Even while battling cancer in a hospice, the former X-Ray Spex singer was talking about writing new songs and fighting cynicism. Here was a pop star who truly made a difference The internet is already melting with the warmth and love extended towards Poly Styrene, who died yesterday after a brave battle with breast cancer . As the singer with X-Ray Spex, her songs such as Germ Free Adolescents and The Day the World Turned Day-Glo were among the most memorable of the punk era. Born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, she was also a feminist and “misfit superstar” who paved the way for everyone from Kim Gordon to Karen O. Beth Ditto credits her with “shaping my identity” and her fans include Boy George and David Baddiel . But for generations of followers, the unassuming singer was more than an icon: she was someone who felt like one of us, and who will be mourned like an absent friend. When I was 13, she had a huge impact on me because as a small, ginger-haired kid struggling with identity she was the first pop star I could identify with. Mixed race, young and wearing bonkers outfits and dental braces, her simple but powerful message was that it was OK to be different because everyone is special. During the punk explosion, I owned just two punk albums: the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks and X-Ray Spex’s Germ Free Adolescents – and I played the latter most. Poly taught me about subjects that school didn’t: identity crises, genetic engineering, and consumer society. Even today, those lyrics – and her wonderfully untamed phrasing – are burned into my brain: “I live off you, and you live off me, and the whole world lives off of everybody … see we’re gonna be exploited, by somebody, by somebody.” Back then, I could never have imagined that I’d end up interviewing her in a hospice as she battled breast cancer. Bed-bound after a fall broke her back in two places, she accepted the illness with incredible grace and I was struck not just by her bravery but also her humour. We spent much of the interview chuckling, beginning with her telling me she had once been taught by future Queen guitarist Brian May. “We used to heckle him. ‘Sir, are you married? If you are married, why doesn’t your wife iron your shirts?’” She explained that her distinctive worldview had been formed by a mix of seeing the Sex Pistols and living off the land for a summer before returning to London and finding “everything seemed to be made of plastic”. X-Ray Spex were about “not trying to be like anybody else, but being yourself. High energy, youthful music, creativity. Better than expressing yourself through crime. Being in a band, saying what you want. It was better than being in a girl gang.” She explained how, as punk turned from liberating force to straitjacket, she’d quit the band – after being pelted with tomatoes during a gig in Paris. “We’d tried to change our sound,” she explained. “They didn’t like that, the anarchists in their black leather jackets. They thought it was the French revolution all over again.” But she admitted to not realising the significance of what she had started: “I didn’t really think about it. I just went steaming ahead, like a bull in a China shop. I’m quite discerning about what I get behind, but when I really get behind something, I give it everything.” To the last, her optimism and energy never waned – and she was even talking of ideas for new songs coming to her in the hospice. Her new album, Generation Indigo , – uplifting, playfully opionated pop and her best music since the 70s – was “something really positive” she could leave behind, should the worst happen. Not that she feared it. “I try not to be negative or cynical,” she explained. “Even though we’re in a crazy situation, economically, and with wars, when things go far right, they will have to swing left. We have to become more caring and sharing. Generation Indigo are the people who will protest peacefully, and it’s happening already.” And then she smiled: the smile of a woman fighting a terrible personal situation, but thinking only of the world she had yet to leave behind. The smile of someone with no regrets, who had a lot of fun, and made a difference. Poly Styrene Punk Pop and rock Cancer Dave Simpson guardian.co.uk
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Number of applicants to UK universities is up only 2.1% this year, surprising those who thought there would be a rush before tuition fees soar The rapid increase in the number of young people applying to UK universities over the last five years appears to be tailing off, statistics show. Figures published today by the University and College Admissions Service (Ucas) reveal that the number of applicants – while at a record high – has only increased by 2.1% in the last year. Between 2007 and 2008, the number of applicants grew by 8.3%. A year later, the increase was 8.8%. Between 2009 and 2010, the growth was 15.3%. This autumn, 633,811 applicants hope to start full-time undergraduate degree courses, the figures reveal. Last year, 487,329 people were accepted on to courses, meaning that this summer, 146,482 could be rejected by all the universities to which they have applied. Many people expected there to be a rush of applicants this year, hoping to get on to courses before fees almost treble, as almost three-quarters of universities in England intend to charge £9,000 tuition fees from autumn 2012 – the maximum allowed. Ministers allowed universities to offer an extra 10,000 university places for last year and this. But in 2012, these places will not be available. This year’s figures show that degrees in history, philosophy and classics are less popular than they were last year, while places on physics, maths and engineering courses are more sought after. Applications for history and for philosophy are down by 1.5%, while those for linguistics or classics have fallen by 4.2%. Applications for European languages have dropped by 0.8%, but non-European languages have increased by the same amount. However, applications for maths and computer science have risen by 6.5%, while for engineering they have climbed by 4.7%. Nursing has grown by 14%. The proportion of university hopefuls who are older than 18 when they apply continues to rise. The proportion of 19-year-olds who applied this year has grown by 6.2% while those aged 24 has grown by 4%. • How much are universities planning to charge in 2012? Consult our datablog for the breakdown. Students Higher education Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …A Los Angeles suburb with a big hole in its finances has found $4.5 million in secret pension funds a disgraced city manager set up for himself and his cronies. Robert Rizzo and his former assistant, Angela Spaccia, created the funds to allow public employees in Bell—especially themselves—…
Continue reading …Former dog fighter Michael Vick is growling about the new “Dog Wars” app for Google’s Android phone. The Kage Game app allows users to feed, water, dope, train and fight virtual dogs in bloody battles. ” Train your dog to beat the best ,” says the web site for the Kage Game…
Continue reading …Rachel Maddow has a message for gay news anchors: Come out of the closet. “I’m sure other people in the business have considered reasons why they’re doing what they’re doing” not revealing that they’re homosexual, “but I do think that if you’re gay you have a responsibility to come out,…
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A roof garden, developed in partnership with the Eden Project, has been created at London’s Southbank Centre by a team of 50 people who have faced adversity in life High above the modernist splendour of London’s Southbank Centre, Estella Hause takes a seat next to Scruffy the dog and surveys her work. “Everything I’ve done I didn’t know anything about before,” she says, waving a muddy hand at a bed of 100 native British wildflowers and grasses on the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. “I’ve learnt about different plants, how deep you plant them, how much you have to water them. I came up and just started helping. Since then they haven’t been able to get rid of me. I love it.” The roof garden, developed in partnership with the Eden Project as part of the Southbank’s 60th anniversary homage to the 1951 Festival of Britain, has been created by a team of 50 people who have faced adversity in life. Most have been homeless, spent time in prison or have mental health problems. Hause, a 30-year-old former drug addict who has been in prison for violent offences, was urged to join by a visitor to the women’s group she attends. Although she has only been involved for a week, she has taken to the work with such zeal that the gardening team’s leader, Paul Pulford, calls her his “right-hand woman”. Pulford, also known as Scruffy (he and his dog share the name), started gardening seven years ago after moving into a Providence Row Housing Association hostel in east London. “I was living on the streets and was addicted to heroin, alcohol, I had mental health problems. I didn’t care whether I woke up the next day or not,” he says. He formed a gardening club that spread to other Providence Row hostels and included taking on community work. For the last two years it has helped create the Eden Project’s silver medal-winning show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. “Horticulture has changed my life,” Pulford says. The success of the group, he says, hinges partly on its members’ shared experiences: “Any problems that anyone has, I’ve had them all.” Touring the 1,200 sq metre garden, which includes a mini orchard, vegetable plots and a pergola swathed in sweetly-scented climbers, he points out rare wildflowers and describes how they will attract bees and butterflies. “We’ve created a living work of art,” Pulford says. “We’re celebrating the beautiful flowers of the British Isles.” For Shân Maclennan, the Southbank Centre’s creative director of learning and participation, it is the gardeners who are important. “It allows people who’ve faced certain challenges to put themselves back in the world,” she says. Hause’s delight in her work suggests she is right. “It’s really therapeutic. Normally, when I wake up in the morning, I cry. This week, I’ve woken up every day smiling.” • The 60th anniversary celebrations of the Festival of Britain run until 4 September. Homelessness Alcohol Drugs Social exclusion Mental health Festivals Rachel Williams guardian.co.uk
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E4′s Misfits lands four nods, including for best supporting actor and actress, as Matt Smith becomes first Doctor to be in running for best actor
Continue reading …A stunned audience watched helplessly as a “human cannonball” stunt man plunged to his death after being launched from a tube in a daredevil show in the English countryside. The 23-year-old performer was shot some 40 feet into the air before slamming head first into a collapsed safety net intended…
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Ford reports net income of $2.6bn thanks to demand for greener cars and economic recovery Greener cars and a bounce-back in the global economy helped Ford report its largest first-quarter profit in 13 years. The company reported a net income of $2.6bn (£1.6bn), or 61 cents a share, compared with $2.09bn, or 50 cents a share, during the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose to $33.1bn, up from $28.1bn in 2010. Excluding special items, Ford has posted operating profits for seven consecutive quarters . Ford’s largest first-quarter profit since 1998 was driven in part by the return of US consumers to car dealerships . The company said buyers were favouring smaller, greener cars to cope with rising petrol prices. This week unleaded petrol averaged $3.87 a gallon in the US, up from $2.85 a year ago. Despite the trend to smaller cars, the average sales price rose. US consumers paid an average of $31,508 for Ford models in the first quarter, up 3.9% from $30,319 last year, according to car analyst Edmunds.com. The improvements spanned Ford’s global business. In Europe, first-quarter pre-tax operating profits more than doubled to $293m, compared with a profit of $107m a year ago. Ford South America’s pre-tax operating profit rose to $210m from $203m and in Asia Pacific Africa profits were up to $33m from $23m. Ford said it expected to build 1.5m vehicles worldwide in the second quarter, 12,000 more than a year ago. Alan Mulally, the Ford president and chief executive, said: “Our team delivered a great quarter, with solid growth and improvements in all regions. We continue to accelerate our ‘One Ford’ plan around the world, delivering on our commitments to serve our global customers with a full family of best-in-class vehicles and deliver profitable growth for all, despite uncertain economic conditions.” Ford cut its debt by $2.5bn in the first quarter and said its cash reserves now exceed its debt by $4.7bn. It reported $2.2bn of positive cash flow for the quarter, compared with a $100m outflow a year earlier. Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst at Edmunds.com, said: “Ford’s momentum stems from the company’s balanced product portfolio and its commitment to refresh its line-up at an aggressive pace, which keeps dealers excited and continues the buzz among car-shoppers.” She said that Ford was now well represented in every major product category: “The challenge for Ford will be maintaining this momentum – there’s more pressure when you’re the one to watch.” Ford Automotive industry Manufacturing sector US economy United States Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk
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Death of Abu Hafs al-Najdi, also known as Abdul Ghani, in early April is ‘significant milestone’ for US-led coalition One of the most important al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan was killed earlier this month, the US-led coalition has revealed. Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said on Tuesday the killing of Abu Hafs al-Najdi, also known as Abdul Ghani, in an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan was a “significant milestone in the disruption of al-Qaida” in the country. The veteran Saudi Arabian militant was on an Isaf hitlist since at least 2007. He was killed on 13 April, along with several other insurgents in the Dangam district of Kunar province, a heavily wooded and mountainous area that neighbours Pakistan. Ghani was finally pinpointed after he met another top al-Qaida leader named Waqas, who was also killed. In the last few months, fears have grown that the group has staged a major comeback after falling into near irrelevance in Afghanistan. For some time intelligence analysts have said the number of al-Qaida fighters in the country had fallen to perhaps fewer than100, and that what remains of the group that carried out the 9/11 attacks was either killed, captured or restricted to operating over the border in the comparative safe havens of Pakistan. However some reports have claimed the group is regrouping and even establishing training camps. It is thought to be particularly active in Kunar and other areas of north-eastern Afghanistan, where US troops have been forced to abandon entire valleys after Isaf commanders concluded that after years of bloody stalemate they were not making any headway against an entrenched resistance to the foreign presence. A statement by Isaf said the Islamist militant group remained a “top priority for Afghan and coalition forces”, and that 25 al-Qaida fighters have been killed in the last month alone. Ghani, who the coalition said was the second-highest priority insurgent in all Afghanistan, operated primarily in the province of Kunar. Isaf said he directed al-Qaida operations in the province, as well as training fighters and obtaining weapons. He was also responsible for organising high-profile attacks, including on Isaf bases, and was thought to be responsible for a suicide attack that killed a tribal elder on the same morning of his own death. It added that he also played a crucial role in keeping a flow of money to fighters operating on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border. “Abdul Ghani was able to streamline control of assets and provide considerably more funding to insurgent fighters,” Isaf said. “This led to increased funds to provide weapons, explosives and equipment to multiple insurgent attack cells.” Afghanistan US military al-Qaida Global terrorism Nato Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
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