The isle of Tanera Mor, just off the north-west coast of Scotland, is going on the open market for sale, for the price of £2.5million.
It is the only inhabited island in the Summer Isles archipelago and provides a rare opportunity for anyone willing to enjoy a unique lifestyle. It comes with nine other residences, a thriving bird colony, a post office, and a ready-made tourism industry. It also inspired a book written by someone who once lived there, and is rumored to have inspired the setting for The Wicker Man.
The current owners have greatly appreciated living on the island, having relocated from an English dairy farm in 1996, but now they are preparing to move on and hand their home to someone else, saying that “it is time for someone else to have the privilege of looking after this amazing place.”
After a meeting with the local community of Coigach, who turned down the chance to take over responsibility for the island due to current environmental projects, it was decided that Tanera Mor should be owned independently, considering that there would potentially be great interest, and the island would be able to fetch a healthy price. Furthermore, the new owners would have to be environmentally responsible, caring for an ecosystem that houses a colony of rare bird life, and would ideally be willing to be part of a small and close community, if not mostly living on their own. For those who enjoy almost total isolation, and living in harmony with nature – and with enough money – it would be the perfect home.
Despite its relative isolation, the island has in fact been inhabited since Viking times, and the name derives from the words “harbor island” in Norse, so its habitable nature should further appeal to those looking to buy.
A property consultant overseeing the purchase has encouraged anyone who fits the bill to come forward and claim a unique opportunity for an island lifestyle, where they could enjoy continuing “support and commitment from the local Coigach community”, and particularly those who would make the island’s sustainability a priority.
In light of the recent arrest of Tory MP Nigel Evans for rape and sexual assault, the Government may be questioning itself as to why it decided not to extend anonymity in rape cases to the accused. If it had taken up this issue and made changes to the law in order to protect people accused of rape and sexual assault then the public would not currently be aware of Nigel Evans arrest. The only time the public would become aware was if he was convicted.
The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976 introduced anonymity to victims of rape and sexual assault. This created a lifelong ban on their identity being revealed unless they choose to identify themselves. This anonymity is given to victims largely due to the stigma that comes with being a victim of such an intimate and violating offence.
Anonymity for men accused of rape is not a new idea conjured up by the latest coalition government. It was introduced in 1976 by the Labour Government and repealed by the next Conservative Government in 1988. The Liberal Democrats included it in their 2006 party policy and the current coalition Government proposed introducing it into law only a few years ago. The topic was dropped without being taken forward on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence that a new policy was needed.
Granting anonymity to a person who is not yet guilty of a crime arguably coincides with one of the fundamental principles of the law in the UK – the notion of being innocent until proven guilty.
There are clear grounds for the argument that men accused of rape should remain anonymous unless they are proven to be guilty by a court of law. The stigma attached to being accused of rape or sexual assault is such that it affects the accused’s entire life and their family’s lives. The accused may lose family and friends, their job, be subjected to violence or harassment or have to leave the area in which they live. This is particularly true of a person in the public eye whose accusations are documented throughout the media. If a person is found to be innocent or the accusations are withdrawn then there is often less media attention surrounding this type of story. Many will therefore be assumed guilty, even without trial. Many people believe that a person should not have to experience this if they have done nothing wrong. If they remained anonymous this would never happen.
However, there are also reasons why the accused should be ‘named and shamed’. Arguably, being accused of rape or sexual assault is no worse than being accused of other offences such as child murder. If anonymity is given to one offence then a snowball effect may occur and anonymity demanded for all sorts of offences. One of the features of the justice system in the UK is that it is open to the public. If people accused of crimes are given anonymity then the public will no longer be able to attend criminal court and have the access to the legal system that is currently in place.
Granting anonymity to an accused means that there can be no public appeals for more victims to come forward. In cases such as that of Jimmy Saville, this could have been potentially disastrous. If he had been alive and capable of being prosecuted a lack of victims could have meant that charges were never brought against him. The fact that the allegations came to light after his death would mean that had anonymity been in place the public would never have been made aware of the accusations.
A further argument put forward for accused people to not be granted anonymity is that it is disrespectful to the victim. This may be true in cases where the accused is guilty, however, in cases where the allegations are false and the accused is entirely innocent the lack of respect appears to be aimed at the accused rather than the other way around.
It is unlikely that this issue will be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. Any form of censorship should not be taken lightly and granting anonymity to a person accused of a crime has an effect on the way the justice system works. The Coalition Government may now be regretting the decision to shelve the idea in the light of the recent accusations; however, to rush into a change in the law is likely to be reactive rather than a logically decided and necessary amendment.
Nadilyn Beato has established a strong reputation amongst reptile lovers as an extremely talented painter, sculptor and digital illustrator, even attracting the attention of Tomahawk Reptiles to make a sculpture of their logo. She’s also the mastermind behind powerhouse reptile breeder BHB‘s logo, and countless others. She found some time in her busy schedule to answer some questions about herself, her work, and her love of nature’s more exotic animals.
Firstly, tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Nadilyn Beáto, I’m a 23-year-old New York-based Freelance Illustrator/Designer. I graduated from Parsons School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Illustration in May of 2012.
How did you get started in art, both personally and professionally?
I’ve been making art since I could get my hands on crayons. Art is my passion and after I graduated from high school I decided to continue my education doing what I love to do. I attended Parsons School for Design on a HEOP grant, which stands for Higher Education Opportunity Program. I started to freelance when I was a sophomore in college. The government decided to cut TAP grants and I had to take out loans to cover the cost of my tuition. Attending college full time gave me very little time to find a part time job. I decided to freelance and I was fortunate enough to get some jobs from people who appreciated my work. I recently graduated last May, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Illustration.
Your website, apart from being incredibly well designed, showcases some astounding work of a range of wonderful and exotic animals. What do you use as a basis for the animals that you don’t have as pets?
For animals that I don’t have as pets I get my reference from a variety of photos. I used to use several photos for reference when creating a piece. There are always certain aspects from other photos I like to merge together in my mind to create the final piece.
A boa constrictor pendantAlthough you are a wildlife illustrator, a look at your prints and sculptures shows a large body of work focused on reptiles. Compared to the number of people with cats and dogs, reptile ownership is a relatively small niche; was it a conscious decision to focus on that market over other animals?
I mainly focus on reptiles because I own a lot of reptiles. I feel most people only associate “cute” with soft and furry animals and reptiles are not considered beautiful. I think this stems from the media and a common misrepresentation of reptiles. Reptiles are beautiful and every time I create a piece I want to immortalize my subject’s beauty for others to appreciate.
Do you prefer doing one over the other, for instance the paintings over the sculptures?
I like doing both equally. It is always fun to switch things up once in while. I am very grateful I am able to work with a variety of mediums.
A digital illustration; view the making of in the video below
A look at your Facebook and Instagram pages indicate that much of your work is relatively small – pendants, prints, daily creature drawings etc. Then came the tremendous sculpture commission from Tomahawk Reptiles, of the pied python on the axe, which seemed to be much bigger than your usual work. Do you find such projects daunting,and is there any size job you would refuse?
I actually enjoy working larger. My Senior Thesis in college was a collection of 6 very large sculptures ranging from 7-12 inches tall. The biggest I have made was 12 inches tall; I am always open to any bigger commissions.
Nadilyn’s sculpture for Tomahawk ReptilesFollowing on from that, what would be your ultimate commission? Would you enjoy being immersed in a project that lasts months, like a huge King Kong on the Empire State, or do you prefer the smaller gigs where you work on a wide range in a short space of time?
My ultimate commission would be maybe a life-sized pet, like a lizard or snake. I think that would be a great challenge and a fun experience.
Tarantula pendantLeopard Gecko pendantYou’ve drawn, painted and sculpted everything from rats and parrots to lizards and crocodiles, and your pets include tarantulas. Do you have a favourite animal?
That is a tough question. I really like all animals but if I had to choose one it would be a Tarantula. I love how unique and interesting they are. They are gorgeous little creatures misunderstood by society and judged for their appearance instead of the good they do. They consume a lot of pests in the wild. They are just adorable little fluffy critters.
Monitor paintingIs there a favourite animal to sketch or sculpt? Are the long shapes of snakes less challenging than a feathered animal or spiky lizard?
My favourite animal to sketch and sculpt would be a snake. It is always a challenge when it comes to painting the patterns on snakes, but I love challenges.
Chameleon paintingWho are your inspirations, in life and for your work?
My inspirations are nature, my pets and Thomas Shahan. I love his illustrations and macro photography. He takes macro shots of jumping spiders and I feel that his photos make people appreciate the beauty of those unique little critters.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years’ time?
In 10 years I hope to continue making art and doing what I love to do. I really want to work for zoos doing anything art related, or work for wildlife conservation organizations creating art for their fundraising campaigns. In the end anything animal or art related would be awesome.
To view Nadilyn’s work, order her work or put in a custom order:
The search for potential astronauts to help create the first Mars colony is well underway.
On Monday, Dutch company Mars One officially launched a reality-show type bid on Twitter and YouTube to recruit volunteers to be part of the pioneering space missing, and so far they have been contacted by up to 10,000 people.
The trip will leave Earth in 2022, with a view to reaching Mars in 2023. It will involve four people spending seven months in a small capsule during the journey, and the trip will be one way, with no reasonable expectation of return. But the sheer popularity of this mission upon its launch shows that there is no shortage of people willing to be the first ambassadors in the next step of space exploration.
It will be a unique test to see if humans really are capable of living and even populating outside Earth, but another key motive for sending people to live there is to determine, more accurately, is Mars is capable of sustaining other forms of life.
Executive director of Explore Mars, an organisation devoted to exploring life on Mars, said that “there is a strong, growing body of evidence that there could be subsurface life on Mars. However, we may not be able to confirm that unless we send people.” Simply, there are limits to what current robots can achieve physically compared to humans, in terms of drilling and digging, and humans could most likely undertake in a few minutes what a current make of man-made robot can do in an entire day.
However, for the advantage of sending human explorers to Mars, there is a disadvantage. People will inevitably bring with them billions of microbes and bacteria which will potentially compromise the eco-balance of Mars and any life that may be found there. This is a risk of which the Mars pioneers are well aware, and the general consensus is that every precaution will be undertaken to minimise the biological impact of the primary Mars colony.
Certainly, the mission will not be without risk to either the human colony or to existing life on Mars, but now that the limits to current robot exploration are drawing close, to send people to Mars as a next step makes sense.
We are coming to the end of the penultimate series of Dexter and it’s dangerously close to unravelling for our favourite serial killer. If you are not familiar with Dexter then where the hell have you been?
Arguably one of the best shows on TV it has a surprisingly small audience in the UK. As all the best things do, it has a cult following that seems appropriate for the dark nature of the show. I’m always surprised that the American show has lasted as long as it has without being watered down or ruined by studios. Dexter Morgan is not your run-of-the-mill American hero and this often does not go down well with American audiences. We Brits however love an anti-hero and that is why I am surprised more people in the UK are not aware of the show.
Dexter is an anti-hero is ever there was one. After seeing his mother brutally murdered in front of him as a toddler, Dexter is adopted and raised by the policeman that found him, Harry Morgan. As he grows up Harry discovers Dexter killing animals and worries that what he saw at a young age has damaged him. How Harry reacts to this is probably one of the biggest questions of the show; instead of trying to suppress this need to kill, as he grows older Harry encourages Dexter to channel this need into killing only people that deserve it; people who have escaped punishment by the law. Harry sees this as an opportunity to allow his son to be the person he needs to be but also to correct what he sees as a failing in the justice system. By teaching Dexter to cover his tracks and abide by a “code” he will avoid being caught and satisfy his need to kill without hurting innocent people. Throughout all of the series this question hangs over Dexter, did Harry allow him to be who he needs to be or has he encouraged and nurtured a killer for his own sense of justice?
So far, Dexter has managed to keep his “dark passenger” hidden from the rest of the world and has a relatively normal life; he works as a blood splatter expert for the Miami Police, he even had a family but in this last series we have seen things begin to unravel for him as his life and his secret life start to collide. His sister has discovered his secret and struggles to come to terms with his other life, Maria LuGuerta is also getting dangerously close to the truth and Dexter is falling in love with another serial killer.
In the past each series of Dexter has gone from strength to strength but some viewers have criticised this last season, mainly because Dexter has become careless and you can see everything he has worked hard to hide is beginning to unravel before him. This show presents us with a strange moral dilemma, we know we should not like Dexter; we should want him to be found out and stopped because we know killing for any reason is wrong. But at the base of the show is a guy who is a little bit different trying to find a way to fit into society and I think that strikes a chord with many of us.
I think the reason some dedicated viewers are less happy with this season is that we can see it could all be going badly wrong for Dexter. As this series draws to a close and we excitedly wait for the eighth and final season, is Dexter going to make it through to kill another day or has his “dark passenger” taken him too far this time?
The first week in May is always an exciting one for political anoraks, as people go the polling stations in their droves (maybe) and take part in democracy by choosing their elected representatives. This time around it is mainly county seats up for grabs, which means that while there won’t be as many of them, the impact which those elected can have in communities is significant.
This is a strange time in the electoral cycle, with still more than two years to go until the next general election. None of the three parties has moved towards anything even remotely looking like a manifesto or even an idea of what might be included in one come 2015.
The county seats up for election this time round were last contested in 2009; that strange, distant time when anything seemed politically possible in Britain but most politicians were hiding away trawling through their expense claims.
Gordon Brown was the prime minister who, despite being widely regarded as saving the global financial system, was one of the most unpopular in living memory. David Cameron was leading his Conservatives to what appeared to be an irresistible landslide in 2010 and cheeky Nick Clegg was the darling of the disaffected. Then there was UKIP, seen back then as a slightly oddball bunch who might be good for a protest vote at the European elections but not for much else.
So what can we be looking out for this week to give as an indication of what the future might hold?
Don’t expect big Labour gains
Remember most of the seats up for election are in the Conservative strongholds of the Home Counties and the rest of the ‘Shires’. While Labour should make good gains in the midlands and further north, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cumbria and the like, don’t expect any big breakthrough anywhere else in the country. Anything more than a 400 councillor net gain would be a pretty remarkable result for Labour.
The UKIP factor
Having spoken to those campaigning in a few places around the country, feedback from the doorstep seems to be that while people are more inclined to think about UKIP, the actual effect they will have on the results remains minimal, perhaps between 5-10% in some seats, but in most places not even that much. As usual though, UKIP may end up being more of a threat in the safest Tory seats, so look out for Buckinghamshire, Suffolk and West Sussex for a good showing, picking up no more than 10-20 seats overall. David Cameron will also be watching his own backyard of Oxfordshire closely.
Can the Tories hold their own
It’s the nature of the cycle of support that about halfway through a Parliament the governing party has to defend seats won when they were in opposition, and they do so badly. In the 1990s Tony Blair won crazy council seats in places Labour would never usually even stand, then haemorrhaged those winnings throughout his premiership. There have been plenty of predictions on both sides as to how badly they will fare, with the Tories saying up to 800 losses and Labour saying 400ish, probably somewhere in the middle is a reasonable prediction. Don’t forget that many people in the Tory heartlands are not only largely unaffected by the cuts to public expenditure, but indeed actively support it and believe more can be done quicker.
What about the Lib Dems
In many ways 2009 was the high water mark for the Liberal Democrats. The time when voters still believed all that stuff about being Social Democrats and wanting to abolish tuition fees before they made their pact with the Conservatives and appeared to give it all up. However, don’t discount them here, while they will undoubtedly take some losses, the ability of the Lib Dems to dig in once elected is well known, and on top of that they have some very hardworking local councillors. After the recent Eastleigh by-election a Labour foot soldier was heard to remark that “after the nuclear apocalypse the only two creatures surviving will be the cockroaches and the Liberal Democrats telling everyone that the cockroaches aren’t local.”
The Independence question
One thing that makes local elections slightly more difficult to predict than general elections is the role independent councillors play. Many communities don’t want a member of a political party to represent them, much preferring to have someone who has, in the voters’ mind, only the interests of the area at heart, rather than some political career ambitions. This may have more bearing this time, given that in 2009 the expenses ‘scandal’ lowered the standing of any politician in the public mind.
Three things are certain on every election day and in those which immediately follow. Firstly, there will be some results which are total anomalies and don’t stand up to any analysis. Secondly, every party will say that the election had nothing to do with them, but was a damning indictment on the state of the other party/their leader/their policies/their lack of policies. Thirdly, the most sobering though for those of us who are interested, the vast majority of people don’t care about the elections, the candidates or the results.
