A time of worry and concern

It's a strange time make no mistake.

Secret Courts
We now have the drive to secret courts in the UK. A court where you can be tried without knowing what you are being accused of or what the evidence is against you. If this was in China we would be berating the country but here? Most people barely seem aware of what is going on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21885811


The drive to war.
Our Government seem intent on furthering a war in which we have no interest. In this case it's in Syria (but Mali also applies). The UK has supplied training, bullet proof vests, armoured vehicles and now potentially guns too. Yet this is plainly a jihadist war; Muslin fundamentalists from around the world fighting to 'free' Syria. From what for whom are the questions that should be answered.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21763345


Freedom of the press ends.
Many newspapers did completely disgusting things by invading the privacy of people to write headlines. The Leveson enquiry has now turned into the Leveson stitch up. In a late night deal promoted by the group 'Hacked Off',   a new set of draconian press rules are to be put into place not with new laws but with Royal  Charter.

These new rules say that if you opt into the regulations any fines for press transgressions will be limited but if you don't opt in, they could bankrupt you. The trouble is no one seems to know if this applies to blogs or Facebook updates or Twitter messages or personal web sites. It's a bloody mess concocted in a hurry by people with lots of vested interest.

Again the UK has become a model for how not to do things in the free world; because we are no longer free. No more can we admonish other countries for their restrictive press laws when ours have become the most controlled of all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21833462

Your money does not really belong to you.
I know you thought that once NI and PAYE had been deducted from your pay packet the rest of the cash (or virtual cash) was yours; but you were wrong.

As the people of Cyprus found out this week, a bank does not hold your deposit for safekeeping. No. Because of our fractional reserve banking system where money is lent and re-lent continuously there is only about 3-4% of real cash in a bank. The other 96-97% is out on loan or in bonds. You actually LOAN your money to a bank. Normally they promise to keep it safe, sometimes to pay interest on it. Now however it becomes clear that as your money was only LOANED to the bank, a Government or other organisation (ECB) can simply take what it wants, call it a tax and you lose 10% or more of your capital. Hard luck.

If they can do it in Cyprus (and Italy in 1992), they can do it anywhere. How is your pension pot looking? That may well be the next juicy morsel to be grabbed.

http://www.apfn.org/apfn/bank_loan.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/21/cyprus-deposit-tax-eurogroup-chief_n_2922327.html?1363874423

It's snowing!
We are about to enter British Summertime and Easter is nearly here so of course we have.............snow drifts.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2013/mar/11/uk-snow-your-pictures

It sure is a time of concern.

Sleep, are you getting enough?

I read a report recently that said that vast majority of people in the Western world are sleep deprived. I'm not sure if that is correct but I do know that many people have problems with lack of sleep from time to time.

I spoke to one person recently whose quality of sleep had become much worse recently; the reason? Money. They had invested in a holiday home in the sun, they paid a deposit and then took on a mortgage in Euros. Whilst £1 bought about 1.5Euro things were ok, but as Sterling fell in value the mortgage payments went up and up. Soon the holiday home payments became more expensive than their main home mortgage. Result? Worry, fear, anxiety and lack of sleep.

In this particular case nothing but direct and positive action will change the situation but for many people a few simple techniques can help.

Struggling to get to sleep?
Write your worries down on a piece of paper before going to bed. It's like letting someone else do the worrying for you whilst you get to sleep.

Grandma had it right, a warm drink as you go to bed will sooth you to sleep. Make sure that it is not tea or coffee though, the caffeine will stop you dropping off.

Some gentle exercise before going to bed, taking the dog for a walk for example will both reduce the stress chemicals adrenaline and cortisol as well as relaxing the muscles.

Waking up in the night with worries?
Staying in bed whilst worrying about your situation is almost always counterproductive. Get up and do something useful for 30 minutes or so. An element of physical work will help you to relax and then go back to bed; you'll be much more likely to drop off.

Using the technique of listing your concerns on a piece of paper can help stop the endless mental chatter that keeps you awake. Make your list and then give yourself permission to go back to sleep.

Listen to some music with a relatively slow beat, Mozart is often cited as ideal to help you get to sleep.

Still a struggle?
If none of these techniques delivers what you need you may find that a recording designed to help you get to sleep is helpful. Try the Sleep Easy recording that I created specifically for those struggling to get to sleep. I've had some great feedback on this MP3, people love the way it allows you to let go of your present problems.