Cappuccino Communication - Knowledge is power (1/2)

·         John Glass,   General Superintendent - Elim Churches 

Terror at luxury tower in Swansea where premiership stars live as armed police take down lone gunman who held man hostage during two-hour siege. Daily Mail

  Officers used tasers to subdue gunman holding victim hostage in penthouse

  Man entered exclusive Grape & Olive restaurant in Swansea at around 4pm

  Residents trapped inside luxury flats of 29-story tower by armed police 

  Two-hour siege ended as Villarreal arrived at the Marriot Hotel next door 

  South Wales Police say incident ended peacefully and no one was injured 

Armed police stormed the tallest building in Wales yesterday ending a two-hour siege and freeing a hostage.

Officers used tasers to subdue a lone gunman who had been holding his victim in the penthouse restaurant of The Meridian Tower in Swansea, South Wales.

The drama began shortly after 4pm when the man entered the exclusive Grape & Olive restaurant carrying a handgun.

Residents were trapped inside their luxury flats in the 29-storey tower as armed police cordoned off the building and evacuated diners from the top-floor restaurant.

Paramedics wearing protective clothing and helmets were seen entering the tower around 5pm.

Police told around 60 locals who had gathered to watch the siege to ‘move out of sight of the tower’ as the police helicopter circled the upper floors.

The siege lasted for around two hours while a police negotiator entered the tower alongside armed police and talked to the gunman.

Read more here:

Toll road hero who came to the rescue when his council closed a vital route could lose his home if his gamble goes wrong. Daily Mail

  Mike Watts, 62, built his own road which bypassed a key local road in Kelston, Bath, which was closed for maintenance 

  He borrowed an adjoining field from a farmer friend and, at a cost of £150,000 to himself and his wife Wendy, 52, made the bypass

  Mike needs 1,000 cars a day at £2 per car, per journey for 150 days to break even 

Every minute or so a car rumbles past, churning up dust and small stones. Drivers and passengers wave and shout thank-yous through their open windows.

‘It’s a pleasure,’ Mike yells back, beaming from ear to ear. ‘Enjoy the view!’

They do indeed. But even they aren’t as happy as Mike, who’s had quite a week.

For, suddenly, he’s become a national hero. People have called for him to be knighted and (though I suspect this might be slightly tongue in cheek) honoured with a statue on the green in his home village of Kelston, near Bath.

And all because, when faced with the indefinite closure of a key local road while it is mended, forcing him to take a 14-mile diversion to work as a council repair team sorts it out at the speed of a glacier, Mike took matters into his own hands.

His solution was not a civilised ‘reopen our road, please’ campaign or angry letters to the Bath Chronicle newspaper, pointing out that nothing had been done since early February when a crack appeared in the A431 and the road was closed.

Read more here:

Further Reading:

Businessman sets up private toll road just 340 yards long charging motorists £2 a time to bypass closed section of main road

Acts 29 Dismisses Mark Driscoll so 'Name of Christ Will Not Continue to Be Dishonored'

Acts 29 Dismisses Mark Driscoll so 'Name of Christ Will Not Continue to Be Dishonored'

Despite recent public apologies, the Acts 29 Network is officially disassociating itself with its co-founder Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church.

"It is with deep sorrow that the Acts 29 Network announces its decision to remove Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church from membership in the network. Mark and the Elders of Mars Hill have been informed of the decision, along with the reasons for removal," reads a statement signed by the board of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, which includes Matt Chandler, Darrin Patrick, Steve Timmis, Eric Mason, John Bryson, Bruce Wesley and Leonce Crump.

Surge in no vote after Alex Salmond TV flop: Major blow for SNP in wake of debate defeat Daily Mail

Viewers believe Alistair Darling crushed Alex Salmond in live televised debate

Poll reveals nearly quarter of viewers now more likely to reject independence

More than two-thirds of 1,010 Scots polled said First Minister needs 'plan B'

The shock Survation poll, carried out on Wednesday and Thursday, shows that opposition to separation has soared to 50 per cent for the first time since the firm began asking the question.

That is a remarkable four point increase in the space of a single week, with only 37 per cent now in favour of a Yes vote – down three points. When undecided voters are excluded, the No camp is on 57 per cent – a massive 14-point lead over Yes, compared to just a six-point lead last Sunday.

Mr Salmond's failure to answer questions about the currency of an independent Scotland is at the heart of the dramatic collapse.

More than two-thirds of the 1,010 Scots polled by Survation said the First Minister should produce a 'plan B' to his unrealistic bid to keep the pound before voters cast their ballots.

Asked to pick adjectives to describe the SNP leader's performance in the pivotal STV debate last Tuesday – which was watched by 1.7million people – the most popular choices were 'weak', 'uninformed' and 'dishonest'

.

His opponent, former Chancellor Mr Darling who is spearheading the Better Together campaign, was described as 'knowledgeable' and 'strong'.

Mr Salmond's leadership is now under unprecedented scrutiny, with senior SNP figures privately briefing against him throughout the week and some suggesting his deputy Nicola Sturgeon should replace him for a crunch TV debate on the BBC later this month. 

Read more here:

Further Reading

Beyond the Scottish Independence Question, Looking at a Greater Devolution in The United Kingdom, A Perspective

BREAKING: 'Armed siege' at Meridian Tower, Swansea Marina | South Wales Evening Post

BREAKING: 'Armed siege' at Meridian Tower, Swansea Marina | South Wales Evening Post

Armed police have reportedly been called to an incident at the Meridian Tower in Swansea.

Diners in the building’s top floor restaurant said they were evacuated at around 4.30pm.

One of them, who did not want to be named, said: “We were in the restaurant and we were told to stay put by a waiter. I asked what was going on and they said there were reports of a man with a gun.

“A short while later we were ushered out of the restaurant, down the fire escape a couple of flights and in to a lift to the bottom. When we came out there were armed police there and they told us to move away.

Beyond the Scottish Independence Question, Looking at a Greater Devolution in The United Kingdom, A Perspective, Updated

Like many of you, I have been following the Scottish Independence Debate from various media sources,  and  I think we in the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland need to ask ourselves and our political leaders some questions about the future shape of our country ?

Personally I feel that Alex Salmond is an astute politician, however his desperation for self promotion from the First Minister of Scotland to the President of Scotland,  (although he has stated that the Queen is the head of state,   I feel there is a possibility at her Majesty’s passing, some voices in the Scottish National Party will call for Scotland to be a republic.) Mr Salmond economic arguments for Scotland to be independent quite simply don’t add up,  for the last few years, the revenues from North Sea Oil have been decreasing year on year.   His latest interaction to say that Scotland will keep the pound and if they’re not allowed to keep the pound,  a newly independent Scotland will not pay it’s share of the UK National Debt  is more like the politics of the playground,  where Mr Salmond is telling everyone if I don’t get my own way,  I will throw my toys out of the pram.

Brian Wilson: Show us the money, Mr Salmond

He has now decided that Scotland will keep the pound, in the some sort of informal currency union, or dollaristion scheme (A sterling zone)  the Panama Option,  (Panama uses the US Dollar as it’s currency) many students  of history would know  what happened when Scotland last looked at a Panama Option,  they suffered economic turmoil and eventually bankruptcy because of a Ponzi scheme known as the Darien Colony.

Currently under the Barnett formula, the Scottish Government receives it’s income from the United Kingdom Treasury ,  and is generally allowed to spend this at it sees fit,  Mr Salmond’s dream of  creating a Nordic Model of a Free Market Economy with a Welfare State (Social Democracy)  is reliant on the UK Taxpayer,  if Scotland did vote for Independence  on the 18^th September 2014,  after any successful negotiation by Scottish and United Kingdom Governments,  Scotland even if it  decided to keep the Pound, it would either have to enter a time of austerity or drastically increase taxation,  the Nordic Model of Social Democracy does mean high taxation to pay for it’s welfare state,  on it’s current tax revenues and because it receives more back from Westminster that it pays to Westminster,  The Scottish Social Democracy model would not be sustainable  long term after 2016.

 An Independent Scotland of 2016 onwards will see falling tax revenue from North Sea Oil and Gas and other sources.  A large part of the Scottish Finance Sector would move  south of Hadrian’s Wall because a majority of it’s customers will be in the United Kingdom and  due to the  financial uncertainty caused by dollarization,  it would be extremely difficult or indeed impossible for Scotland to borrow money from International sources  at reasonable rates because Scotland would not have the standing of the United Kingdom,  although it’s possible that China and / or the Gulf States or indeed Russia  could lend money to Scotland, this of course would come with conditions such as access to Scottish Oil and Gas for Chinese Companies or the opening of Scottish Ports to Chinese Naval Vessels.

Read this important report to see why an Independent Scotland doesn't add up

Institute for Fiscal Studies , Fiscal sustainability of an independent Scotland

 Scotland also would have to negotiate to join international organisations such as International Monetary Fund,  The United Nations and The European Union,  although because of Spain facing issues with both the Basque Region and Catalonia wanting  independence,  the Spainish  Government could veto an newly independent  Scotland joining the EU Club.

The Westminster Government and the Opposition,(  The Conservatives, The Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party) have recently offered that if the people of Scotland  if they vote to remain part of the United Kingdom this is known as the Devo Max option, that Scotland would be more responsible for its income and expenditure , this would see a decrease in the money from the Barnett Formula and the Scottish Government would see either Tax raising or Tax varying powers,  if  the people of Scotland are given the option, it’s my opinion  that both the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly Government  should also be given the option of having their own equilvalent versions of Devo Max  depending on their needs and requirements, for example the Welsh Assembly Government could use some of it’s income and perhaps borrow on the international finance markets or from the European Union or the Westminster Government  for capital projects such as improving North – South Wales transport and infrastructure links.

 Before the 19^th Century many of the United Kingdom’s largest cities such as Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle were virtual city states it was due to the rise of  Railway Networks that a fragmented country came together,  if the people of Scotland,   Northern Ireland and Wales are given their own versions or types of  fiscal federalism,   the people of  the English Regions should also be given fiscal federalism .

 The United Kingdom needs to move away from a  centralised London and South East of England  system of Government  and Economic Management and the people of the English Regions,  Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should be given greater autonomy,  and responsibility to run their own affairs although agree with a centralised government for larger picture issues s such as defense, legal issues, foreign relations and currency.

I also believe that the British Overseas Territories such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar should be represented  in a more United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Further Reading:

Scottish independence: Ed Miliband calls on SNP to 'come clean' on currency

Banks ‘could quit’ if dollarisation used post-Yes

Ed Miliband Says The Poorest Would Suffer If Scotland Went Independent

Salmond's Scottish Independence Plans Could Harm Businesses, Warn MPs

The Yes Scotland and the SNP’s Plan B for Currency Union, Plan B will not work

Independence Would Be 'Disastrous' For Scotland's Banks, Says Report

Blair Humphreys

8^th August 2014

Southport, Merseyside, England