Every mother would dread having a convicted paedophile for a neighbour. But not everyone would take the law into their own hands.

Warning: Don't do this at home.

Court proceedings at the Old Bailey revealed the facts about a murdered paedophile. Within weeks of hearing that her 77-year-old neighbour had been released on bail ahead of his trial for molesting three young boys, a mother had pounded on her neighbour's door. Her intention was to plead with the man to admit his crimes and spare his young accusers from appearing in court.

But when he answered the door, he ignored her request and smirked. He told her the boys were all liars who had ruined his life.

Overwhelmed and emotional, she stabbed him. He crawled into the hall where he bled to death. She gave herself up soon after, and admitted her guilt.

The mother of five wept as she was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

She was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter by reason of loss of control.

The Judge said it was an exceptional case because she had lost control rather than taken the law into her own hands and engaged in vigilante conduct. He reduced her sentence from seven years to three-and-a-half, taking into consideration her position as a single mother.

The mother has already been in custody for the past 10 months and could be released on parole and reunited with her family in less than a year.

Men who prey on children ruin their victim's lives as well as the people around them. They say this sick predatory inclination has no cure. So many people have been indicated in this behaviour lately—men working in high-power jobs of government, the church, and show business.

As a society, we must find a way to control paedophiles' urges and keep our children safe.

I thank God this has never happened to me.

 Throughout history, mankind has committed atrocities against his fellow man. I hate to think about it—but the mindset differed in ancient times. Plunder, pillage and slavery were part of life. Every powerful man or nation wanted to gain more, no matter what the cost to others.

In the latest news, the Prime Minister of the UK plans an official visit to Jamaica on Tuesday to address parliament. However, he faces demands for Britain to pay billions of pounds in reparations for slavery.

David Cameron had an ancestral link to the trade in the 1700s through his cousin six times removed, General Sir James Duff.

In an open letter in the Jamaica Observer, an academic wrote: “You are a grandson of the Jamaican soil who has been privileged and enriched by your forebears’ sins of the enslavement of our ancestors ... You are, Sir, a prized product of this land and the bonanza benefits reaped by your family and inherited by you continue to bind us together like birds of a feather.

“We ask not for handouts or any such acts of indecent submission. We merely ask that you acknowledge responsibility for your share of this situation and move to contribute in a joint programme of rehabilitation and renewal. The continuing suffering of our people, Sir, is as much your nation’s duty to alleviate as it is ours to resolve in steadfast acts of self-responsibility.”

A generation ago, the Australian Government acknowledged their guilt to the native Aboriginals.

I'm not sure if the American authorities have properly recompensed the native Indians.

And yet, these wrongdoings were committed by people who belonged to another era. The people living nowadays are not responsible for past actions, which we now know to be wicked.

It's as if I suddenly found out an ancestor of mine stole the ring I wear on my finger, and the family who originally owned the jewel want it back.

I agree that people alive today should admit the sins of the past and show proper respect to those who suffered at the hands of greedy, inhumane people. But just how far back can we go? Genghis Kahn? Ivan the Terrible?

Do you think we should be held responsible for cruelties committed in the past?

 People around the world are watching the skies to observe a rare lunar eclipse which coincides with a so-called "supermoon".

A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closest in its orbit to Earth, making it appear larger.

The eclipse, which gave the Moon a red tint, has been visible in West Africa, Western Europe, as well as North and South America, where the eclipse was seen on Sunday evening.

This phenomenon was last observed in 1982 and won't come again until 2033. Source: BBC. 

Observers in the UK saw the Moon pass through the Earth's shadow in the early hours of Monday morning. We usually miss any solar activity because of cloud cover. But, for the last couple of nights, the skies have been clear. I peeked through the slatted blinds in my study last night, thinking I must have left an outside light on. But no—it as the moon illuminating the garden and sending rays right into the room. The white orb looked the size of a watermelon—as if it was sitting right next to my roof to the right. I wondered why it was so bright. Now I know. A supermoon was hovering overhead. I didn't see the blood moon though. Too busy sleeping.

Did you see the wonder of the supermoon?

A woman got into difficulties when she entered the water at Gypsy Brae in Edinburgh, Scotland, last weekend. A group of boys were messing around on the shore and noticed her struggling.

They had two options—continue with their game, or take action. Small, weak boys couldn't physically jump into the water and save her. What could they do? The five youngsters, aged between 11 and 12, close to call for help.

Here's a case when a mobile phone serves the utmost purpose.

After the police and coastguard arrived, she was rescued from the water.

A police spokesman commented on the way the incident could have resulted in a tragic ending. He thanked the boys for their swift and conscientious actions.

Apparently, the boys learned these skills through their attendance at the Risk Factory, an initiative designed to equip young people with the ability to use their initiative in crucial situations.

Police Scotland commended them for their bravery, quick thinking, and for demonstrating an outstanding community spirit. As a reward, the boys were taken for a tour of Drylaw police station.

I love stories about children who help other people in times of need. All too often, we hear the reverse. The Risk factory sounds like an excellent way to train youngsters to think out of the box. No need to run and tell someone—take action to save someone's life.

I'll share an incident from 1968, when my family and I lived in South Australia.

On one social event with my husband's workmates, we picnicked on the banks of the Murray River. Everyone in the arty, social group brought food and wine. We sat around in the warm air talking while the children played. I wore my favourite black fedora for sun protection, strap dangling over my chest. Slightly on edge, I wasn't sure I fitted into the friendly group of chatting people from the television station.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air from the direction of the water's edge. My son pointed into the depths, where his young sister's long blond hair swirled in the current. The closest men rushed into the mighty Murry river's murky water. Joined by her father, they emerged carrying her, and set her on the ground.

She coughed and sat up. “What happened?”

“I saved you,” my seven year-old son said. “You were under the water. I yelled for help.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't believe such a thing could happen. I'd only looked away for a moment, but that lack of attention could have been fatal.

Have you ever saved someone's life?

 We all know about the French military and political leader Napoléon Bonaparte who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.

But did you realize when he became the emperor of France he did whatever he he thought necessary to get what he wanted? He made enemies of course. A huge number of stories were bound to appear about him.

Apart from writing a romance novel, he once walked in the footsteps of Moses.

In 1798 he and his cavalry visited the Wells of Moses during the ebb tide of the Red Sea in Syria. After walking across the dry sea bed, his curiosity was satisfied. But when he retraced his footsteps toward Egypt, darkness approached. They began to cross with the tide coming in. With the water rising, Napoleon ordered his men to form a circle around him facing out, like spokes of a wheel. Then each man rode forward until they couldn't touch the bottom, at which point they turned and followed the man closest who continued to ride on solid footing. They all escaped from the Red Sea, drenched but unharmed, nearly washed away like the pharaoh who chased Moses centuries before.

 After Napoleon's later capture and surrender, some claim a soldier with a strong physical resemblance was sent to the island of St. Helena in the emperor’s place. This is highly unlikely. How could the imposter act in the unrealistic way for six years like the deposed French emperor?

He and his retinue of loyal servants and supporters had little else to do apart from eat and drink while marooned on the south Atlantic island.

Napoleon lived like a king until his death and grew fat. Look at this daily shopping list presented to his British captors: 42 eggs, 68lb of bread, 31 bottles of Cape wine, 10 bottles of claret, three bottles of "malt liquor", three bottles of cider and a bottle of champagne. I assume he didn't eat and drink it all himself. And, he must have eaten meat as well.

This made me wonder what my husband and I would eat daily. Using Napoleon's list as a guide, ours would be: 1 egg, two slices of bread (no alcohol). Pheasant! That, of course, is subsidized with fruit, vegetables, cereal, spreads etc. nuts, and fowl or fish.

Do you live like a king? What would your daily shopping list consist of?

 This happened to a 65-year-old man in Ireland.

The desperate pensioner will be turned out onto the streets after nearly 20 happy years in his home.

The reason: a city council inspection found his bathroom opens off from the communal hall. In fact, so does every tenant's bathroom in the quiet accommodation—but each are separate and private.

The Dublin pensioner, will be left homeless in a fortnight when he is kicked out of the one bedroom flat he has called home for 19 years.

Refusing to go into a soulless hostel, he faces the winter on the streets, and wants to know why council are forcing people out of their homes in the middle of a housing crisis. Source: Mirror.

 This made me think. I've spent over sixteen years making my rented accommodation as comfortable and attractive as possible—given the small size. How would I feel if placed in the same position?

At a certain age, a person doesn't have the determination to start again. Or the strength.

Perhaps a young person could cope—would cope. After my divorce in the mid 80s, I left my home in Australia with nothing but two suitcases and arrived in London, England. I found a job as a nanny within a week and have gone from strength to strength. But my youth has faded.

I feel desperately sorry for anyone without the comfort and security of a home.

Do you think you could cope if faced with eviction?

 A survey taken by UK's Office for National Statistics poll of 165,000 adults reported in the BBC news noted a growing inequality.

People were questioned on four measures of well-being: Happiness, life satisfaction, feeling life was worthwhile and anxiety.

The highest average score of of 8.26 came from the district of Fermanagh and Omagh, which covers most of south-west Northern Ireland.

This set me thinking about my own life.

We can't take an overall score from each phase of our life—only what we're experiencing right now.

Here's what I found:

Happiness: On the whole I'm happy with where I live, my marital relations, and the help I receive as an older resident of the UK. Score: 8

Life satisfaction: I love my life—the ability to contact people on the WWW, to write fiction along with my latest memoir (non-fiction), as well as writing a daily blog. To counter-balance that, I don't meet anybody in person, and have no female to chat with. Score: 8

Feeling life is worthwhile: Overall, I see the reasons for each of my trials, which, although traumatic at the time, have made me stronger. I haven't achieved anything great, haven't influenced anybody for the better (as far as I know) or earned devotion from my children. And yet, my life has been worthwhile. Score: 8

Anxiety: I'm worried about my husband's health, about being left to cope alone, and about debt. Score 5

So the final score for me would be slightly under 7

How about you? At this moment, how would you rate on the four measures of well-being: Happiness, life satisfaction, feeling life was worthwhile, and anxiety?

I'm joining the ranks of people complaining about Windows 10.

Originally, I decided to wait until the last minute, when all the problems had been ironed out. But on Sunday, I received a special message. Just on a whim, I decided to go ahead and try it. I'm like that--usually very organized, but I can toss caution to the wind and change my mind at any moment. Have done so all my life.

Anyway, all went well for the first two days. I gradually explored several ways of changing the way the computer worked, altered a few passwords etc.

Then, yesterday afternoon--kaboom! It seized up. A message said:

CRITICAL ERROR!


Start menu and Cortana aren't working. We'll try and fix the problem next time you log in. Which I did again and again in the next 24 hours. I didn't panic, didn't call the computer man, didn't worry my husband who has enough on his plate at the moment. 

Just now, I tried again. Bingo! It worked. So here I am, having missed out on the whole day of activities with nothing to report on the news (except personal) and no views (except: all's well that ends well.)

Have you had any problems with Windows 10?

 Vallco Shopping Mall in California's Silicon Valley looked set for demolition with half the stores empty, the food court abandoned, and people avoiding the eerie corridors.

So it’s being redeveloped. Situated right by the Apple headquarters, the project is no doubt hoping to attract the young tech crowd to new shops and restaurants. They plan to welcome all to a park on the world’s largest green roof. In an area dominated by car use, the sustainable design also promises a walkable, cycle-friendly neighbourhood with integrated public transport. The plans await approval. Source: the Guardian.

Of course, Parliament House in Australia’s capitol city Canberra used a similar principle in the design chosen from a competition 1970s and landed by an American architect.  

 Taking a year out on a trip around Australia in a smart, twenty-seven foot-long mobile home, my family visited the building when it was in the early stages of building. Travelling from South Australia along the Hume Highway, which stretched along the east coast all the way to the top of the land, we reached Canberra. After parking our home on wheels in the well-run caravan site, we ventured into Australia's capital city in the Land Rover, passing ordered suburbs. Apart from gawking at the grassy slope covering Parliament House, the city didn't inspire us. Neither did the shopping area, bereft of people. But that was long ago, when shops didn't open on the traditional days of rest.

Long ago, people used sod roofs in Britain. It seemed the natural thing to do and cost little.

Wikipedia tells us: 'A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems.'

In summer, green roofs can retain 70–80% of rainfall and in winter they retain 10–35% depending on their build-up, greatly reducing drainage flow rates. This enables the rainwater management system to be reduced in capacity.

Plants reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and produce oxygen. Green roofs cool and humidify the surrounding air and reduce the heat island effect, which is the main cause of ozone production. Plant roofs remove heavy metals, airborne particles and volatile organic compounds. The vegetation helps to filter out dust and smog particles. Nitrates and other harmful materials are absorbed by the plants out of the air and rainfall and bound within the substrate. Natural habitats provide for wildlife and bring nature back into the cities.

Planted areas are natural sound insulators too. This is very effective for buildings near airports, noisy nightclubs and factories. Source: ZinCo. 

All in all, we could all benefit from turning our roof area green. Have you ever seen a green roof?

 Sperm cells from human beings have been made in the laboratory for the first time. A collaborative of a biotechnology start-up called Kallistem, claims to have manufactures mature human sperm in vitro from immature germ cells taken from the testes of six infertile men. This was done so that the sterile men could produce children of their own.

All well and good. But surely the technique will expand. Human sperm could go on producing more human sperm, in vitro.

Of course, many leading scientists have expressed doubts, saying that until the research is published, it is impossible for the findings to be verified by other peers.

Back in 2011, Japanese scientists announced a breakthrough in vitro sperm of mice in the laboratory. They showed it was possible to produce mature mouse sperm and use it to fertilise mouse eggs to produce viable offspring.

The Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, where the latest development was made, said in a press statement last week that their breakthrough is genuine.

I wonder if they've produced a human baby in their effort to produce viable offspring. Would that be morally right? But if not, the experiment goes nowhere. Infertile men wouldn't get their own children.

The Institut claim the research could help young cancer patients around the world left sterile by chemotherapy and adult men whose infertility cannot be treated by existing IVF procedures. 
Source: Independent. 

 Who knows where the technique will lead?

I write fiction, and you can imagine where this discovery is guiding my creative mind. No need for men—at all. If the experiments expand, sperm could be bought at a supermarket along with the weekly food items. Every woman could choose when she will become pregnant.

But, would she be denied physical closeness?

Perhaps we'll keep men around to protect and defend us. Let them debate issues in Government—but only as assistants—virtual spokespersons to their female leaders. Ha ha.

And yet, I can't help wondering what would happen if the gender role in the balance of power changed. In my mind, the ideal would be equal status for men and women, depending on their capabilities.

Can you envisage a world where men lost their main role?