how to make popsicle stick lamps

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    How to Make A Lamp- shade out of Popsicle Sticks

    Way back when I was in first-year College during our NSTP subject one of the activities

    that our instructors had conducted was the making of the lamp- shade with the use of popsicle

    sticks with different colors that somehow inspired and motivated us to participate on the activity.

    On the middle of the activity, I had noticed that some of my classmates were focused on

    conceptualizing their own designs and some were enjoying while doing the activity. And when

    the activity were about to end, it made me realized that it was not easy to make such handicraft,

    you really have to conceptualize things out before to start making in order for you to come up a

    perfect design for your lamp- shade. It was indeed an exciting activity with full of fun and

    determination that awakened our creativity and helped us in developing our critiquing techniques

    towards conceptualizing our own designs and patterns.

    Because of some students who could not continue pursuing their degree in the

    university, The NSTP Unit decided to come up with alternative activities where the students may

    learn some necessary skills that will help them in their future, so like for example in the case of

    livelihood education, the project that will be introduced by the instructors in-charge for

    livelihood education could be utilized by the NSTP graduates if they dont have the capability to

    pursue their studies at least they can earn a living by making use of these skills on livelihood

    especially to come up with this kind of handicraft. The NSTP to be specific scouting that is a

    holistic development of all the students who are under the program, on the part of the livelihood

    education this is a full part of the social aspect of their development because this will not only

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    help their family, but they could also help other people especially those who do not have in

    luxury landing on colleges of poverty, because if they can establish their own small business they

    can hire people to be part of their business and they can also transfer the technology they will

    learn from NSTP. uttered by Prof. Bernardo, the NSTP Director.

    This kind of activity will awaken and develop the creativity on us because creative

    actions serve to increase self-awareness and promote self-acknowledgement and if we will

    engage ourselves in craft making surely it will hone our creative skills and learn how to be

    productive, and making something from raw material also comes with considerable personal

    rewards and a sense of accomplishment.

    I find the activity a little bit hard because you have to do it with great focus and

    attention. This activity would be a great help for those business minded people because this will

    serve as a guide for them in making such kind of business, and could also be a source of income

    in the near future. Says by Mr. Cielito Acosta, a 3rd year Education student.

    There are a lot of handicraft projects that you can produce like candle making, flower

    arrangement, stuff toys and etc. but you have to consider may things; first is the availability of

    materials- that you can purchase easily in any stores, second is time - you have to make it sure

    that it is handy where you can make it for any moment of time, third is money make it sure that

    the material youre going to purchase is not so expensive, fourth is the design - wherein the

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    artistic thinking of a student should be applied and can produce a product with high quality and

    lastly the salability- to produce a product that can be sold at very affordable price.

    Well if every individual is productive, I think no one will suffer from poverty. So each

    one of us has to help ourselves, Let us not keep ourselves more dependent to our parents or to

    other people. Through this activity, the students will not just learn how to make a lamp- shade

    out of Popsicle sticks but as well as could be another source of income. Added by, Prof. Labita,

    NSTP Instructor.

    Popsicle stick lamps can be intricately detailed works of art. The designs range and are

    based upon the personal creativity of the architect. The more skilled the architect, the more

    ingenious the lamp design. Table lamps and stick-style lamps are the easiest for beginner

    architects to make. A table lamp can be made much faster and does not require a lamp shade, as

    it resembles a lantern. The stick style lamp, on the other hand, is much more detailed and

    requires a lampshade in addition to the lamp base.

    Table Lamp Base

    Decide what dimensions the lamp base will have, the easiest dimensions would be for an 8-

    inch-by-8-inch square. The square base can be elaborated on in future projects and become an

    octagonal base. Begin the base by cutting a piece of -inch plywood down to an 8-inch-by-8-

    inch square. Sand the finished square. Decide which side of the square will be the bottom, then

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    use craft glue and eight Popsicle sticks to create a diamond pattern around the center of the

    square (2 sticks per side). Glue three to four layers of popsicle sticks on the diamond and let it

    dry completely. The diamond pattern will become the legs of the lamp. Drill a hole in the center

    of it that will be large enough to fit the lamp-kit pipe and securely hold it in place (usually a 5/8-

    inch drill bit will work). Use a handheld router on one side to make a channel for the outlet cord

    to fit in and extend it to the outside edge of the base. Insert the pipe, the socket, wiring and bulb.

    Building the Lamp

    On the opposite side of the plywood base, use a stick ruler to mark a pencil border that is

    the same width as the ruler (about an inch). Number the sides of the square lightly with a pencil.

    The border should be long enough for two Popsicle sticks to fit length-wise on each side. Glue

    each Popsicle stick to the base. When gluing the sticks on the second and fourth sides, double the

    thickness of the sticks. On the second layer double the thickness of the sticks on the first and

    third sides. Repeat the same layering as was done on the first two layers until the bulb is about

    three to four layers below the top of the lamp.

    Decorating

    Translucent rice or shoji paper can be glued to the inside of the Popsicle sticks to create the

    look of a lantern. The finished lamp also can be painted or sprayed with a clear protective

    varnish, but remove the electrical components before doing it. Don't varnish or paint the Popsicle

    sticks before gluing them because they won't adhere as easily.

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    Making arts and crafts out of Popsicle sticks is an enjoyable pastime for many people.

    The sticks themselves can be purchased in bags at craft stores, and be used to make boxes,

    baskets and towers by crafters or kids at summer camp. Some Popsicle stick artists make

    intricate sculptures and household items with Popsicle sticks, as well. The craft described in this

    article makes a column lamp, but other styles are possible with creativity and imagination.

    First Step

    Drill hole in the center of the base. This allows the wire to go through the bottom. It's also

    possible to run the wire under the bottom layer of craft sticks or route a channel in the bottom of

    the wood base so that the lamp will sit flat on a table.

    Second Step

    Attach the light fixture. For now, leave the light bulb out of the socket so that you do not

    have to work around a glass bulb. Fixtures are usually attached with small screws, and can be

    purchased pre-assembled with switches and plugs already attached. With adequate electrical

    expertise, you can assemble the socket yourself, if you wish. Either way, the wire will need to be

    removed, threaded through the bottom hole and then reattached before you secure the socket to

    the base.

    Third Step

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    Design your lamp. These instructions describe how to make a single column lamp with

    incremental turns. However, it is possible to create intricate designs and whimsical shapes such

    as boats, houses and stars. Look up designs on the internet for inspiration.

    Fourth Step

    Construct the bottom layer. For the 8-inch base, create a hexagon with the craft sticks by

    laying two down with ends overlapping, forming a wide "V" of approximately 130 degrees.

    Place another "V" facing the first, about 4 inches away from the first. Then lay one craft stick

    across the end of the first "V," reaching to the second stick on the left. Repeat on the right to

    make a hexagon. For an easier model that uses fewer craft sticks, use the smaller 6-inch base.

    Lay two sticks down horizontally, and then place two sticks vertically over the ends. Once the

    sticks are arranged, glue them in place with white or wood glue.

    Fifth Step

    Glue the first layer to the base. After the glued joints in the first layer have dried, center the

    shape on the base and glue it down. Allow it to dry.

    Sixth Step

    Continue building. Glue subsequent layers together on the lamp base. The fastest way to

    proceed is to glue numerous layers together and allow them to dry, and then assemble them onto

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    the lamp. As you place each layer, turn it slightly, so that the glued joints are just to the right of

    the joints on the last layer.

    Seventh Step

    Finish the lamp. When the desired height of the lamp is reached, allow it to dry completely.

    Finish as desired with shellac or paint or leave it untreated for a natural look. Small buttons,

    beads or shells make nice detail finishes for the lamp. Insert the bulb, plug the lamp in and enjoy.

    The materials are very cheap, really. You can actually find these stuff somewhere in your

    house. If ever you don't have some of the items listed, you can take a walk on your favorite

    hardware/craft shop and buy those. But since I live in a different country, I cannot give you the

    prices of each.

    1. Lots of Popsicle sticks

    2. Elmer's Glue All

    3. Screw/Screwdriver

    4. A plug with a wire

    5. Receptacle

    6. Warm light bulb

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    Advantages of Handicraft

    House with a soul:

    o Every tree has its character: the tree preserves its natural form in the log wall.

    o Human energy that is put in a handcrafted log house gives definitely added value to the

    building.

    o In many cultures there are traditions connected to the soul of tree. In Japanese language there is

    even own word for thiskodama. Handicraft wood treatment takes best care of it.

    Exclusivity:

    o Building by handcraft gives us possibility to create unique solutions.

    Environment friendly:

    o Handcraft production gives a minimal amount of waste of the wood material.

    o There is no need for a big industry or wasting machines.

    Massive:

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    o By peeling logs by hand we preserve maximum of a tree trunk and it is possible to use wall

    logs of a bigger size.

    o In a massive log wall there is no glue layer in the wood which would impede breathing

    through the wood.

    Almost every family in the Philippines owns one or more handicraft products like

    baskets, brooms, feather dusters, bamboo sofa set, cabinets, popsicle lamps and other furniture.

    Accessories like earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and other clothing apparel which young people

    today are fond of wearing are also made from native products like beads, shells, seeds, and

    others. This is a clear indication that our handicraft industry is enjoying the patronage of

    Filipinos nationwide.

    Our country, Philippines is blessed with rich natural resources that are scattered

    throughout its islands. These God-given natural wonders are the sources of people's food, shelter,

    and other basic needs. After some time, people acquired many skills that enabled them to tinker

    with nature. They used the raw materials from trees, plants, sticks and other natural resources

    that are very abundant and turned them into simple, yet useful tools or instruments.

    Today, many Filipinos are engaged in handicraft businesses. Handicraft-making has

    become a means of livelihood for them, especially now that many handicraft owners are

    exporting their products to other countries around the world.

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    The Philippines is the second largest world producer of handicrafts, mainly baskets out of

    indigenous materials. This industry continues to provide a respectable contribution to foreign

    exchange earning of the country while many handicraft items are also sold on the local market.

    All together, the sector is providing livelihood to more Filipinos especially for the out of school

    youth. Although the industry has experienced some setbacks on the previous years, it has kept

    the respect of the high-end markets and has only lost a great part of the low-end market to China,

    our main competitor.

    Despite this, Filipino craftsmen have indigenously overcome scarcity and increasing

    prices of raw materials by constantly producing new designs for their products. Over the years,

    Philippine handicrafts have evolved through innovative changes in designs reinforced by

    exciting choices and combination of indigenous materials. There is, however still ample room for

    improvement, particularly in remote upland communities with little access to market

    information, brokering services, capital, and technologies for value addition.

    Aside from these, the handicraft industry is important because it promotes our cultural

    heritage through the use of indigenous materials; Handicraft products show an individual's

    creativity and lofty imagination, Producers of raw materials will be encouraged to produce more,

    Employment is generated especially for the undergraduates and values of perseverance and

    industry are developed.

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    Job Generation Program: Trabahong Lansangan Ng Programang Pantawid Pamilyang

    Pilipino

    The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) today will sign a memorandum

    of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to start a

    program that will provide roadside maintenance jobs to beneficiaries of DSWDs conditional

    cash transfer program.

    The DPWH, herein represented by its Secretary, Hon. Rogelio L. Singson with Principal

    office at DPWH building, Bonifacio Drive, Port Ave. Manila herein referred to as DPWH, a

    memorandum addressed to all DPWH district engineers of region VIII that was given by Mr.

    Rolando M. Asis, CESO III Regional Director on 27th day of September. With regards on this

    memorandum The DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson and DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman

    will also launch the program today at Baseco Compound Covered Court, Tondo, Manila

    National Capital Region through the formal hiring of workers for road maintenance activities

    such as drainage reclogging and street sweepers.

    Engineers are accustomed to comparing the direct construction costs to determine the

    optimum solution for pavement rehabilitation works. It is now time that we should be

    considering and valuing the social and environmental costs of all construction projects. While the

    quantum and means of evaluating these costs requires further refining, the author recommends

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    that road authorities and local government should be recognising and assessing the

    environmental impacts of the projects and future loss of finite resources. Factors such as road

    safety and trucking damage can be assessed at a local level, whereas the protection of finite

    resources, energy usage and emissions would more suitably be addressed at a state or national

    level. uttered by Engr. Rebecca Yuse.

    The program, Trabahong Lansangan ng Programang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino,

    aims to provide employment opportunities among the unskilled Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

    Program (4Ps) beneficiaries of the DSWD with a purposeto establish cooperation arrangementsfor the provision of sustainable livelihood and guaranteed employment for the Programang

    Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino beneficiaries.Under the program, the DSWD will provide prioritylist of beneficiaries, conduct community organization and social preparation skills inventory and

    development and conduct regular monitoring/reporting of project operation.

    The DSWD as the lead government agency in Social Protection, Welfare and

    Development, contributes to poverty alleviation, and empowerment through the provision of

    appropriate intervention and the promotion of the rights and welfare of the poor through social

    and national policies, programs, projects and local government units (LGUs) non - organization

    (NGOs) peoples organization (POs), government organizations (GOs) and other members of

    civil society that aims to contribute to the alleviation and improve the quality of life of the

    disadvantaged individuals.

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    In turn, the DPWH will provide the DSWD the list of its annual labor requirement for

    skilled and unskilled jobs, allocate 20 percent of its labor requirement to Pantawid Pamilyang

    Pilipino beneficiaries nationwide and ensure implementation of appropriate labor wages.

    In support to the accelerated poverty alleviation program of PNoy, the DPWH of Region

    8 hires roadside maintenance workers on job- order basis in the thirteen (13) District Engineering

    Offices regionwide. As of June 2011 the agency was able to provide gainful employment to 148

    workers from OYSTERout of school youth (ages 18-24 years old) and 851 workers from the

    MARGINALIZED ( 25- 60 years old) sector of the society, thus benefitting a total of 991

    workers.

    In accordance with DOLE guidelines, roadside workers will receive an average minimum

    rate per day of P404 for those in Metro Manila, P300 for those employed in Regions 8. For

    proper identification of the workers, Singson said the DPWH offices will provide them with

    common uniforms.

    Singson ordered the 182 District Engineering Offices nationwide to start hiring workers

    on job-order basis for the implementation of the 2011 roadside maintenance program along

    national highways.

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    He said the new hires will assist the regular maintenance crew of the District Engineering

    Offices in:

    Cleaning of roadsides, and desalting of drainage canals, longitudinal pipes and crossdrains;

    Cutting of vegetation along shoulders up to the road-right-of-way; Manual reshaping of gravel shoulders and carriageway; Manual pothole patching; Clearing of sidewalks and immediate response to calamities. Repainting of Kilometer Post Restoration of Railings Vegetation Control Cleaning of concrete line ditch canal

    The DPWH as a govt agency also contributes to the same advocacy by implementing

    govt infrastructures programs and projects that bridge the poor and poorest population in

    accessing income opportunities, assets, and basic and social living conditions with its mission, toprovide and manage quality infrastructure facilities and services responsive to the needs of the

    Filipino people in the pursuit of national development objectives. The organization also

    recognizes the need to establish a cooperative approach, conversing conservatively utilizing its

    resources and capacities to develop sustainable livelihoods and guaranteed employment in

    graduating the poor and poorest population to a non- poor category.

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    The one agrees to launch a program entitled Trabahong Lansangan Ng Programang

    Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino that guarantees employment of unskilled Pantawid Pamilyang

    Pilipino program beneficiaries, in order to create a model group that would demonstrate a visible

    effect of poor and poorest population being graduated to a non- poor category at the duration of

    the project scope and beyond.

    Youth Job Training Programs have become increasingly more important as the structure

    of the youth employment market has changed. Today, young people with limited education have

    relatively fewer employment opportunities than their counterparts fifty years ago. The stakes for

    young people in obtaining and keeping secure employment, particularly those with limited

    education, are high. For those without high school degrees or the equivalent, work experience is

    extremely important in building a base for future advancement in the work force,the studies ofexisting youth job training programs show that they make less of a short-term impact but may

    have much more impact over the long term In general, youth job training programs should

    emphasize long-term goals such as keeping a young person employed and advancing in the

    workforce. Although youth in job training programs are giving up the immediacy of a paycheck,

    the long term benefits of excellent programs can secure better jobs with higher salaries, benefits,

    and opportunities for advancement.

    The DPWH and DPWH programs underlined the centrality of youth employment to

    social development, both through poverty alleviation and social integration, when it called for

    developing and strengthening programs targeted at youth living in poverty in order to enhance

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    their economic, educational, social and cultural opportunities, to promote constructive social

    relations among them and to provide them with connections outside their communities to break

    the intergenerational cycle of poverty. It also committed to giving special priority, in the design

    of policies, to the problems of structural, long-term unemployment and underemployment of

    youth, and called for policies aimed to enhance employment opportunities and increasing ways

    and means of helping youth to develop the skills they need to enable them to find employment.

    For every young person, a job offering decent work is an important step in completing the

    transition to adulthood, a milestone towards independence and self-reliance, for children and

    young people living in poverty and in other disadvantaged situations, employment is often the

    main means for attaining a better life, though such employment is often informal with poor or

    exploitative working conditions. For more fortunate youth, prospective employment influences

    their choice of education and training, and increasingly, their decisions regarding marriage, and

    kinship.

    For society, youth employment promotes social integration, intergenerational dialogue,

    citizenship and solidarity. Creating and fulfilling income-generating job opportunities for young

    people can have direct positive consequences for poverty alleviation. Youth employment thus

    benefits social development. It also benefits economic development by facilitating the entry of

    young skilled people into the productive sectors of an economy,and enabling the economy to

    sustain or increase its productivity and competitiveness in the global market place. However,

    growing and persistent youth unemployment has a negative impact on social development.

    Youth unemployment, in particular long-term youth unemployment, can generate frustration and

    low self-esteem, and can lead to increased vulnerability among some young people to drugs,

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    disease and crime. Youth unemployment can also lead to the marginalization and exclusion of

    young people. There is evidence that unemployment can expose youth to greater risks of lower

    future wages, repeated periods of unemployment, longer unemployment spells as adults, and

    income poverty. Unemployment rates are typically higher for young women than for men, while

    youth in rural areas face different challenges from their urban peers. In addition, young people

    with disabilities continue to face enormous challenges in the labour market. In some countries,

    ethnicity, particularly among young migrant, is a factor in their social exclusion and

    marginalization.

    "Hiring the youth is in compliance with the Department's Memorandum implementing

    the Out-Of-School Youth Serving Towards Economic Recovery Program (OYSTER) which

    intends to give priority employment to the out of school youth, Lim further said.

    Given the significant impact of employment on social development, it is critical for all

    countries to address the urgent challenges of youth employment that include the undertaking the

    creation of adequate productive and decent work for all young people, and tackling

    underemployment and the increasing informalization of employment, ensuring all young people

    have access to education and training and are given the opportunity to fully realize their

    capabilities, dealing with the obstacles of the people face in the labor market so they can take full

    advantage of employment opportunities and successfully navigate the school- to-work transition,

    addressing the gender discrimination for women face in the labour force, as well as other forms

    of discrimination such as those based on disability and ethnicity, harnessing the forces of

    globalization and exploiting new technologies to create new employment opportunities for the

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    people, and mitigating the negative impact of migration, which for many young people may

    represent the only viable opportunity for employment, and brain drain.

    Many of these challenges have been comprehensively addressed by the DPWH with the

    partnership of DSWD as expressed in their four priorities for this job generation program.

    To improve employability by investing in education and vocational training foryoung people. While enrolment in secondary and tertiary education continues to expand, too

    many young people miss the opportunity to obtain education and training for good, productive

    jobs;

    To ensure equal opportunities for young women and men. Young women, in

    particular face discriminatory policies, structural barriers and cultural prejudices

    in the labor market;

    To promote and facilitate entrepreneurship by making it easier to start and run

    enterprises in order to provide more and better jobs for young women and men.

    Entrepreneurship should be supported so that enterprises can sustain themselves;

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    To place employment creation at the centre of macro-economic policy. Foremployability, equal opportunities and entrepreneurship to be most effective,

    there must be an enabling environment where employment creation is placed at

    the centre of macro-economic and other public policies.

    Yet, the employment issues of young people extend beyond formal unemployment,

    and simply focusing on the number of youth being unemployed can be misleading because it

    fails to take account of such things as the extent of underemployment, wage levels below the

    poverty line, inadequate labor standards and lack of social protection. Additionally, there is

    need to pay attention to out-of-school youth who are not actively seeking work, and are thus

    not in the labor force because of a disability, involvement in household work, or are simply

    discouraged from entering the labor force after unsuccessfully competing with a large pool

    of peers for a limited amount of vacancies.

    The implementation of the four priority areas of the DPWH and DSWD can create an

    enabling environment for youth employment to flourish and for all young people to realize their

    potential as productive members of society. For young people living in poverty, strengthening

    their entrepreneurial and innovative skills for self-employment are valuable opportunities that

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    will contribute to poverty reduction, social integration and social development. But self-

    employment is not for everyone and sustainable employment job growth is needed to ensure that

    the full potential of young people is tapped. Opportunities for temporary work overseas for

    young people should also be explored as a means of training and broadening their work

    experience.

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    East, West Africa, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. Three weeks before the 1997 general election,

    he stood as an independent parliamentary candidate and won the traditionally Conservative seat

    of Tatton. He retired from politics four years later to become a Unicef ambassador. His book,

    'The Truth That Sticks', is out now.

    If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be ...

    Firing off a 1,000-word attack about this absurd news agenda whereby the McCanns are justgetting far too much coverage.

    I wish people would take more notice of ...

    Not me. People take too much notice of me.

    A phrase I use too often ...

    "I'll have to think about that." People often come to me looking for expressions of opinion that I

    need to give thought to.

    The most surprising thing that happened to me ...

    Was becoming an MP. Often it's people's ambition for a long time but it just happened to me. I

    was approached. I enjoy having done it but I found Westminster a very difficult environment.

    A common misperception of me is ...

    People think I'm very serious but in fact there's nothing I like more than a laugh with my mates.

    I am not a politician any more but if I could change one thing ...

    It would be to eliminate all party whips. I would like government by consensus and persuasion.

    I'm good at ...

    Expressing myself in a few words because I spent almost 30 years in television. The problem

    with many people now is they just don't stop talking.

    I'm very bad at ...

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    I have a punctuality fetish. If people are late I get really, unnecessarily upset about it.

    Unfortunately, I seem to have a lot of friends who are late.

    The ideal night out is ...

    Actually a night in with a novel or a really intelligent piece of non-fiction.

    In weak moments I ...

    Lie low and wait for the storm to blow over. It always does eventually.

    You know me as a journalist and former MP but in truer life I'd have been ...

    I've sometimes thought I would have like to be a teacher but I'm not sure I would have the

    patience.

    The best age to be is ...

    I'm happier now, at 69, than I have ever been.

    In a nutshell, my philosophy is ...

    Never fight fire with fire.