A Decade on, Most are Critical of the U.S.-Led War in Iraq

A Decade on, Most are Critical of the U.S.-Led War in Iraq - Ten years after U.S. airstrikes on Baghdad punctuated the start of the Iraq war, nearly six in 10 Americans say the war was not worth fighting - a judgment shared by majorities steadily since initial success gave way to years of continued conflict.

Nearly as many in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say the same about the war in Afghanistan. And while criticisms of both wars are down from their peaks, the intensity of sentiment remains high, with strong critics far outweighing strong supporters.

Reuters Videos - The official war in Iraq may be over but the battle scars still remain, both physical and emotional, for those who served, and for their families. Lindsay Claiborn reports.

A key reason: A substantial sense that neither war did much to achieve their goals of enhancing U.S. security. Only about half of Americans say either war contributed to the long-term security of the United States, and just two in 10 say either contributed "a great deal" to U.S. security - clearly insufficient, in the minds of most, to justify their costs in lives and lucre.

WORTH IT? - As such, 58 percent in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, say that considering its costs vs. its benefits the war in Iraq was not worth fighting; 56 percent say the same about the war in Afghanistan.

These results are dramatically different than they were when the wars began long ago. The war in Iraq, a few weeks after its start on March 20, 2003, was supported by 80 percent of Americans; in Afghanistan, in late 2001, support exceeded 90 percent. In neither case, it seems, did the public expect conflicts as long, as complicated and as costly as ultimately transpired.

Similarly, at the time of the fall of Baghdad at the end of April 2003, 70 percent of Americans described the Iraq war as worth fighting - nearly twice as many as do so today.

Nor did the war go over well in Iraq, as shown in a series of six exclusive polls there by ABC and other media partners from 2004 through 2009. Never did a majority of Iraqis support the U.S.-led war; by 2009, given the toll of the invasion and ensuing years of violence, 56 percent said it was wrong for the United States and its coalition allies to invade.

LESSON - The course of U.S. public opinion underscores a consistent political lesson: Hell hath no fury like an unpopular war. Public rejection of the Iraq war, in particular, irreparably damaged the presidency of George W. Bush; declining support for the war and Bush's falling approval rating across his second term correlated almost perfectly - at .95, with 1 a perfect fit. That's perhaps an impetus for the Obama administration's efforts to wind down the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

Criticism of both wars has been higher than it is currently, likely reflecting the U.S. departure from Iraq and the reduced intensity of fighting in Afghanistan. In April 2007, at the height of the post-invasion conflict in Iraq, a peak of 66 percent called that war not worth fighting. Just less than a year ago an identical two-thirds said the same about the war in Afghanistan.

SECURITY - As noted, views of the wars' contribution to security strongly influence these assessments. Just 21 percent say the war in Iraq contributed a great deal to long-term U.S. security; among them, 70 percent say the war was worth fighting. Among those say the war contributed "somewhat" to security, 59 percent say it was worth it. But among those who say it didn't enhance U.S. security at all, a vast 83 percent say the Iraq war was not worth fighting. The breakdowns on Afghanistan are almost identical.

In terms of intensity, 43 percent of Americans feel "strongly" that the Iraq war was not worth fighting, more than twice as many as the number who feel strongly that its benefits did justify its costs, 19 percent. The divisions on Afghanistan, again, are very similar, 38 strongly critical vs. 18 percent strongly in support.

There are lingering political and ideological differences in views on Iraq, with support much higher among Republicans and conservatives compared with others. Fifty-seven percent of Republicans and 55 percent of conservatives say the war was worth fighting; just 35 percent of independents and 27 percent of Democrats, respectively, agree, as do just three in 10 liberals and moderates alike. Results on Afghanistan are similar among partisan groups.

HISTORY - The change in attitudes on the Iraq war, in particular, in many ways sealed the fate of George W. Bush as the most unpopular second-term president in political polling dating back nearly 80 years. Support for the war ebbed after the fall of Baghdad passed, yet the conflict continued; as noted, Bush's popularity faded with it.

By February 2004, just short of a year after it started, 50 percent of Americans said the war was not worth fighting; it reached a majority that June and stayed there, with just three exceptions, in 52 ABC/Post polls across the ensuing nine years.

In one notable exchange, in March 2008, ABC's Martha Raddatz asked then-Vice President Dick Cheney about the public's dissatisfaction with the war. Cheney said: "You cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls." At that point, about six in 10 Americans or more had described the war as "not worth fighting" continuously for two years.

Today, five years later, nearly six in 10 still do.

METHODOLOGY - This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone March 7-10, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,001 adults, including landline and cell-phone-only respondents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points, including design effect. Partisan divisions are 33-25-35 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents.

The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by Abt-SRBI of New York, N.Y.

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The Real-Life Ukrainian Barbie Doll

The Real-Life Ukrainian Barbie Doll - With a teeny waist, disproportionately large breasts and wide, icy-blue eyes, 21-year-old Valeria Lukyanova says she is the real natural deal. A real-life Barbie, that is.

That's what she claims anyway. Many are crying foul to her claims of her au natural Mattel-branded looks. Whether she underwent plastic surgery or uses photoshop to carve out that waist remains unclear. On her blog, the model notes that she is the most famous woman on the Russian Internet because of her doll-like appeal.

Hundreds of photos on her Facebook page show a wide-eyed, nearly fake-looking Lukyanova posing in a variety of scanty outfits. But with nearly 8,000 subscribers to her Facebook page, it's unclear whether Lukyanova exists at all, or whether it's all a hoax thanks to the world of photo editing.

She did not return requests for comment, and, upon friending the model, a message from Facebook states, "Sorry, this user has reached the limit of pending friend requests."

If she is real and does not use photoshop on her photos, she likely underwent a barrage plastic surgery. Dr. Malcolm Roth, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said plastic surgery should never be used to transform oneself into a favorite celebrity or, in this case, a play toy.

"We believe evaluating any and all issues that may affect our patients' well-being, including psychological factors, is part of providing total patient care," Roth said in a statement. "Additionally, Valeria is also only 21, so certain milestones in growth and physical maturity ought to be considered before plastic surgery is performed. ASPS cautions patients to keep in mind that plastic surgery is real surgery with real risks, just as with any operation, so the decision should not be taken lightly."

Whether Lukyanova is real or fake, photoshopped or plastic surgery, Diane Levin, professor of education at Wheelock College in Boston, said the mystery of her existence is not the issue. The problem is that her flaunted image epitomizes and exemplifies the issue of objectification of women in today's society.

"Barbie has always been controversial and really changed the discussion on how girls play," said Levin, author of the book, " So Sexy So Soon: The Next Sexualized Childhood and How Parents Can Protect Their Kids." "When Barbie came around, play suddenly became about dressing up and looking right and it eventually played a role in how women wanted to look in real life."

While Lukyanova is an extreme example of societal expectations of perfect beauty, Levin said, "If society expects women to look like that, it is harder for almost any woman to totally resist it.

"This just feeds into our media screen culture, where being involved with real things are becoming more and more removed for children," Levin said. "Even if she's totally photoshopped, the fact that her body is being changed to one that no one actually can attain epitomizes what is happening in our society."

Levin encouraged parents to have an open discussion with their children about sexualization and objectification in the media.

"Rather than just writing it off as someone or something that is ridiculous, allow your child to share your thoughts and have an open discussion about healthy self-image and expectations for themselves and others," she said. ( ABC News )

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The man who can fly like a bird

The man who can fly like a bird: A 'miracle' or a hoax? - A Dutch engineer's mechanical wings seemingly allow him to take flight. But is the video just a well-orchestrated fake?

Jarno Smeets designed a pair of giant bird-like wings, which he used to fly 328 feet before landing safely back on the ground. Photo: YouTube

The video: The idea of self-propelled human flight has long eluded humankind. That is, at least until Jarno Smeets, a mechanical engineer from the Netherlands, fashioned a pair of giant wings with which to attempt to make aeronautical history through his HumanBirdWings project. The secret to his brief, 328-foot flight in January was reportedly in a flapping mechanism that mimicked the motions of his arms, using accelerometers taken from a Nintendo Wii to read his movements while an Android smartphone calculated the wings' corresponding motor output. (Watch a video below.) "I have always dreamed about this," he says after his inaugural flight. "After eight months of hard work, research and testing it all paid off." Or has it?

The reaction: "Move over Orville, Wilbur, and Leo da Vinci, there's a new birdman in town," says Rip Emerson at TechCrunch. This is history in the making, and it's nothing short of a "miracle." Well, quite honestly, "I'm really amazed by this video, because I always dreamed about doing this," says Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo. But the question remains: Is the video real? Several critics — including hang gliders and engineers — claim the video is a sham, pointing to Smeets' awkward takeoff. But others, including Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters fame, see no reason the video couldn't be genuine. Judge for yourself ( theweek.com )

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Mystery of incredibly ornate 2,600-year-old bronze Greek warrior helmet found on seabed

Mystery of incredibly ornate 2,600-year-old bronze Greek warrior helmet found on seabed - Amazing object found in Israel's Haifa harbour - Covered in detailed animal ornamentation - Could have been worn by a warrior in the Persian Wars

A bronze Greek warrior helmet dating back to the 6th or 5th century BC has been discovered on the seabed in Haifa Harbour, Israel – but the owner remains a complete mystery.

Jacob Sharvit, director of the Marine Archaeology Unit with the Israel Antiquities Authority, said: ‘The gilding and figural ornaments make this one of the most ornate pieces of early Greek armour discovered.’

However, how it ended up on the seabed and who it belonged to remains unknown. One theory is that it belonged to a warrior stationed on one of the warships of the Greek fleet that fought the Persians, who ruled the country at the time.

Heads up: Covered with gold leaf, now somewhat corroded, this 2,600-year-old bronze helmet was discovered in the waters of Haifa Bay, in Israel

The helmet was found five years ago by a Dutch dredging ship and handed over to the Israel Antiquities Authority for examination.

It determined that it was fabricated by experts from a single sheet of bronze by means of heating and hammering.

This technique made it possible to reduce the weight of the helmet without diminishing its capacity to protect the head of the warrior.

The front of the helmet - the nose and cheek guards - is thicker than its back.

Fighting talk: It's likely that the helmet belonged to a mercenary Greek warrior

Site: The helmet was found in the harbour of Haifa, which will soon be searched for possible evidence of a shipwreck in the area

UNCERTAIN ORIGINS OF AMAZING TREASURE

This helmet is recognisably Greek, but it is otherwise hard to pin down the identity of the warrior who wore it.

The sixth and fifth centuries BC were a time of war for the Greeks, with the most famous conflicts being the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War.

However, it is possible that this soldier was not fighting for the Greeks at all, but for an Egyptian pharaoh.

He could have been a mercenary in the wars which consumed the Middle East and are recorded in detail in the Old Testament.

The front, above the nose guard and the forehead, is adorned with an engraved and hammered decoration of a peacock’s tail and snakes are incised above the eye slits.

The cheek guards are decorated with a pattern of lions, one on the right side and one on the left.

The helmet was probably that of a mercenary who was aboard a ship that traded with the nearby coastal settlement at Tell Abu Hawam, near the outlet of Nahal Kishon.

In excavations that were conducted at Tell Abu Hawam in 1932 to 1933 pottery vessels were found had been imported from Corinth.

In the excavations that were carried out there in recent years, on behalf of the University of Haifa and the Antiquities Authority, archaeological strata of a well-planned city were exposed which yielded a large quantity of Greek vessels.

It is unclear how the helmet ended up at the bottom of the harbour - the most obvious explanation would be that it was simply dropped in to the ocean by its clumsy owner.

Another suggestion is that the ship the warrior was travelling on sank, and archaeologists plan to search the area to see if there is any more evidence of a shipwreck.

Results of the find were presented to the Archaeological Institute of America last month, while the helmet is now on display at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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A New World Architecture

A New World Architecture – Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism, the world is facing another stark choice between two fundamentally different forms of organization: international capitalism and state capitalism. The former, represented by the United States, has broken down, and the latter, represented by China, is on the rise. Following the path of least resistance will lead to the gradual disintegration of the international financial system. A new multilateral system based on sounder principles must be invented.

While international cooperation on regulatory reform is difficult to achieve on a piecemeal basis, it may be attainable in a grand bargain that rearranges the entire financial order. A new Bretton Woods conference, like the one that established the post-WWII international financial architecture, is needed to establish new international rules, including treatment of financial institutions that are too big to fail and the role of capital controls. It would also have to reconstitute the International Monetary Fund to reflect better the prevailing pecking order among states and to revise its methods of operation.

In addition, a new Bretton Woods would have to reform the currency system. The post-war order, which made the US more equal than others, produced dangerous imbalances. The dollar no longer enjoys the trust and confidence that it once did, yet no other currency can take its place.

The US ought not to shy away from wider use of IMF Special Drawing Rights. Because SDRs are denominated in several national currencies, no single currency would enjoy an unfair advantage.

The range of currencies included in the SDRs would have to be widened, and some of the newly added currencies, including the renminbi, may not be fully convertible. This would, however, allow the international community to press China to abandon its exchange-rate peg to the dollar and would be the best way to reduce international imbalances. And the dollar could still remain the preferred reserve currency, provided it is prudently managed.

One great advantage of SDRs is that they permit the international creation of money, which is particularly useful at times like the present. The money could be directed to where it is most needed, unlike what is happening currently. A mechanism that allows rich countries that don’t need additional reserves to transfer their allocations to those that do is readily available, using the IMF’s gold reserves.

Reorganizing the world order will need to extend beyond the financial system and involve the United Nations, especially membership of the Security Council. That process needs to be initiated by the US, but China and other developing countries ought to participate as equals. They are reluctant members of the Bretton Woods institutions, which are dominated by countries that are no longer dominant. The rising powers must be present at the creation of this new system in order to ensure that they will be active supporters.

The system cannot survive in its present form, and the US has more to lose by not being in the forefront of reforming it. The US is still in a position to lead the world, but, without far-sighted leadership, its relative position is likely to continue to erode. It can no longer impose its will on others, as George W. Bush’s administration sought to do, but it could lead a cooperative effort to involve both the developed and the developing world, thereby reestablishing American leadership in an acceptable form.

The alternative is frightening, because a declining superpower losing both political and economic dominance but still preserving military supremacy is a dangerous mix. We used to be reassured by the generalization that democratic countries seek peace. After the Bush presidency, that rule no longer holds, if it ever did.

In fact, democracy is in deep trouble in America. The financial crisis has inflicted hardship on a population that does not like to face harsh reality. President Barack Obama has deployed the “confidence multiplier” and claims to have contained the recession. But if there is a “double dip” recession, Americans will become susceptible to all kinds of fear mongering and populist demagogy. If Obama fails, the next administration will be sorely tempted to create some diversion from troubles at home – at great peril to the world.

Obama has the right vision. He believes in international cooperation, rather than the might-is-right philosophy of the Bush-Cheney era. The emergence of the G-20 as the primary forum of international cooperation and the peer-review process agreed in Pittsburgh are steps in the right direction.

What is lacking, however, is a general recognition that the system is broken and needs to be reinvented. After all, the financial system did not collapse altogether, and the Obama administration made a conscious decision to revive banks with hidden subsidies rather than to recapitalize them on a compulsory basis. Those institutions that survived will hold a stronger market position than ever, and they will resist a systematic overhaul. Obama is preoccupied by many pressing problems, and reinventing the international financial system is unlikely to receive his full attention.

China’s leadership needs to be even more far-sighted than Obama is. China is replacing the American consumer as the motor of the world economy. Since it is a smaller motor, the world economy will grow slower, but China’s influence will rise very fast.

For the time being, the Chinese public is willing to subordinate its individual freedom to political stability and economic advancement. But that may not continue indefinitely – and the rest of the world will never subordinate its freedom to the prosperity of the Chinese state.

As China becomes a world leader, it must transform itself into a more open society that the rest of the world is willing to accept as a world leader. Military power relations being what they are, China has no alternative to peaceful, harmonious development. Indeed, the future of the world depends on it. ( project-syndicate.org )

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Earth Warmed by Trails of Clouds that Jets Leave Behind

Earth Warmed by Trails of Clouds that Jets Leave Behind - The long, feathery lines of condensation that form behind aircraft, called contrails, have more of an immediate warming effect on the Earth's surface than the carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases that the aircraft emit, a new study calculates.

However, the researchers add, contrail clouds disappear within a day or two; the potent greenhouse gas carbon dioxide lingers in the air for many years.

Contrails form when the hot, moist plume of exhaust generated by an airplane's engines mixes with cold air in the upper atmosphere. Liquid droplets form and then freeze, forming a straight, white line. Over the span of a few hours or more, the contrail loses its definition and becomes a wispy cirrus cloud. But if the atmosphere is very moist, the line shape can exist for days, said Ulrike Burkhardt, a researcher at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Center. She and colleague Bernd Kärcher calculated contrails' effect on climate.

If there were no other clouds in the sky, contrail cirrus clouds would cover up to 10 percent of European skies and about 6 percent over the east coast of North America, another heavily trafficked region, they calculated. They disappeared from American skies briefly when nearly all airtraffic was grounded after the 9-11 attack. Some research has indicated that this resulted in more variation in temperatures, particularly warmer daytime temperatures.

Like natural clouds, contrails have contradictory effects on the Earth's surface temperature. Their ice crystals reflect solar light, decreasing the amount of light and heat that reach the Earth's surface, but at the same time they trap long-wave radiation (such as infrared light) coming from the other direction, preventing it from heading into space after it gets reflected off the ground. This heats the planet's surface.

The thickness of the contrail clouds, technically known as the optical depth, determines how much heat they trap. Many are too thin to be visible to the human eye or satellites, and these thin contrail clouds contribute negligibly to warming, the researchers write in the most recent issue of the journal Nature Climate Change.

The size and shape of the contrails' ice particles are also important in determining how much heat is trapped, Kärcher said.

Contrail clouds have another complex effect: They use up water vapor that normally could go into the formation of natural cirrus clouds, according to Kärcher and Burkhardt.

When all of these effects are considered, contrail clouds ultimately alter the Earth's energy budget in a way that warms it, by reducing the amount of energy that escapes back out into space, the team found. Greenhouse gases do the same thing, trapping energy that would otherwise escape into space and so warming the planet.

Airplanes emit greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, in addition to forming contrails. However, in terms of the immediate change in the Earth's energy budget, the contrail clouds have more impact than those emitted greenhouse gases, the researchers calculated.

Even so, carbon dioxide can linger in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, while contrail clouds lose their potency within days, Kärcher said. ( LiveScience.com )

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17th century witch chronicles put online

17th century witch chronicles put online - A 350-year-old notebook which documents the trials of women convicted of witchcraft in England during the 17th century has been published online.

The notebook written by Nehemiah Wallington, an English Puritan, recounts the fate of women accused of having relationships with the devil at a time when England was embroiled in a bitter civil war.

The document reveals the details of a witchcraft trial held in Chelmsford in July 1645, when more than a hundred suspected witches were serving time in Essex and Suffolk according to his account.

"Divers (many) of them voluntarily and without any forcing or compulsion freely declare that they have made a covenant with the Devill," he wrote.

"Som Christians have been killed by their meanes," he added.

Of the 30 women on trial in Chelmsford, 14 were hanged.

Wallington also recounts the experiences of Rebecca West, a suspected witch who confessed to sleeping with the devil when she was tortured because "she found her selfe in such extremity of torture and amazement that she would not enure (endure) it againe for the world." Her confession spared her.

Carol Burrows, who managed the notebook's digitization, on Thursday told Reuters that Wallington's journal was important because of its connections to the civil war.

"It's a personal account and it tells us a lot about the time -- they were troubled times," she said.

"It's in English and it's very easy to read so it's going to be of interest to the general public as well as scholars," she added.

The manuscript is one of Wallington's seven surviving notebooks. The woodturner wrote 50 journals about religion, the civil war and witchcraft trials during the course of his life.

A team at The University of Manchester's John Rylands Center for Heritage Imaging and Collection Care spent two weeks photographing the notebook kept at Tatton Hall in Cheshire so they could make it available online. (Reuters)

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Tax Guru: tie the knot and pay less tax

Tax Guru: tie the knot and pay less tax - The tax system already favours the institution of marriage – and the Coalition may deliver further tax breaks in the Budget .

It is hard to believe, but barely 20 years ago married women were not treated as real people by the tax system, merely adjuncts to their husbands.

It was the husband's responsibility to complete a tax return showing income for both himself and his wife, and she was obliged to provide him with the information to do so. The law was brought kicking and screaming into the 20th century on April 5 1990.

Norman Lamont, who, as chancellor, piloted independent taxation, did so with the following words to Parliament: "Independent taxation is bound to mean some couples will transfer assets between them with the result that their total tax bill will be reduced. This is an inevitable and acceptable consequence of taxing husbands and wives separately. We expect income splitting."

Once married, Prince William and Kate Middleton will be able to transfer assets between them tax free

This gave a blessing for couples to save tax by relatively straightforward planning. The rules specifically allow spouses, and civil partners, to transfer assets between themselves without it being treated as a disposal for capital gains tax or inheritance tax, provided the recipient is UK domiciled.

The starting point is to ensure both spouses use up their income tax personal allowances. From April, this will be £7,475 for people up to 65, £9,940 for pensioners between 65 and 74 and £10,090 for those aged 75 and over. If one spouse is working and one is at home with the children, it makes sense for investments to be held in the name of the non-working spouse. This will apply to bank and building society deposits in particular and any property they own that is let.

From next month the amount of income you can earn before you become a higher-rate taxpayer drops from £43,875 to £42,475, but there will be a £35,000 band available to each spouse with only 20pc income tax applying. So, if you have one spouse paying higher-rate tax and the other not earning or a basic-rate taxpayer, it makes sense for investments to be transferred to maximise the income taxed at basic rate. In this example, shares come into the picture because dividends can suffer higher-rate tax, effectively at 25pc of the cash dividend.

What applies to income applies similarly to capital gains, because everybody has an annual capital gains exemption, currently £10,100. If sitting on shares with a profit of £20,000, it may make sense to give half to your spouse before they are sold so you use both annual capital gains tax exemptions.

How about single premium insurance policies, often referred to as bonds? The tax rules are complicated, but when you finally cash in the bond or draw more than the 5pc per annum allowed, the excess will be subject to income tax if you are a higher-rate taxpayer. Assigning a policy to a basic-rate taxpaying spouse can save a big tax bill and if the proceeds push them into higher rates of tax, ''top slicing relief'' is available to reduce the liability.

A particular problem can affect pensioners. This is because they can pay a higher tax rate if their income exceeds the age-related allowance limit which, for next year, will be £24,000. It means that a pensioner earning between £24,000 and £28,930, (£29,230 at age 75 and over), will pay an effective tax rate of 30pc on their income because of the way their personal allowances are reduced.

The same principle applies if one spouse is earning between £100,000 and £114,950, because here the effective tax rate becomes 60pc as personal allowances are phased out altogether.

You need to pay particular attention to joint bank accounts. HMRC will treat the income from these as equal unless steps have been taken legally to change the basis on which the account is held. Joint accounts are useful for older couples because if one dies, the other one can still access it, whereas individual accounts are only accessible once probate is granted. So, if you want a joint account, but for your spouse, for example, to have 90pc of the income, you should have a deed to evidence that the legal basis of ownership has changed. This new basis can then be used for tax purposes on completion of HMRC form 17.

Avoid the temptation to give an asset to your spouse on the understanding that, if you want it back, it will be returned, as Norman Lamont made clear: "Provided that the gift of assets between husband and wife is free from conditions and is a complete and irrevocable transfer of the underlying capital as well as the income, we see absolutely no case for imposing a tax penalty on the income of those assets."

One of the disadvantages of marriage is that a couple is only allowed one principal private residence CGT exemption at a time, although, as I explained two weeks ago, it is possible to have a degree of doubling up using the election and the three-year rule. On the whole, however, the tax system favours marriage and it is thought that the coalition Government is generally favourable to further improvements, some of which may be announced in the Budget on March 23. ( telegraph.co.uk )

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Prince William and Kate Middleton could afford to buy 'just a caravan'

Prince William and Kate Middleton could afford to buy 'just a caravan' - Prince William and Kate Middleton could barely afford to buy a caravan if they depended solely on their salaries, a high street bank reveals today.

More accustomed to the surrounds of St James Palace, Prince William’s RAF salary of £37,170 means the couple could only obtain a mortgage of £142,000, according to the Spanish banking giant Santander.

It found a selection of properties valued at this amount across the country, many of which it described as ‘less than regal’.

Prince William and Kate Middleton could afford to buy 'just a caravan'

They include a two-bedroom bungalow in Windsor which is a rebuilt mobile home, measuring just 50 square foot, and a parking space close to Westminster. The money could also buy them a one-bedroom flat where they first met.

However, if they traveled further north, they could consider a two-bedroom semi in Glasgow.

Experts described the prospect of getting a foot on the property ladder as “daunting”.

Nigel Lewis, of property website FindaProperty.com, said: “If William and Kate were an average young couple, without the additional sources of finance they enjoy in reality, they’d be able to find comfortable if modest homes in most areas of the country.

“If they wanted to live in London or the South East however, this would be much more of a stretch. It’s clear from the findings that what a modest budget will afford varies considerably between regions, which is why it’s always helpful if there is a bit of flexibility in terms of where and when people hope to buy. For those that are prepared to shop around, there are still some real bargains to be had, even if the overall budget isn’t vast.” ( telegraph.co.uk )

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Namarina’s interpretation of humanity’s history

Namarina’s interpretation of humanity’s history - Can the history of humanity be condensed into a single ballet?

The Namarina Youth Dance troupe tried to and wowed the audience at the Jakarta Playhouse (GKJ) in early November with their performance of The Story of Man.

It was a four-sequence ballet performance that depicted the history of humanity from the Adam and Eve parable of the first humans to the Renaissance to the 21st century. The Story of Man is a true artistic endeavor from the 54-year-old ballet school.

Dinar Karina and Susi Anddri choreographed the ballet, incorporating classical ballet with contemporary dance as well as traditional Balinese dance. The performance offered interesting combinations in line with the school’s style, which is renowned for its innovative and progressive dances.

Mesmerizing: The Namarina Youth Dance troupe performs The Story of Man at the Jakarta Playhouse in early November.

Namarina, the oldest ballet school in Southeast Asia, presented the Namarina Youth Dance troupe’s fifth season performance at the Jakarta Playhouse on Nov. 5 and 6. Twenty-eight ballet dancers supported the performance.

“The story recounts the journey of mankind, which is full of various problems, achievements and disasters,” the program introduction said.

The ballet dancers performed to live music played by the Rhythm Salad League, a unique fusion group that has elements of ethnic, classic, jazz and pop music, allowing them to present a wide possibility of music styles to accompany the dance.

The performance started with the biblical story of Adam and Eve’s fall from grace. A beautiful pas de deux featuring one male and one female ballet dancers in khaki and gold colored costume showed the fate of Adam and Eve starting their new life outside the Garden of Eden. The first part of the performance was titled Man and Nature. Dinar Karina choreographed the first sequence into four parts. The first part was followed by Children of Earth with dancers that depicted Adam and Eve’s kin exploring the mountains, valley and jungle while abiding by laws of nature.

The end of the first part was dubbed When Kings Are Gods. Ballerinas danced and posed on a tall wooden frame that represented man-made monuments. A white sheet was drawn in front of the ballet dancers and a woman danced while a man in a black cloak stood and watched. The man in the black cloak represented the dark side of humanity as the woman was sacrificed.

Dancer’s pose: Dancers stand in line during one of the acts of The Story of Man. In part two, dancers wore costumes inspired by 15th-century Europe to depict the Renaissance. Sussi Anddri showed her masterful choreography in a sequence titled The Age of Reason. The second sequence was also divided into four parts. Two ballerinas danced and did synchronized pirouettes marking the end of Dark Age. A ballerina sat on a swing that continued to rise above other dancers to symbolize the early Renaissance.

Part three, The 20th Century, was an energetic performance made dramatic by the play of light on the stage. Tutus were replaced with violet and gold body suits. Ballet shoes were left backstage and ballerinas danced barefoot.

The ballerinas changed into colorful T-shirts and leggings doing classical arabesque poses and combining them with modern fast moves.

The dynamic dance attempted to depict the fast changes of the 20th century — from the end of slavery, the rise of human rights, environmentalism and the emergence of rock music.

The last part of the performance was titled In Search of the New Ideals. The curtain that covered the band was opened. Dancers in modern costumes danced in front of the band and a wall that was covered with large scribbling on the state of today’s art. The ballerinas danced individually to upbeat music by Ojos de Brujo, Agatsuma and Rhythm Salad League.

At the end of the performance, Susi Anddri, Dinar Karina and Namarina director Maya Antar bowed in front of the audience. They joined all dancers clapping their hands to the playing of Rhythm Salad League. As the music ended and the curtains closed, Namarina once again served Jakarta ballet lovers an enchanting treat. ( thejakartapost.com )

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