Belgian maiden

Yahoo! has like other news agencies loads of info on the high and mighty in society, i.e. those with lots of money to spend on (for normal people) stupid things, telling us what they're up to etc. Doesn't it irritate you that so much attention is spent on them while MOST people can't even afford what these well-off people have access to because of their money? Should we perhaps have more info on how "normal" people live their lives, make ends meet etc, rather than be faced with what we just can't expect to achieve? I try to cope with life as it is thrown at me, but I really don't want to have my nose rubbed in it!

I live in Hampshire and close to the Surrey border. I would be interested in teaching literacy / reading. I have a teacher qualification and I used to tutor children in reading, writing and maths for quite a few years. I am considering taking early retirement, or working part time and am thinking about using some of my free time to help others. Any ideas about organisations that could use my help. Charity organisations, voluntary organisations, local government schemes. I would prefer to earn some money but I will consider other options. Has anyone got some pointers? Thanks!

I just read that someone on a British TV programme (Come dine with me) was rude to guests. He's now being threatened with being attacked or killed. I haven't seen the programme, but to me it looks like there are no longer restraints on what people (even total strangers watching the show) will do when they are slightly upset. Wouldn't it be enough for him to apologise? Why all these threats? What is happening in society to make people react like that? There is too much unwarranted violence in the world, and I feel we need to start thinking about keeping our emotions in check to keep the world viable and safe. A little acceptance and tolerance... Or not?

what would you do to help those who were destitute and needy through no fault of their own? I've been watching "secret millionaire" and wondered how most of us would react

upsetting people but they don't even answer the question or give their own answer? To me this seems quite biased and not very open or tolerant. I was brought up as a christian, but no longer believe, but I have kept some moral guidelines from it, and intolerance is definitely not what I was taught. What's wrong with people these days?

I am finding it hard at timed to understand some questions on YA!, because of bad spelling, lack of punctuation or just random talking. I am not trying to blame anyone but what happens in education/schools these days? Surely communication should be one of the priorities to make people able to deal with situations in their life? Is this totally forgotten in preparation to the real world?

I could really do with a laugh today. Who's got a really good one for me?

Opera is not everyone's cup of tea, I know, but I find this quite rousing because people were involved and it was for and with the people, rather than "to the people". What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLjuGPBusxs

I feel there is something of a witch hunt going on against Islam at the moment, with the 9/11 remembrance and the "burning the Koran" issue. I am not a religious person, but I respect those who are. I believe that all religions have a moral code which is about respect for others, loving relationships, caring about each other, and certainly not wanting to hurt each other. I believe that Islam has these views too, even if I don't know enough about their religion. There are exceptions in any religion, obviously, but I feel they are a minority, where people become so fundamental that they take the teachings outside of the original good-will message all religions have. This is not happening just in Islam, but also in places where a small church wants to burn the Koran, and other churches/religions unwilling to be open to others, even in established churches, or where a faction of people want to burn the US or another flag or the effigy of a president etc. This kind of thing has happened in history over and over again, with the prosecution of "heretics", the catholics in the UK under Henry VIII, the Crusades, the Jews, the witches and druids and the Wicca. Whenever something was felt as a threat to power, people were persecuted because of their religion.

The whole situation is leading to "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" and it is becoming really ugly. Can people find some common ground here, please?

How do you feel about so much food that is still good to eat but considered sub-standard or not wanted, and is being wasted / thrown out. Supermarkets are throwing out food that is still edible, farmers are throwing out, or recycling food into animal feed, because consumers are not willing to buy/eat them, or because the food doesn't come up to the standard length or thickness or size. I would like to know the reason for your answer. Would you be in favour of having special areas in supermarkets where food is sold to be eaten "as soon as possible"? Thanks.

I am having a problem with questions about people asking if they look right, if they are pretty / handsome, if this hairdo is OK etc etc.

Don't these people have a life, apart from worrying what they look like and how other people might think about the way they look? Have people become that desperate and shallow that all that matters is their outside, and they forget about what they are "inside", the real "them" but they are covering it all up with the external beauty needed as they see it to "succeed"? Do they realise that some people don't have that "advantage" of external beauty but are left to feel really bad about the way they look because of the questions? They may possibly create a lot more mental health problems without realising it.

I am concerned about answers given to people with real health and mental health problems, answers which may delay proper and necessary help. Most of us are unable to know or even decide what is serious in these cases, as we don't really know much ahout what is going on.

I just saw a question from someone wanting to know about being possibly committed to a mental health hospital. I work in mental health and felt that most of the answers were definitely not correct, and could have made this person even more scared to find help. Do you feel you have a responsibility when giving answers to people in this position, or is it all about points? Perhaps YA! should not post these kind of questions, or they should be reserved for a special site on YA!

I understand that most questions are for fun, but some are not, and we have to make a difference.

Your views?

I saw two rainbows today, one very clear, one very faint. Beautiful, I love them. I just wondered why they were arc shaped. It must have something to do with the light refracting at certain angles. Please explain in lay language if possible.

I inherited a statue of a shepherd, probably of Belgian or French or Dutch origin, from around or even before 1920. It is around 50 cm (around 20") tall. I think it is probably made of bronze, but it could be copper. It has not been looked after very well, it's dusty and dirty. How can I clean it? Or should I leave well alone and check with antique dealers - I am looking at selling it.

I have tried to send an email to 3 different addresses but the messages are being rejected. I have done a complete anti-virus scan and no threats were found. What could be the reason?

The error message I received is as follows:

"The message could not be sent because one of the recipients was rejected by the server. The rejected e-mail address was '...' . Subject 'trying again', Account: ..., Server: ..., Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '550 REJ-CON-002: Host (212.139.108.220) has been blacklisted by cbl.abuseat.org', Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 550, Error Number: 0x800CCC79"

Please help

I really don't understand how young women these days can be so set on being PH's best friend. I think she is a total control freak, she has an inflated idea about herself, sitting on her "throne" with a sceptre etc - basically saying I'm your queen and you will obey me, but I will call you my best friend???? These girls don't seem to get it that their worth is not just about money, and money PH has, but what else has she got? She has to make others dance to her tunes to get her power, dressing up the way she wants them to, making them bow to her in every sense like sucking her toes. The girls going for this programme have totally forgotten about what it is to be a woman and being yourself, not to be subjugated to men, but then they subjugate to this woman, who is supposed to become their "best friend"?

I think friendship requires more respect!

Can anyone tell me what Julian Smith was playing at the Britain's got talent final? I have a feeling Kenny G played it too, but who composed it?

I love the tenor saxophone and just love this bit of music!

My lawn is very uneven and it takes me around 2 1/2 hours to cut the grass (and my garden is not that big!). I have two electric lawn mowers, both circular, but I find it takes a lot of effort to cut the lawn with either of them. I am considering getting a self-propelled petrol lawn mower, but am not sure this will really help. I am not young any more so I don't want to carry a very heavy mower out of the shed, I also don't know much about "servicing" it as such.

Should I stick to what I have?

... when first of all, (I feel) they should be seen as soon as possible by a medic, and secondly, they may not get a qualified answer to their question on Yahoo! answers... If I was worried about something, I would go straight to my doctor or to Accident & Emergency.

I have just answered a question and going back to it noticed that someone has thumbed down - not my own answer - but that of someone else and in my view it was a perfectly good and polite answer, but it was thumbed down. It's not the first time I've seen this on Yahoo! and I suspect some people are so prejudiced that they can't allow someone else to have an objective response or even, oh no!, not agreeable to the reader / prospective answerer.

What do you think?