the_artifact

No worries. We may well start up on Sundays (we used to have a practice then as well but stopped cos no-one could get out of bed:) after xmas cos we were a bit quiet over Summer but it's getting crowded again now. Will be on website (and may remember to post) if so. Cheers, Jason

Heh... was going to start a topic and was doing a search so found this. If you're still on for some samba you can join the superb and peerless (well alright, we just have fun but the noise is good) Sheffield Samba Band!

The below has recently been forwarded through to us at Hallam, apparently the lass most recently attacked was waiting for a bus on Psalter Lane in the afernoon, a car came up and asked her for directions, someone asked her for directions, she was then hit by a metal bar of some kind. She's lost hearing (hopefully temporarily) and has bruising all down her face. No known motive or anything. A bit shocking really... don't have nightmares etc. The University’s Security service has received reports of several recent assaults on pedestrians in Sheffield. The incidents have involved youths in a car. They stop; one gets out of the car and asks for directions. Whilst the victim’s attention is diverted, they are punched or hit with some kind of weapon. The car then drives off. Staff and students should: ·try to avoid walking or waiting on your own at night ·look confident and alert to your surroundings ·when walking, face oncoming traffic ·if approached by persons in a car you do not recognise, move away from the kerb and be prepared to ignore their approaches and to keep walking

aNTAcid, there are plenty of kind strangers out there, they're just not willing to give out money at the drop of a hat (or drop of a threat). There are plenty of mechanisms to help people out in this country and whilst they are not perfect people are not really in such desperate straights as to need to beg to live. A freind of mine got threatened by a guy on saturday morning who said he'd been beating people up to get money all week. Was a big bloke with a pretty desperate stare (obviously after drug money) and my mate had to run into a petrol station for safety. There's no difference between that and the implied threats experienced by people on this board. Or the rubbish stories spun by beggars, or the bloke with the everlasting big issue. If it wasn't for these people maybe there would be more compassion, but as it is I would save my money for something like the Sheffield Archer Project which gives practical help and support, rather than hand it out to become someone's earnings for the day. Also in my experience the most desperate people rarely ask for help as they are too busy getting by (or not) in life.

I think this anti-chav phenomenon is a bunch of prejudiced hogwash anyways, like being poor and having little prospects in life is somehow 'bad', I mean of course it is bad but it's not like everyone has to rub it in. No job, no money, no life, and yeah we'll all laff cos you are weak and stupid and we are clever and strong. Maybe an "I love Chav's" wristband is in order:)

They are moving, think funding may be an issue tho' as AFAIK they were at the end of a grant. "Simunye has closed it's cafe at 229 London Road and are in the process of moving to new premises nearby - We hope to re-open around the end of May / early June and look forward to seeing you there." (simunye.co.uk)

Not sure the threat of a new hair colour would really deter them given the number of primary colours already in evidence (tho I do approve of such things), maybe a nice mousey brown job with a parting, all washed and scrubbed and morally upstanding. Cruelty to animals is a forerunner of later life psychosis and violent behaviour. So maybe we should lock em all up just to be on the safe side:o I'm surprised the city centre ambassadors don't look after the place. There's always someone on down at the peace gardens and Dev green is just as popular when the sun's out. Even just the friendly face of authority can make sure the inmates don't get too rowdy. With the skate park there and all the different groups who hang about it's a wonder nothing more serious has kicked off.