| Inside the violent, chaotic world of our mental wards
How should we treat the most vulnerable in our society? In hospital or in the community? With Mehmet Bala facing life in a secure unit after he killed John Curran by pushing him in front of a train, The Observer gained unprecedented access to a mental health system at breaking point
Amelia Hill
Sunday April 8, 2007
The Observer
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Friday's movie guide
AMAZING GRACE (Rated PG) The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament in 18th century England, endeavoring to end slavery in the empire. Directed by Michael Apted and released in 2006, "Amazing Grace" stars Albert Finney, Michael Gambon and Ioan Gruffudd. No grade.ARE WE DONE YET? (Rated PG) A newly formed family purchases a quaint fixer upper that proves to be more trouble than they could have ever anticipated in this family comedy starring Ice Cube, Nia Long, Aleisha Allen, Philip Daniel Bolden and John C. McGinley. Grade: DBLACK SNAKE MOAN (Rated: R) "Black Snake Moan" is lurid, Southern-fried pulp fiction, a film sweaty with sex, feverish with religious passion. Set in the almost-lost rural South of seedy juke joints, in-the-spirit churches and dirt farms, at its heart it is a morality play about the eternal struggle between the flesh and the Holy Spirit.
They say they want to create a "world class" maternity service ...
This includes at home, in hospital or in a midwife-led unit. Midwife-led unit, or birthing centres as they are sometimes known, are either located in hospital grounds or in the community. Campaigners such as the National Childbirth Trust believe that childbirth has become too medicalised and want to see women given the option of more natural births at home or in birthing centres. The government recognises there is more appetite for home births as in areas where there are more resources the home birth rate is up to five times the national average of 2% of births. Ministers have also said they want women to have a "known and trusted" midwife to help them through pregnancy. In practice, this will mean that women are assigned a named midwife from a team when they first contact the health service.
Timing benefited union's AC push
ATLANTIC CITY — Like a wealthy, handsome stranger swooping into town and seducing a woman away from her longtime lover, the United Auto Workers union has won the support of blackjack dealers at two casinos in what has seemed like no time at all. With a 4-1 margin victory in the Caesars Atlantic City union election in mid-March, a 2-1 triumph at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino last week, and organizing drives across the city, the powerful Detroit-based union seems in position to eventually draw dealers at most of the other nine casinos into its fold. How did that happen, when earlier efforts to organize workers floundered under unions with strong local bases, such as the Teamsters and the United Food & Commercial Workers? And why, after 29 years of Atlantic City gaming, is it happening now? “Timing is everything,� said Robert Angelo, director of the Rutgers Union Leader Academy.
Erika Mailman has two books out in 9 months
One of Erika Mailman's favorite places in Oakland is the history room at the Oakland Main Library. It was in that upstairs room that she stumbled upon rare books documenting old-time prostitutes, which became an inspiration for her most recent novel, Woman of Ill Fame.Even as recently as two years ago, which is a short time in the publishing world, Erica was unknown. Today, she's got a popular historical, non-fictional book and a well-received novel behind her. Another novel is set to hit bookstores this fall.And it all did begin in the library -- unless you count the special creative writing class her teachers put her in, in fourth grade.The soon-to-be mom became a columnist for the Montclarion in 2000. Four years later, she landed a grant from the City of Oakland for her book, Oakland Stories, which included archived photos and written works from various community members, young and old.
Mail Call/You Said It
"To all of you that say you're an anti-war protester but not an anti-soldier protester I would like to tell you how wrong you are. As a military member it is my view and the majority of military members I know is that if you're against the war you're against us. By not supporting the war, you are in fact not supporting what we are doing in Iraq. What you are telling us is we should not be there and all the deaths of military members have been for nothing. That is how military members feel about your anti-war protests. Support us in all we do; that's all we ask." Word count: 2213 .
In parents' memory, La. woman to give $1 million to St. Jude
The 22-year-old daughter of a couple killed in a 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, today will donate $1 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "I've never been to St. Jude, and I've never been to Memphis," said Eva Rowe, who will present the check during lunch with a St. Jude official in Houston. As a child, Rowe said she helped her father hold bikeathons, math-a-thons and other fund-raisers for the Memphis hospital. .
Booker's kingdom continues to crumble
The first Smackdown since WrestleMania 23 comes tonight, and it will be interesting to see what the fallout will be. The Money in the Bank winner, Mr. Kennedy is in action, as are all members of both versions of the WWE tag team titles. Also, King Booker has one of the worst nights of his life, and the era of The Deadman begins as Undertaker appears with his new World title. So kick back, relax, and enjoy this latest edition of Smackdown! Mr. Kennedy struts out with his Money in the Bank briefcase in hand. Following some boasting, Jeff Hardy interrupts wearing his newly acquired tag team title from RAW, and we have Match 1 underway. Match 1: Ken Kennedy vs. Jeff Hardy Kennedy now has the ball and it's up to him to raise his workrate and prove that he is main event calibre.
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