Ellee Seymour

Do you touch wood and cross your fingers for luck? Why are so many of us still superstitious? Especially today with our vast knowledge and proof to distinguish between fact and fiction.

According to one would-be expert, it’s because people feel increasingly vulnerable during times of conflict and uncertainty.

Lionel Fanthorpe, president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, said:

“It is not a safe or peaceful world we live in, so superstition appeals more to people when they are nervous or anxious about the social or political situation.”

A recent study highlighted by Ben Schott’s Almanac of Belief and published in today’s Times shows:

• 31 per cent of people who say they’re ‘not superstitious’ believe in ghosts
• 42 per cent of respondents who considered themselves not to be superstitious would still touch wood before any perilous undertaking

I believe we are less superstitious today, that fewer of us bother about walking under a ladder, or believe in ghosts. But I am fascinated about paranormal experiences, do you know of any?

And don’t worry if you see any “ghosts” today, just remember it is Halloween.

*You might like these Halloween pics posted by JMB.

Today has been chosen to mark the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe, one of the first tragic cases I highlighted in this series of missing people, and one of the most unforgettable because of the normal circumstances surrounding it.

It is feared Daniel was abducted and may have been murdered after disappearing 7th December, 2003 while waiting to catch a bus for a shopping trip along the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It was a few days before his 14th birthday. He would now be 17, the same age as my eldest son.

The 31^st October was chosen to mark Daniel’s disappearance as it is Halloween Day. It is intended to remind people that dangers do exist, but with the right education children can be safe. This is one of the key messages that a foundation set up in Daniel’s memory has been striving to achieve, to bring about a positive result out of the heartache his family have suffered.

Kathy Atkinson, from the Forever Searching website, wants us to know that The Day for Daniel is not only about the Australian community remembering Daniel, but about the world recognising the importance of teaching children about personal safety and protective behaviour.

Local schools and community groups in Daniel’s native Australia will be participating in a Walk for Daniel. Walkers have been asked to wear something red; a red tee-shirt is the symbol for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation because Daniel was wearing one when abducted.

The Walk for Daniel has 2 messages:

• It symbolises Daniel walking home from the bus stop a trip he did not make but the walkers will complete that journey for him.
• That our streets are safe provided some basic child safety education is taught to our children.

Just look at those two pictures, one of them shows goodness and innocence, a son anyone would be proud of, while the photo-fit of the suspect depicts evil and sends shivers through me.

Thousands of kids will be out at dark trick-and-treating for Halloween tonight, the key safety message is that they do not go out alone, at least in pairs, and stay together at all times.

In memory of those who are still missing.

   I would like to propose that dancing should made compulsory, that there is a dance suitable for everyone to enjoy, whatever their age and fitness level.

That was the theme of my latest Toastmasters speech at Cambridge Speakers’ Club last night.

I mentioned how Strictly Come Dancing was one of my favourite programmes, that dancing would help improve our health and well being, boost our social life and interaction, and encourage us to lose weight - especially the obese. It is also very uplifting.

You can read it hear, and learn who I would love to dance with Paso Doble with.

I still feel nervous when making speeches, but am becoming more confident and feel I have improved considerably since my ice breaking speech. This is a great club to join and learn with. My personal challenge is to ad lib more rather than writing a speech and learning it off by heart.

I was particularly impressed when one of my fellow Toastmasters told me she agreed with every word - and then headed off to her tango class. If only I had taken my dancing shoes with me ….

Congratulations to David Miliband and his wife on the adoption of their second son Jacob. The Foreign Secretary’s flying visit to the States clashed with an important Saudi state visit - but he has put family first and still taken his paternity leave.

I wonder what the Saudi guests make of our Foreign Secretary’s paternity leave, I don’t suppose it happens in their country.

Miliband and his wife Louise, a violinist, are already the adoptive parents of a two-year-old, Isaac, who was born in the US. They missed the birth of Jacob, who was born prematurely, but were able to watch Isaac’s birth.

Having a new baby is obviously a moment of great job. But it’s natural that anyone should question if the Miliband’s were given preferential treatment. In both cases, David Miliband has refused to give details of the agency he used for the adoptions, or explain why they didn’t adopt from the UK.

As a 42-year-old, the Foreign Secretary would have faced difficulties adopting in Britain. According to the surrogacy agency, Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy, couples over the age of 35 are often not considered as suitable adoptive parents.

The agency said babies were more likely to be placed with younger couples who would give them the longest, happiest life, forcing others to turn to surrogacy and adopting abroad. Forty-two doesn’t seem too old to me to adopt, especially as many couples today are having families in their 30s and 40s. It’s not a parent’s age that I consider the most important issue, but whether they can spend time with them, that’s what a child values the most, I hope the Foreign Secretary can somehow juggle that with his ministerial responsibilities. I think he will want to.

Adoption is a hugely emotive subject, especially for desperate childless couples. That’s why the Milibands need to be transparent about their adoptions. Do you remember how Welsh couple, Alan and Judith Kilshaw, tried to adopt twins from America through the internet. The couple paid thousands of pounds for the babies but lost the right to keep them. It led to international adoption being tightened in 2001.

I wonder if David Miliband will offer to get up and share the night feeds, the most exhausting part of new parenthood. Funnily enough, my husband conveniently never heard those 2am cries from our two babies. Or the 5pm demand for more milk.

Two very contrasting results have been announced for female political candidates. While Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner swept to victory as Argentina’s first elected female president, there were no women elected in Oman.

It’s particularly disappointing because a record 21 women out of a total of 632 candidates competed for 84 seats in this year’s election for the monarchy’s consultative council that advises the ruling sultan and questions ministers on their performance. It had previously had two women members.

Some voters said women candidates failed to win seats because they were unpopular in the male-dominated society. It has also been said that tribal affiliation might have overshadowed voter’s choices.

Nevertheless, more women than men were reported to have voted at some polling stations, according to this Gulf News report.

However, one female voter said some women in the tribal interior of the country had problems getting to polling stations since they rely on their menfolk for transport. Some also follow their male relatives’ lead when choosing which candidate to vote for.

I really admire these courageous women from Oman for standing as candidates in a male dominated society. Perhaps Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who wants to modernise his country, could set a quota of women members on his council to give them a helping hand.

After listening to Clifff Burrows, president of Starbucks for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, speak at this event about inspired leadership, I thought he might like to read my post about my son David’s first request on waking up in hospital.

It was for a Starbucks banana Java chip coffee based Frappaccino, with no whipped cream. I mentioned how I was a traditionalist when it came to drinking coffee and usually stick to a totally unadventurous filter coffee.

I emailed him the link, not expecting a reply from such an important and busy man. However, he did respond. He was firstly concerned about David’s well being (he is much better now), and then took my lack of knowledge about coffee as a challenge to educate me.

He arranged for a box of goodies to be sent to my house, including four different packs of coffee blends, a fabulous Bodum coffee maker, three bars of chocolate, one of their stylish mugs and a £20 Starbucks voucher for David.

Thank you Cliff, I can tell you I am thoroughly enjoying the tasty African blend and look forward to sampling the others.

I’m just so impressed by this personal touch. I didn’t even get the chance to talk to Cliff at the seminar, I was a total stranger who emailed him out of the blue. How many presidents of global organisations are as caring and responsive as this? Of course it’s good PR, but I believe it is genuine. Who cannot admire a company whose ethos is to “provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity,” as well as “develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time”.

Of course, that naturally includes me.

My MEP Robert Sturdy is fuming at the way EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has reneged on vital trade agreements with ACP countries.

We have issued the following press release condemning Mandeleson’s proposal for regional agreements to be reached instead:

Conservative MEP Robert Sturdy yesterday condemned Mr Mandelson’s u-turn over the critical trade agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP).

Last month, Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, repeatedly squashed calls for alternative options to the so-called Economic Partnership Agreements which will define Europe’s trade relations with ACP countries for the next 15 years and are due to concluded by the end of 2007. He said that there was no other legal option which meets WTO compatible market access arrangements.

But yesterday, the Commission admitted defeat by saying that negotiations would not after all be completed by the end of the year. In a surprise move, the European Commission negotiators, led by Mr Mandelson, have proposed sub-regional agreements, which will be signed by just some of the countries within the six regions, with others to follow at a later date.

Mr Sturdy said: "This is complete chaos. Mr Mandelson’s comments on new trade agreements are unbelievably farcical.

“The very idea that other countries in ACP regions would join later would mean they would be signing up to a deal they had never negotiated. Does the EU really think this is a good idea? Weren’t EPAs meant to be all about regional integration?

“ACP countries should not have to choose between a trade agreement which may damage their local and regional markets on the one hand, and barriers which cripple their export markets on the other. There are still choices to be made and last minute policy shifts from the Commission do nothing to restore the confidence of the disconcerted ACP."

EPAs were intended to link trade and development policy, incorporate sustainable development and contribute to poverty reduction through facilitating trade and enable countries to become better integrated into the global economy.

Appropriately designed, they represent an opportunity to revitalise EU-ACP trading, promote economic diversification and regional integration. But negotiations have not gone smoothly.

African countries have expressed concern about this outcome. Anti-poverty activists have argued that even with this scaling down of ambition for the negotiations, the accords reached this year could have an adverse effect on jobs and earnings.

This very interesting comment has been made on my post where I wrote about my difficulties with Tech Guys:

You do realise just how sexist dixons group and pcworld are being, don’t you.
tech ‘guys’!?
I’m a woman and I am a technician. I am not a guy!
As a woman and a journalist with clout, can you not join the many women who are already picking up on this and state that it is out of order.

I do take her point, and I certainly do know of other women technicians. However, I am making an assumption that the name was chosen because of its informal and friendly overtones (even if, in my experience, they didn’t live up to it this).

I have no idea how many women are employed by Tech Guys. It would sound too naff to change their name to Tech Guys and Gals. Do you have any suggestions? Perhaps something simple, like Tech Solutions.

If this is something you feel strongly about, you can follow her lead by protesting to the companies. I shall not as I don’t feel riled about it. But it would be interesting to know the outcome.

It is three years today since James Nutley vanished while on a golfing holiday with friends in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, aged 25. That evening they went out in town, but at about 11.00pm James left the group and headed back to his hotel alone. He has not been seen since. Some of his possessions were found on the beach.

Despite local searches and appeals for information, James’s whereabouts remain a mystery. There is great concern for his safety as his disappearance was completely out character. His family and friends are extremely anxious for news of James’s wellbeing and urge anyone who may know something to come forward.

His friends have launched a campaign website. And James’ photo featured on thousands of milk bottles to mark the first anniversary of his disappearance.

James’s father Jeff said: “We are coping but it’s hard work. Anniversaries bring it up but then it comes back to you every day..“

And his mother Cath said they must believe that he has come to no harm, and this is what keeps the family going.

As part of its new appeal Missing People has produced a video podcast for James.

In memory of those who are still missing.

I had toothache all weekend and managed to get an emergency appointment this morning (private with Denplan). How else these days? It turned out I had nasty abscess and the root of the tooth was fractured so nothing could be done to save it and it was whipped out.

I had been warned before that I was on borrowed time with this tooth, that it was very iffy. Because it was fractured, it came out in bits and the whole area is very sore due to the abscess. I also have a throbbing headache.

So apologies if I don’t get round to visiting my regular blog sites today, or instantly respond to comments. I plan to put my feet up on the sofa and catch up with a couple of old videos and some reading.

I also plan to have a blog light week as it is half-term and there is a long list of tasks I need to accomplish with the boys, as well as keeping on top of work.

In the meantime, I shall try and keep smiling ….