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Spring Light

© Sybille Sterk Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

Picture taken last week and since it is almost the weekend (and it's of course raining) I thought it'd be the perfect image to spread a little cheer. Textures and colour adjustments added, but mostly as is. :-) In case you're wondering, I think the flower is called a grape hyacinth.

All images/textures/brushes my own or bought. Edited with Photoshop.

All my images are available on Redbubble, Artflakes, Society6and Bluecanvas as prints, cards, posters, skins for laptops, Blackberry, iPhones and other phones (for the skins go toBluecanvas). You can now also get most of my images on cushion covers (go to Society6 for these).

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UK Copyright Law Under Threat

This is seriously scary - Acta and Pipa were defeated (for now) but despite the findings in the back of the Hargreaves report they're still trying to steal our copyright. This is thanks to big companies like Google. Please repost this on Twitter and FB and all other social media. Read it and weep: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/02/govt_copyright_white_paper/

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about double standards or them and us

For a very long time I've suffered in silence. I've just kept telling myself that maybe someone, somewhere will stand up and do something. No one did.

Well, that's not quite true. There are people all over the social media and groups like Avaaz.org and many others like it that do make a fuss and, yes, sometimes it works.

On the whole what is going on though makes me feel helpless and without a voice.

It's the double standards that get to me. The law is the law is the law and it's the same law for everyone.

So answer me this:

"Prime minister David Cameron has said that Barclays Bank management has "serious questions" to answer over how it manipulated banking lending rates."

(Source BBC News 28-06-2012)

Serious questions? Interesting... Compare this with what he said about Jimmy Carr taking part in the legal tax avoidance scheme:

"Prime Minister David Cameron intoned that "some of these schemes we have seen are quite frankly morally wrong", and Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, maintained tax avoiders are the moral equivalent of benefit cheats."

(Source BBC News 21-06-2012)

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't agree with tax avoidance schemes but I think on the whole the cost to the taxpayer is a pittance when compared to what the banks have cost the tax payer in recent years. I don't agree with benefit cheats either... but again what about the tax breaks big companies and corporations receive?

I am just so tired of these double standards.

As I said before, the law is the law is the law and it applies to everyone. Why have laws, if then someone can just decide it applies to you, you and you, but you over there get off free. Where can I get a 'get out of jail free' card?

The underlying theme seems to be if you have friends in high places you can do what you like and all you get for it is a slapped wrist (at the very worst, it may be a pat of the back for being so clever for all I know). However, if you don't rub shoulders with those in power the law will apply to you even if you haven't actually broken it, and we'll make damn sure you serve the full sentence, too.

Hmmm. What message does this give to people in general and our children in particular? I'd say the message is – "Make sure you have friends in high places so you can do as you please." Criminality as a matter of social standards or who your friends are.

No doubt there always have been double standards and questionable morals but what once was a rare occurence and something dealt with quickly, when it did become public, is now an everyday event and no one even blinks an eyelid.

Should it be that way?

What can we do about it?

Suggestions please!