tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80028854950799157312024-03-05T18:46:28.425+00:00BritBrat Vibes (Ms CYPRAH)Personal comment and opinion on British and international news/ events and current affairs from a uniquely diverse, Black British perspective.Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-21304960619213106982012-09-16T20:03:00.000+00:002012-09-16T20:03:23.050+00:00Quiz Page<!-------- Quiz Starts Here -------->
Confidence Quiz
For each statement, select a reply that DEFINITELY applies to you.
SELF LOVE - I really love who I am.
Yes, I have LOTS of this!
I have quite a bit.
It comes and goes.
Definitely not enough.
Far too little!
SELF BELIEF - I believe I can do anything I really want to do.
Yes, I have LOTS of this!
I have quite a bit.
It comes and goes.
Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-1286571284299473572011-05-06T18:34:00.009+00:002011-05-06T18:56:34.828+00:00Royal Wedding Postcript: Three Things Britons Cannot Possibly be Proud of on That DayThe Royal wedding in Britain on April 29th was a delightful event. In tradition, pomp and pageantry, no one could beat it. Everyone involved played their part to perfection, and it was a spectacle well worth seeing. It reminded Britons - white Britons in particular - of their heritage, their presence, their visibility and their power. However, when the dust has settled, there were certainly threeMs CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-25711889073643075382011-04-28T20:31:00.006+00:002011-04-28T20:39:24.372+00:00Countdown to the Royal Wedding - Day 1: Five reasons why Kate Middleton will be a great PrincessIn the past it has been difficult to gauge the potential of new members of the Royal Family because they all had to bow to protocol, they were taken from the same class of people (aristocrats and nobility), they behaved in the same manner beforehand, they appeared to have bland personalities that fitted in, and they toed the Royal line meticulously after that, almost like clones.Kate Middleton Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-2853435277791275972011-04-27T22:03:00.008+00:002011-04-27T22:13:17.718+00:00Countdown to the Royal Wedding- Day 2: Why William and Kate's marriage should last much longer than the other Royals'Soon after their engagement, in November last year, a bishop of the Anglican church, the Rt Rev. Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden was censured by the Bishop of London, who oversees him, and asked to "withdraw from public ministry until further notice". Why? Because he likened the couple, on his Facebook page, to 'shallow celebrities' whose marriage would fall apart "after seven years". How he Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-10554066572445133532011-04-27T21:55:00.004+00:002011-04-27T21:59:02.778+00:00Countdown to the Royal Wedding - Day 3: "There's No Black in the Union Jack"Britain is preparing to witness the wedding of the century on Friday morning. Well, almost all of Britain. The fly in the ointment is the extremist group, Muslims Against the Crusades, who are planning to protest in the area to draw some attention to themselves. One can safely assume that publicity is their main aim because the Crusades went a long time ago in history and, as one cannot go back Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-64313948783899034242011-04-27T21:44:00.005+00:002011-04-27T21:53:00.391+00:00Countdown to the Royal Wedding - Day 4: Has the Public Already Skipped a Generation in the Succession?As someone who was around to witness the awful events of August 1997, with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in France, and as a mother, sociologist and former educationist, I have often wondered how her children, William and Harry, would cope with that incredible loss and in such a public way. William, in particular, being the eldest, was very close to his mother, very understanding of her, Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-22985034952582765852011-04-27T21:34:00.006+00:002011-04-27T21:44:21.949+00:00Countdown to the Royal Wedding - Day 5: Is the British Royalty Relevant Anymore?The impending wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton might propel her family into the privileged aristocratic band of Britain, but it might not do much for the main family she is joining, the Royals, due to apathy and a sense of increasing irrelevance by the public. This new couple would have to do something dramatic to change its approach and direction and, as William's father will be king Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-3331770321252578982011-04-27T18:48:00.004+00:002011-04-27T21:33:12.557+00:00Countdown to Britain's Royal Wedding - Day 6: The National MoodOn Friday 29 April (celebrated as public holiday), just under a week from today, the second in line to the British throne, Prince William of Wales, will be married to Catherine Middleton, affectionately known as Kate, in Westminster Abbey. They met at St Andrews University in Scotland, where they were both students nearly eight years ago, and have been in each other's company ever since, just Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-86911021706088153812011-04-04T15:09:00.007+00:002011-04-04T15:25:39.956+00:00An Open Letter to the British Coalition Government on The Concept of EqualityDear Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg,The 2012 Olympic Games will be hosted in London, which, no doubt will be a source of pride for the nation. The Games are a model of diversity in all its global forms. It is also very modern, especially with all the technology at the heart of its administration and the evolving rules to accommodate new and sensible changes in practice. The Games may have originated in Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-58785142659462192692011-04-01T14:04:00.004+00:002011-04-01T14:08:15.329+00:00Breaking News!!...Royal Wedding: Kate Middleton to wear revamped Diana wedding-dress!The news has been leaked from Buckingham Palace that Kate Middleton, the fiancee of Prince William, and soon to be his bride on April 29, will not only be wearing the engagement ring of the late Princess Diana, but will also be wearing the back-up dress that the Princess herself made for her wedding exactly 30 years ago.Princess Diana was so concerned that her wedding dress should remain a secretMs CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-60752891642143122772010-10-08T16:37:00.004+00:002010-10-08T16:40:43.783+00:00Why Swingeing Cuts And a Big Society do NOT go TogetherBritain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, delivered a rousing speech to Conservative party faithfuls at their annual conference when he called them to arms with 'Your country needs you', and emphasised the Big Society where everyone looks out for one another on a voluntary, cooperative and empathetic basis. All fine words indicating fine ideals and a desire to unite the nation in a time of Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-42430550079256100042010-08-09T10:56:00.002+00:002010-08-09T11:08:28.359+00:00Is there really such a thing as 'The Truth'?Some years ago, I noted in my book, Managing the Diversity Maze, that: "’Truth’ is governed by privilege. It always looks so right when one has the power to support it". Thus ‘the truth’ of “Black people, women and others who suffer under such inequalities will seldom share anything with the ‘truth’ of the exploiters because they are both coming at that singular ‘truth’ from two different Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-11904117938564593072010-08-06T15:20:00.004+00:002010-08-06T15:43:33.477+00:00Is Saying 'Black Power' a Racist Statement?Q. "Recently, in New York City, a transit worker put a 'Black Power' sign up in his booth at the train station. He was asked to take it down by a White man. When he refused the man took a picture of it and then called the media which jumped on it. I have very mixed feelings about this but I want to hear what you think first. Do you think posting a 'Black Power' sign on Martin Luther King Day Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-64240722596779066172010-07-30T10:45:00.007+00:002010-07-30T11:13:22.738+00:00Will the Coalition be Reforming the British Honours System?Now that the new Coalition government seems to be sweeping the country with their reforms of one kind or another, will they also be tackling the last vestige of white supremacy while they are at it? The last insult to a multicultural society?Last June, the usual crop of public honours recipients was announced in London. The Queen's Birthday and New Years' Honours Lists "reflect and pay tribute toMs CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-10383773361164405092010-07-29T14:14:00.004+00:002010-07-29T14:21:51.532+00:00Why I LOVE my new Prime Minister, David Cameron!On the 6th of May, 2010, when the British general election results were announced, I was secretly pleased that the Conservatives had not received enough votes to form a government, while being keenly disappointed that the LibDems had actually lost seats. I had hoped that they would have had a massive increase in their seats in Parliament due to what the polls had been saying before the election. Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-37414908448856642922010-07-13T15:07:00.008+00:002010-07-13T15:19:01.322+00:00Five Lessons From The 2010 FIFA World CupThe FIFA 2010 World Cup has ended on a high with lots of credits to the host, South Africa. The party is over and the clearing up has now begun, along with the reflection on what happened, remorse by the 'losers', regret on what could have been and new resolve for the future. The next four years will be one of soul searching and debate by all the world's teams as to how they can do better. Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-56793881827760663552010-07-01T15:31:00.007+00:002010-07-02T10:26:20.044+00:00English Football Debate (2): How the British media is strangling football talent with their burden of expectations and reporting extremes(huffingtonpress.com)On Tuesday morning the English football team returned from the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Disillusioned, exhausted and dejected, they came face to face with a barrage of headlines about their failures and disasters, not least one that said "The Flops Come Home". Today, the men are still followed on their deserved holiday with stories screeching how The Flops are taking Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-89218302879299471752010-06-30T11:04:00.006+00:002010-07-02T09:58:50.231+00:00English football Debate (1): Did you say "the beautiful game"? When a perfectly valid goal is disallowed, the game is downright ugly.The World Cup 2010 football game between England and Germany, where a very able English team was massacred 1:4 on a hot June day, will be long remembered for a host of reasons, not least that it could lead to radical changes both in perspectives in Britain and in FIFA playing procedures. People involved in football (players, managers, referees, commentators and officials, in particular) love to Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-7899659085948795342009-03-30T13:43:00.002+00:002009-03-30T13:48:36.131+00:00Why Madonna is right to adopt another child from Malawi(picture courtesy: www.smh.com.au)The Save the Children Fund has added its weighty voice to the debate as to whether Madonna should adopt another child and has spoken out against her, citing the fact that children should be cared for by 'extended families in their own home community'. Yes, that is true, and lot of things should happen in our world to make it a fairer place for many orphans, poor Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-64014500388265767902009-03-02T10:38:00.007+00:002009-03-02T13:05:56.572+00:00Should Gordon Brown be putting his own house in order before he visits Obama?Today Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of Britain, makes a much publicised trip to visit President Obama of the United States. The opposition Tory party is leading by an average of 12 points in the polls just now, sympathy for its leader, David Cameron, is also at record high because of the sudden and tragic death of his disabled six year old son last week; the bailout of the banks, especially Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-81100745287726562072009-02-08T12:05:00.007+00:002009-02-08T12:17:05.502+00:00Do many White Britons really get it about the offensive nature of Racism? Why the BBC was right to sack Carol ThatcherCarol Thatcher, the daughter of a British Prime Minister, made a remark about a French tennis player, saying how much he looks like a 'golliwog' a 'half-golliwog' and a 'golliwog Frog' (frog being a derogatory, xenophobic term for the French). The BBC immediately sacked her from The One Show. Apparently, to date, nearly 3,500 people have complained about her being dropped by the BBC and only 133 Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-65469772292992797742008-12-19T12:35:00.011+00:002008-12-19T12:48:37.787+00:00The problem with seeking scapegoats instead of justice: it allows crime to flourish even moreI remember it well. It was 1992. I was having chronic marital problems and under heavy stress. I suppose, at those times, when there is internal conflict, everything external appears to be in turmoil too. For some reason, society just seemed a bit more lawless then. It was the year Rachel Nickell was killed on Wimbledon Common in London in front of her two year old son, Alex. A beautiful woman,Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-23322462218622475862008-12-14T16:58:00.002+00:002008-12-14T17:01:52.684+00:00Why it is suddenly cool to be Black in Britain: Thank you Simon Cowell - and Barack Obama!Last night, the equivalent of the Berlin Wall came crashing down in Britain on our television screens. Alexandra Burke, one of the most talented singers I have ever seen on TV, sang her heart out to become the undisputed queen of Britain's X-Factor (the sister of American Idol, but a much better, more inclusive version). Barely two weeks ago, moved by one of her renditions, Simon Cowell had saidMs CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-570768917904184492008-11-05T18:23:00.001+00:002008-11-05T18:24:56.318+00:00Victory, Grant Park, high emotions and a brand new President... wowwowwow!! (Day 7)...Live from Chicago!I am crying as I write this, full of emotion for an awful lot of reasons. I can barely see the keyboard but I have to get this out, both to Newsvine and to Britain. I will feel better when I have said it, if I can find the words to say it. But this is no time to rush things, so let's begin at the beginning. I started November 4, 2008, being interviewed by phone by Alice Gomstyn of ABCNews.com in Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8002885495079915731.post-30036504008162405452008-11-05T18:19:00.000+00:002008-11-05T18:22:01.040+00:00Why the notion of valuing true diversity is a false and uncomfortable one!Many people who know me and my pioneering equality work in the UK will find this post, in particular, rather strange, and might, in fact, fall off their chairs in some surprise! But that is the beauty of evolving in life from one stage to another. If we are learning, we are always developing and always changing perspectives. If we are entrenched in what we believe and have closed minds, we've Ms CYPRAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410191032429139874noreply@blogger.com0