son Robert Ridarelli, daughter Jennifer Dulin, and his five grandchildren. Rydell lived to be 79 years old through the gift of organ donation. Please become an organ donor and donate to The Gift of Life by visiting https://www.donors1.org/.
MY BABYBOOM MEMOIRS: In the back page of childhood with my silver ponyboy, cap shooter; a capgun reprise, to an old’ gunslinger true task master of all those ‘’ Billy the kid’’ folklores. Lamp up and lights on, to one’s own crawlspaces of body and mind.
BOYHOOD TAILS…so many, and so aim—–straight, young outlaw. They, the posse, ride their own aim to find; and to bring you, young gun slinger, rightfully in, dead or alive! Or what of one’s childhood fantasy. His fate to shine. Go a tightly fastened, real as red…and a rim tweed cowboys hat—and gallant be of a rocking horse tied by an old Saloon. A place of card game, you aim…and claim of all your battles. A gangster pride in seriousness, too your whole Saturday day long. A television little boy fantasy; as you, as a supposed adult begin to ask around, with a question: ‘’Had this been an upstanding town?’’ ‘’Well partner, as you say to yourself’’ ‘’Yes sir.’’ –And most calm…in the rightful owned and operated to the openness of the great plains; and to all the battles you have won. Sometimes though, to lose—yet right up to now, just in this fantasy as a young gun such as you take to the nearest and next ‘’tell-tale, to duel; and install a good rifleman on the heighted roof.
A backup of favors ‘one’ has owned and trusted right in its debts of one’s word as their bond. –As someday in elder years…its reprises as returns, to the pull-out of your holsters; and my silver pony cap gun, pass to the next of kin. –As I know he’ll deal fair because that is how he will be brought up to be; although in subsequent as the generations past’ the very next battle of imagination sends waves of technology atop laughs of my own integrated banality! Now in this next travel, Pat Garrett AND Billy Bonny, known as ‘’Billy the kid, are not as slated in NEW Mexico…no fortress called Sumpter—-yet by way of a Tucson ranch…and of a communication in ‘’the cloud’’ by way of transistors to send of ones and of zeros. Virtual plains of reality…skipped and goggled, to hold in one place which seem so fantastical. Yet not real. –And so goes my Babyboy memoir gaged and bound in the year 2022.
Another of those people who became part of the fabric of British society, Dot Cotton actress June Brown has passed away, aged 95.
She is said to have died at her died home in Surrey with her family by her side.
An EastEnders spokeswoman said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved June Brown, OBE, MBE, sadly passed away last night.
“There are not enough words to describe how much June was loved and adored by everyone at EastEnders, her loving warmth, wit and great humour will never be forgotten.
“June created one of the most iconic characters in Dot Cotton, not just in soap but in British television, and having appeared in 2,884 episodes, June’s remarkable performances created some of EastEnders’ finest moments.
“We send all our love and deepest sympathies to June’s family and friends. A very bright light has gone out at EastEnders today but we shall all be raising a sweet sherry in June’s memory.
“Rest in peace, our dearest June. You will never be forgotten.”
Inside are stories and videos of power and heroism across the Ukraine. We have focussed on the battered and broken, those who have lost everything .. families, homes, jobs.
Ukraines cannot lose the future, none of us can until the big doors finally clank. But their future at the moment looks bleak, blighted and broken.
Yet, throughout this awful war, people of heart and honesty have stood up to be counted, often in the wreckage of their high-rise homes.
Some of them have since died, others have fled – others stayed to fight on.
Here The Society honours them .. if you know of other stories, please share them with us.
WE SUPPORT THE UKRAINE IN THESE DARK AND DANGEROUS DAYS …
Once upon a time if the Peaky Blinders put you up against the wall you could well have been facing a brush with death…
But Arthur-mo – a Brummie art instillation has capped that!
And it aims to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.
The epic 50m open air art gallery portrays all of the major characters from Peaky Blinders on the wall outside New Street Station.
The blank concrete wall in Hill Street has been transformed into a dramatic monochromatic gallery featuring all of the big stars and characters from the hit BBC drama series which comes to an end this weekend (Sunday 3 April) as the final episode is screened.
Castle Fine Art, who installed the outdoor gallery, has said it will donate £1 to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity for every image of the wall posted on social media tagging @castlegalleries and #Brum4BCH.
