Poll adds to woes over Brown future

LONDON (Reuters) - Speculation about Prime Minister Gordon Brown's future gathered pace on Saturday with media reports of concern amongst senior Labour figures and a new opinion poll putting the Conservatives 22 points ahead.
Ministers have openly spoken of their support for the embattled prime minister but a day after Labour lost one of its safest parliamentary seats, newspapers were rife with rumours of backbenchers were sharpening their knives behind the scenes.

The Guardian newspaper said that discussions were under way at cabinet level on whether to seek Brown's "orderly resignation" while the Independent said Labour MPs were urging senior ministers to tell Brown to quit.

"I do not recognise those comments from the Cabinet colleagues I talk to," Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband told BBC's Newsnight programme when asked about the claims.

"People realise there is a big collective responsibility here -- the collective responsibility is not to turn inwards but to turn outwards and understand the concerns of the country."

The BBC also reported that Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who papers said had been approached by Labour backbench MPs to tell Brown to step down, had told them to "calm down".

The speculation has grown since the Scottish National Party (SNP) snatched a slim 365-vote majority in the Glasgow East constituency with a 22.5 percent swing that overturned the 13,500 majority enjoyed by Labour at the 2005 election.

In further bad news, an opinion poll for the Independent on Saturday showed the Conservatives with 46 percent support of voters, way ahead of Labour on 24 percent.

That would give the Tories a landslide victory at the next general election, which Brown must call by May 2010.

This weekend the party's main policy-making forum is meeting to try to work out how to win back voters disillusioned by a string of political gaffes, rising inflation, falling house prices and a slowing economy.

Brown, whose popularity has slumped in the 13 months since he replaced Tony Blair, has vowed to fight on, saying he is the right man to be at the helm as the country deals with difficult worldwide economic problems.

Former minister David Blunkett backed that stance.

"The issues that affect people are not ones which divide the party or Gordon Brown from any potential successor," he told BBC radio.

"We are not a hatchet job party like the Conservatives who can drop their leader literally at the drop of a hat.

"So grow up, don't go for what might be a popular quick fix that you couldn't actually put in place and let's actually combine in the way we know best and work out what will actually reach people."

Mao and the Tibetan National Flag

Even Mao Zedong had heard about the existence of the Tibetan national flag. In his address to the parliamentarians at the 4th World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet held from 18 to 19 November 2005 in Edinburgh, His Holiness said, "Let's now come to the Tibetan national flag. I think some of the present Chinese officials when they see this flag (pointing at the Tibetan national flag) they become angry. They feel it is the sign of a splittist. When I was in China, on one occasion, Chairman Mao asked me whether we have a national flag or not. With a little hesitation, I said, 'Yes'. Then, Chairman Mao encouraged me by saying, You should keep the Tibetan national flag along with the red flag."In his biography, A Tibetan Revolutionary: The Political Life and Times of Bapa Phuntso Wangye, the founder of the Tibetan Communist Party, touches on this incident. He recounts, "Mao perceived that the Dalai Lama was concerned by his question and immediately told him, "That is no problem. You may keep your national flag."

How To: Planning a Spectacular 50th Anniversary Party

We just celebrated my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary and it turned out to be the party of the year. Not only was it a grander affair than their wedding, but it was incredible to see the hundreds of people there who played such special roles in the lives of my grandparents. I couldn’t believe how many friends they had made over the years. Although I volunteered to take on the forbidding task of planning the event, lucky for me I wasn’t alone in the process.
If an anniversary celebration is coming your way, take heed to the bits of advice I put together after all was said and done. The day turned out spectacular, better than we could have ever imagined and surprisingly with very little stress.
1. Don’t fool yourself. Hire a caterer. This was, by far, the smartest decision ever made. Yes, it does cost more than preparing the food yourself, but realize that you’re paying someone to take it off your list of things to do. After the menu is decided upon, you can sit back and count on your caterer to take care of business the day of. Our Utah caterer not only created some of the most delectable foods ever to touch my palate, but brought with them an elegant and confident attitude that shaped the evening into a beautiful celebration.
2. Music. Music. Music. These days, DJs are almost a thing of the past. Find yourself an iPod and a sound system and you’re good to go for the evening. We put together a playlist of all the classic romantic artists as well as a few of the more contemporary ones: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Junior, etc. Music can do a great job of creating the romantic and elegant environment you are hoping to bring to the party.
3. Be creative when it comes to location. We decided to hold the anniversary celebration in an old restored mansion that a friend of ours owns. It is a beautiful estate, located a few miles out in the country, surrounded by lush vineyards. We served hors d'oeuvres outside and then ushered everyone inside for the sit down, candle lit dinner.
4. Map out the night of events beforehand. One of the most simple things to do, and can save you the most time, is to map out the timing of events beforehand. Set approximate times for hors d’oeuvres, dinner, toasts, cake, and dancing. If you have a general schedule of events and times, you are more likely to feel less stress the night of because those in charge will know what’s happening and when.
5. Have fun with the cake. This is an anniversary, not a wedding. The traditional white cake, although still appropriate and forever classic, isn’t a must in this situation. Your caterer might have the capability to design the cake for you, but if not, they will definitely be able to give you a reputable reference. Try using fresh fruit or flowers with vivid color to bring a sophisticated elegance to the cake.
6. Don’t forget to have fun. Once the night has begun, try to relax and have fun. Even if something isn’t just as you had hoped, roll with the punches and have a good time. Chances are you’ll be the only one who had a clue something was wrong.