Ows off on 'olidays...

...cheated a bit with the thread title!....for the first time!!!

Off back to merry England for the winterfest....only joking...I mean CHRISTMAS...and the New Year. Will be off-line for most of that time...if we don't 'interact' before then I hope you all have a good one! 'See' you in 2007

Span

xxx

Oppulent opportunity, OUCH...

Could your friendships overcome something like this? [BBC Link] I mean a casual friendship, these were syndicate members so not close family...but having said that how many could forgive even their family or friends for such an oversight!

Never pick the same numbers and you could avoid this sort of agony...but what if...?

Outstanding option...

The outstanding option is a new message board, created by Gavin Corder, for those that have been/ are being cast adrift by the odious and oppressive opprobrium of the Radio 5 Live message boards, many of which are being closed. Read Gavin's post and the comments here or go straight to the Board.

Permanent cats-eyes link in sidebar...(I expect some commission Mr. Corder)

OO's Omega...

I went to see the new Bond film yesterday. I must say I enjoyed it but got the feeling that many wouldn’t – it has none of the ‘saving the world’ and armies of overall-wearing cannon fodder of others films. Anyone else seen it? Wonderful product placement, “Rolex?” asks Vesper Lynd, (Eva Green, photo and link below) “No, Omega” says Daniel Craig as Bond (hence the title of the post, referring to Omega watches). Sony (Vaio laptops) also clearly ‘paid their graft’.

In the earlier James Bond films, before Piers Brosnan, (i.e. Sean Connery et al.) “Bond is often seen wearing a Rolex Submariner. In the Ian Fleming novels, Bond is referred to a few times as wearing a Rolex watch. It is briefly described as a "Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an expanding metal bracelet" and as having "big phosphorus numerals."

Here’s an explanation for why they made the change to an Omega. Another highlight of course was the gloriously sultry and sexy 'baddy's girl' Solange (my ex's middle name) played by Italian beauty Caterina Murino…hmmmmm

Olympic optimism or overspend...

It seems that there are several problems arising over the 2012 London Olympics...

A new civil liberties controversy has flared up over the news that police chiefs are considering using high-powered microphones to "eavesdrop" - as critics will see it - on crowds at the London 2012 Olympics. [link]

In the BBC news item Blunkett (!!!) said

"If you can't guarantee that [a private conversation as you walk down the road] - and here is someone speaking who has been pretty tough in terms of what should be available to protect society - I believe we have slipped over the edge."

Almost a year ago there was growing concern regarding the number and situation of CCTV cameras in the UK...[Owsblog post]

"A fifth of the world's CCTV cameras are in the UK, and the average person is caught on film 300 times a day. Britain's four million cameras cover almost every town centre and the numbers are growing”…

On top of this there is the growing clamour of concern over the money: how much and for what. Culture spokesman Don Foster said he wished those involved would "shut up" until the budget was finalised. I presume he was referring to Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, amongst others, whom has already said the cost of the Games will be higher than budgeted (how many times can we expect to hear that in the next few years!). She stated the cost would rise by £900m to £3.3bn.

"Different government departments are arguing with each other and so nobody knows where we stand. And confidence in our ability to deliver the Olympics is sadly ebbing away when it's going to be fantastic.

I can tell you some of the rise is coming from…[BBC Link]

Mr Brown said:

"When we did the original application, there was one form of company organisation that might not have required VAT.

"Now that we have looked at the thing in detail, there may be another form of company organisation for the Olympic deal."…

Funnily enough I tend to agree with spokesmen from all 3 main parties: it is ‘frightening incompetence’ from the government but why not leave the criticism and concentrate on making sure the games are the great success the government ‘insists’ they will be….

Ows out...

This blog is closed until further notice (Beta is NOT better!)
Any comments for Span please post on Owsblog 2....and if you wish you could change the link from this blog to Owsblog2.
[ http://ows2.blogspot.com/]


Sorry... :-( 

'Orthodox' options...

Seems we may have a choice as to the next global conflict: it could be Holy War, with the Pope seemingly trying to reignite the Christian anti-Islamic fire.

"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

OK, that may seem a bit rough on old Moh but he was a warrior and his 'word' wasn't quite the love and peace message that JC preached, mind you that didn't stop myriad Christain offshoots slaughtering to their hearts content.

Or the option could be nuclear, with Chavez the clown forever stirring and poking a stick at the USA: I've mentioned this before [link] but now this:

He told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad "under any scenario, we are with you just like we are with Cuba".

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has pledged to defend Iran from attack as the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement gets under way in Havana, Cuba.

All a bit depressing; I hope to post something more pleasant for my blog birthday (and Gavin's...David must have just had his or it's due this week). I've been away this week and will be for most of the time betweeen now and end of October, so don't expect much...OK, you weren't... :-)

P.S....this is the whole post ;-)

P.P.S. Also on Owsblog2

One's opprobrium offers opportunity…

Is she now the top paid model? In only one year she has gone from being Cocaine Kate, with many kicking her hard while she was down, to Kate the Great, in the latest Vanity Fair (Style Issue: click on the furry, Russian Hat picture...). We all know what followed but reportedly she made no admissions, and she was not arrested (photographs of alleged drug-taking are not admissible evidence in British courts). On 16 June 2006, British police finally dropped the charges for lack of evidence…

"However, in the absence of any forensic evidence, or direct eye witness evidence about the substance in question, its precise nature could not be established."

what a blow!… (sorry)

This opportunity from adversity…what a crisis…the Chinese word for “crisis” is so apt: it combines two different characters: danger and opportunity…and hence is exactly what has happened.

Her current contracts (for the Fall/Winter 2006 season) include: Rimmel, Belstaff, Beymen, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Longchamp, Stella McCartney, Bulgari, Chanel, Nikon, David Yurman, Versace, Mia Shvili, Calvin Klein Jeans and Burberry (this last being one of thos etaht dumped her last year). Kate Moss will also be doing some work for Virgin Mobile (she signed a $1.8 million deal for the rights to her autobiography a short while back after the Virgin mogul himself, Sir Richard Branson, convinced her she should set the record straight on various things….AND…Moss wants to become the first supermodel in space, and has signed up with Sir Richard's Virgin Galactic space flight.

Not mentioned in the list above but very important (to me…) is her being a major part of Agent Provocateur’s new range plus “The Dreams of MissX”…you can log in see these dreams if you’re a member ;-)

Not withstanding Kate in still 77th in Forbes Top 100 Celebrities just being pipped as top model by Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen (71st place)...OK, that's not her at her best but it was a flash ;-)

[Any viewing/commenting problems please tell me; read the same post HERE.]

Owsblog options...

Sorry about the problems that seem to being caused by the new Blogger beta. For those that don't yet realise I switched at the weekend only to find out/ be informed afterwards that there was no 'communication' allowed between Blogger and Blogger beta, although this is temporary; read my warning to other Bloggers [HERE].

For those interested there is Owsblog2 that is the old 'normal' Blogger; I shall continue to post here but probably post the same on both blogs until Blogger/Google get it all sorted.

S.O.

¡OJO! Overt omission; owsblog overshoots...

Beta Blogger Buzz booboo! OJO is a spanish word meaning eye but also with the exclamation marks means attention...WARNING! This morning I had a link on the dashboard, wasn't there before and you may not have it yet (or you may have had it there for days/weeks!)...the link tells you about the beta set-up - don't change until you read this:

"Note that, even if your blog is eligible to switch, you may not have the link to do so on your dashboard. We are starting out by just switching over a limited number of accounts, but we'll add more and more as time goes on. However, if you still want to try out Blogger in beta, what you can do is to visit beta.blogger.com and create a new account. Later on, you'll be able to merge this account with your original Blogger account. Thanks for your patience, and we promise it will be worth the wait!"

So I changed to the Blogger beta set-up: it's newer looks nicer and has many improvements as far as playing with the look etc of your blog. All my education with html could have been avoided...HOWEVER...having gone through the very quick and easy change-over (you need a Google account, which is also easy or unnecessary if you already have one or a gmail account) I cannot comment on other blogs that are normal Blogger...when I tried a page comes up saying the following:

"Unfortunately, you cannot post a comment on a non-beta blog or claim a mobile blog using your Google Account. These features are coming soon."

There you have it: change if you want but be aware that as yet you cannot post on non-beta blogs!!! Which means I'm out in the wilderness a bit and I'll have to comment as a 'non-blogger'...I'll try to avoid being anonymous after what happened on Six's blog beach-paraphernalia post the other day (23rd Aug)...

Now you know. Message to Blogger:

EVEN THOUGH THIS WILL BE FIXED SOON IT SHOULD BE IN BIG LETTERS ON THE FIRST PAGE TELLING BLOGGERS! ESPECIALLY IMPATIENT ONES LIKE ME!!! GRRRRRR!!!

Organic oleo-omega...

It turns out that "you are what you eat" applies not just to humans but to cows too. Omega 3 content went up significantly in the months when cows were able to eat outside on juicy fresh grass; not a great surprise really. Why is organic milk healthier? ...in an article in The Guardian today. [link]

The picture is a genuine advertisement for organic milk – I resent any “Span’s being pervy” thoughts!...despite some truth…more on The Cerne Giant later but the ad is a genuine one for Manor Farm Organic Milk Ltd., which is an independent family-run business based at Manor Farm, Godmanstone, an organic farm on the Dorset Downs, and only 10 minutes from my family…and also on one of my favourite stretches of road...but I digress.

The news in the report isn’t new; the wonderful website of Omsco (Organic Milk Suppliers Coop) tells us that back in 2003 research had proved that organic milk is naturally higher in certain nutrients than non-organic milk and one such nutrient is Omega 3 essential fatty acid….the Guardian mentions newer research, no doubt having peer reviewed this work:

In 2003 Dr Richard Dewhurst, Joint Leader of the Nutrition and Microbiology Team at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, carried out a peer reviewed study that confirmed that organic milk naturally contains much more Omega 3 fatty acid than non-organic milk. This is due to the fact that organic cows are fed higher levels of natural red clover than non-organic cows.

Further research carried out at the University of Aberdeen in 2004 found yet higher levels of Omega 3 in organic milk. The research, which compared the Omega 3 content of organic and non-organic milk showed that organic milk can contain up to 71% more Omega 3 than non-organic milk and has a better ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 than non-organic milk.

In fact, in the same newspaper there is a good example of how things progress reading the earlier articles: from 6 years ago [link]

Advocates of organics have argued that food grown without chemical fertilisers or pesticides must be healthier while critics have said they may be more risky because of naturally occurring infections and because of the liberal use of cow dung.

…and 5 years ago [link]

The Soil Association, the movement's main standard bearer, unveiled a report compiling what it regarded as significant evidence of the health benefits of organic alternatives - including both their lack of harmful chemicals and supplies of minerals and nutrients - but failed to convince the agency.

[Food Standards Agency]. They may be becoming convinced now because only this month, as says FSA Chairman Deirdre Hutton: ‘We are extremely pleased to announce that Peter Melchett (Lord Peter Melchett of the Soil Association) will be the keynote speaker at the 2007 City Food Lecture. Sales of organic food are growing rapidly and this will be a chance to debate the significance of its increasing popularity.

Organic farming (says DEFRA) may offer UK farmers an opportunity to improve business profitability, biodiversity and sustainability both within agriculture and rural communities. Consumer interest is growing and being involved in organic production can help re-connect farming with the public. That is well defined here by Will Best of the aforementioned Manor Farm Organic Milk Ltd.:

Essentially, organic farming is about building healthy soil by means of correct crop rotations, pasture management and recycling of manures and residues, to produce healthy crops with the right balance of nutrients to feed healthy animals and people. Substances and methods which do not help this process, such as artificial fertilisers and pesticides, monocultures and GMOs are avoided, whilst animal welfare and environmental protection are paramount. The extra care needed to operate organic systems costs money, which is why organic food can seem expensive, but we believe it is well worth it to anyone who values a good wholesome diet, contented farm animals, flourishing wildlife and a diverse countryside.

Coincidentally, the next 2 weeks are “Organic Fortnight”…I hope you hadn’t forgotten…HEREthe Soil Association will inform you if there’s an event near where you live. Also click on the cow to find where you can “Stay on a Farm”.While I’m at it organic farming isn’t just about food! Are you DYING to look good? ..and of course it isn’t just about big farms either! Organic garden: ‘urban farming’ (and “micro farming”) is a broad term used to describe the growing of food in urban areas. This can vary from small scale gardening by individuals and groups to large scale gardening projects producing significant amounts of food. Gavin’s courgettes (marrows!) and Mag’s broccoli (2nd post down) are testament to this.
Finally…getting back to…him…you know, him at the top…well, it’s a well known landmark and associated with pagan fertility festivals etc…reporting on pagan May Day festivities in his 'Anatomy of Abuses' (1583), Philip Stubbs wrote:

"Hundreds of men, women, and children go off to the woods and groves and spend all the night in pastimes, and in the morning return with birch boughs and branches of trees to deck their assembles withall....I have heard it credibly reported by men of great gravity that, of a hundred maids going to the woods, there have scarcely the third part of them returned home again as they went."

Well, that’s those “pastimes” they mentioned ahem). Now just round it all off: the original post and Guardian article are about the higher amount of essential fatty acids in the milk, or more precisely the amount of ALA (Alpha Linolenic acid)…HERE’s a 3D model of the carbon hydrogen and oxygen atoms (C18H30O2) that make up that fatty acid….imagine that, manufactured in durable rubber…sex toy or what!!!

Opt out of overloading...

THIS story of a UK postman who is facing dismissal because he advised people how to stop the ubiquitous and ever-growing masses of junk mail being delivered to their home; he has been suspended for misconduct.

The overloading I mention is of course your front door but also poor postman's back! The postie, Roger Annies, “composed and circulated a leaflet about the Royal Mail's opt-out clause for unsolicited mail”…seems he was only trying to help his ‘customers’.

I must say I agree with many of the comments that follow the BBC article, here’s one that I concur with as it is something I have suggested myself in the past:

99% of people are going to support this postie, junk mail is a pain and is largely unwelcome. I'm glad he did it, as this news story has effectively told me how to opt out of receiving some of this junk. Personally I would like to see the Royal Mail be allowed to increase the price of a 1st class stamp by 10p to increase their profitability, as I think even at 40p a pop the 1st class letter service would be an absolute bargain, and perhaps then they wouldn't need to distibute colossal amounts of (what ends up as) waste paper. Dave, Yeovil, Somerset

What we call junk mail is officially termed ‘direct marketing’ and the ‘door-to-door’ contracts are a profitable service and more importantly an essential income to the Royal Mail.

"We make money through direct mail by senders paying for their addressed mail to be delivered, or through having a contract with senders who post unaddressed mail, such as local government information or local takeaways."

You may not realize it, but a company you have done business with may (???) have sold or shared your personal information to other companies involved in direct marketing. The Direct Marketing Association is essentially a good thing: they say “every organisation engaged in direct marketing needs the DMA to exist. Without it, there is no one to defend direct marketing from unethical or unprofessional practitioners, who can bring direct marketing into ill repute, trigger restrictive legislation and create consumer mistrust.”

The mission of the DMA is to maximise value for members whilst maintaining and enhancing consumers' trust and confidence in direct marketing.

They can’t be all bad because they offer the consumer information on opting out of being on these marketing lists: HERE, or use the Mail Preference Service to choose the mail you need/want, HERE:

Otherwise, to stop junk mail you can link to junk mail.org (click on the image) or contact:

Opt-Outs, Royal Mail, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, Oxford, OX1 1RX(for unaddressed mail) and for addressed mail Mail Preference Service(MPS), Freepost 29, LON 20771, London, W1E 0ZT or call 0845 703 4599

That unethical practitioner may not only be from the UK and there are problems with Mailings from Overseas e.g. promoting lotteries or ‘get rich quick schemes’ that are often misleading and fraudulent. The Mail Preference service advice is not to reply (and to put it straight in your recycling bin) The Office of Fair Trading is working on dealing with this; you can send any copies you receive (including the envelope) to:

European Enforcement Team at the Office of Fair Trading at Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8IJ.

Also:Postwatch is an independent organisation, not attached to the Royal Mail Group or part of the Government. Postwatch was set up to ensure that post offices, Parcelforce, Royal Mail and any competing postal providers, give the best service possible to you, their customer.

“Post offices are visited by twenty eight million people at least once every week. On average, we send 100 letters and receive over five times that amount from friends and businesses each year. Just about everyone of every age and every background uses the post in some way and they need an effective consumer body to make sure their views are heard. This is why Postwatch was set up.”

Please don't get me wrong, I'm 100% in favour of the service our Postmen give us (well OK, give YOU!!...) and I am also in favour of keeping open the UK's network of Post Offices - long may they continue!

Orthodontic opt-out obliges overseas onrush…

I'm not starting a theme for my blog here but it seems that this post is connected with the previous one...a first for me and an apt way to celebrate my 100th blog post!

The government will find a way: four months ago the new Dentist contracts came into play and at the same time we find that the UK is importing Dentists: it appears that almost half of the dentists who joined the NHS in England last year qualified abroad, official figures have shown and of these Poland alone contributed 17% of the 2,200 dentists who joined the health service in the year to March 2006...

The British Dental Association (BDA) said 60% of those who had signed were unhappy with the terms of the contract and could still opt out, although the government said it was half that number; 10% of dentists did opt out: dentists' frustrations over contract continue: dentists across England have yet to resolve disagreements over their new NHS contracts four months after they came into force. Figures published by the Department of Health today reveal that 69% of contracts signed ‘in dispute’ by dentists when the new contract was introduced have yet to be resolved. Lester Ellman, Chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, said:

“This is clearly an extremely worrying situation for many dentists and their patients, and reflects the uncertainty, unfairness and unhappiness surrounding the Government’s reforms of NHS dentistry. Dentists are frustrated about the target-driven nature of the new contract which fails to allow a more preventive approach to care. And from the evidence so far, the new contract seems to have done little to achieve the Government’s primary aim of making it easier to find an NHS dentist.”

The dentists themselves will not benefit from the changes, from the BBC report: Essex dentist Piers Lambert when explaining the new charges to his patients in the form of a leaflet wrote: "Please remember that these increased charges will not increase the revenue to the practice."

"We will be collecting the indirect "tooth tax" on behalf of the government."

Unsurprisingly, Mr Lambert is one of thousands of dentists who signed the contract "in dispute", meaning they only agreed to put pen to paper to ensure services keep running while continuing to negotiate on the terms.

The BBC also reported that Shadow Health Secretary, at the time, Andrew Lansley said:

"This new contract is a bad deal for dentists and a bad deal for patients."

And Steve Webb, Liberal Democrat health spokesman, added:

"The long-term future of NHS dentistry looks bleak unless the government urgently review the new contract."

Now I'm not complaining so much about the imported dentists themselves, I'm sure they are perfectly capable at their jobs; but it does seem to be a way the government can wrangle the existing set-up to the detriment of those already employed and whose education and careers have led them to their current professional standing -and it's not the first time either: it happened with Vets as well, hundreds were imported, primarily from Spain, and the influx of foreign nurses continues to increase...where and when will it end? When the lawyers (and their political benefactors) find themselves displaced by cheaper foreign imports, that's when!

Overwhelming open-door onslaught...

Seems to me that we can’t escape the obvious; it’s been obvious for a number of years but it is only now that it appears we are able to talk about it. I recall clearly the roasting William Hague and others got for having the nerve to mention the problem that dare not speak its name…immigration.

I touched on this earlier in the month regarding the fact that 83% of the new housing that England “needs” would be for the increase in population due to immigration.

Now the BBC tells us that “About 600,000 people have come to work in the UK from eight nations which joined the European Union in 2004, says Home Office minister Tony McNulty.”
The figures show those 427,000 migrant workers who successfully registered to work brought with them 36,000 dependents - spouses and children. Some 27,000 child benefit applications were approved

The government predicted there would be 15,000 people a year from the new EU member countries moving to the UK for work.

The question that strikes me is how can these people just seem to turn up and get benefits? 36,000 dependants….27, 000 child benefit applications approved, I presume that the other 9 thousand are mothers – all with 3 children each? Am I wrong to assume that? Now these immigrants will have zero or very little NI payments…I paid my NI every month when I was working abroad, I even made a mistake and paid DOUBLE NI for several years but when I returned to the UK in 1996 I was told that I couldn’t receive ANY benefit AT ALL for at least 6 months and even then it would depend on what savings I had. So turn up as a foreigner and collect straight away…pay your dues for years on end (without using any service because you live abroad) and you get zilch???

Now the government claims it’s good for the nation, they all pay their way etc…seems not: here are all the calculations… and their apparent results. However:

Conclusion

51. The Government has repeatedly claimed, in support of their policy of encouraging large-scale immigration, that migrants make a positive fiscal contribution of £2.5 billion a year. This report shows that central claim to be false.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said the case for restrictions for Romanians and Bulgarians was now "unanswerable".

Former Labour minister Frank Field the number of migrants was unmanageable and made it increasingly difficult for local people to get jobs.

MIGRATION SINCE 2004
Accession countries: 427,000
(About 600,000 including self-employed)
Dependants: 36,000
Non-EU settlement: 318,330
Granted asylum: 123,000
Non-EU work permits: 261,235, plus 87,000 dependants
Total: 1,425,565
Source: Home Office

AGE OF REGISTERED WORKERS: 92% between the ages of 18 and 44.
(Source: Accession monitoring report May 2004 - June 2006)

Alarming, no? …more from the BBC HERE, and these figures does not even include people from the existing EU countries (Ireland, France, Germany etc…) who may have moved to live in the UK over those two years. And…there’s more, by definition it does not include illegal immigrants.

Now, having said all that this does not mean that the UK's population will have increased by this amount since May 2004 as there have also been people leaving the UK…how many…err…well there’s 119,000 British people moved abroad in 2004, according to the latest available figures…and …err…there are no figures given for the numbers of people given the right to work in the UK who have since left…but I think we all know that it’s not enough! All the figures have been reported in all the media, this isn't just a 'right-wing' press scare story. Here's the reports from The Guardian and The Independent.

The government must stand its ground. EU enlargement is good for the EU and good for Britain - both in economic and political terms. Intra-EU migration is vital for the efficient use of EU labour. It is also a fundamental right of EU membership.

This last from the Financial Times…but I just do not understand how they can keep claiming that it’s good. Looking at the graph below all of those jobs will be on or near minimum wage; if all those thousands of employers know that the minimum wage is MUCH more than those workers would get in their native countries they know the workers will not leave or worry about earning much more, thereby maintaining wages at a false low and intentionally or not discouraging ‘home grown’ workers who know damn well they cannot afford to live on the minimum wage.

For all the details read the Home Office report published 22 August 2006 [link] (PDF)

Odd Orgasmic Ordeal…

Death by chocolate could be a cake or a pie/tart/cocktail/ whatever and, of course, it could also be DEATH by chocolate.This guy nearly found out whether it would be a ‘good way to go’: “US man survives chocolate ordeal”

A 21-year-old US man ended up in hospital after spending two hours trapped in a vat of chocolate, police in Wisconsin said on Friday. The last line of the article is classic: “The accident involved dark chocolate”. Yeah, right! Pheeeewee [wipes forehead], imagine if it had been full milk or fruit and nut – no way he would’ve survived! He said that he had climbed into the tank before becoming trapped waist-deep in chocolate...

However; and to make it sound mysterious, other reports suggest he was stirring the chocolate when he fell in. Rescue workers and staff at the Debelis Corporation (their Spanish origins aren't far from me) used cocoa-butter to thin out the chocolate and pull him free…I can just imagine him sinking whilst they stir the recipe…hang on, just a little more, not quite enough, needs a little something…

"Forget love...I'd rather fall in chocolate!" Author unknown

Enough of that! He survived. Now chocolate…[hmmmm]: it’s made from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans taken from the pod of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, originally a native to Mesoamerica, which is distinguished by being the first region in the Americas to develop complex civilizations…no wonder – they loved chocolate! However back then it wasn’t the food we know today.

Chocolate residue found in ancient Maya pots tells us that they were drinking (one assumes) chocolate 2,600 years ago, which is the earliest record of cacao use although there are thoughts that their predecessors the Olmecs would have also used it. The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, their goddess of fertility, and this association with deity exists today: the genus name of the cacao tree is called Theobroma cacao (From modern Latin Theobroma, literally "food of the Gods", from Greek broma, "food".)

Xocoatl was taken as a bitter and spicy drink often seasoned with chili pepper, vanilla or other spice and believed to fight fatigue (most probably the theobromine content…more on that later). Chocolate was an important luxury item and cocoa beans were often used as currency.

Both Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés were associated with first bringing it to Europe, the latter in 1528; however the first recorded commercial shipment of chocolate to the ‘Old World’ for commercial purposes wasn’t until over half a century later, from Veracruz to Seville around 1585.

"The divine drink which builds up resistance & fights fatigue. A cup ofthis precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food."

…I bet that’s not all Cortés said: it being an aphrodisiac isn’t proven although Montezuma drank xocolatl in goblets before entering his harem, (ahem).

It was still served as a drink, but the Europeans (mainly Spanish nobility at first) added sugar and milk to counteract the natural bitterness and removed the chili pepper and only used vanilla (another Mexican spice). These improvements to the taste meant that by the 1600’s it was more popular albeit luxury item

When the chocolate drink was introduced into England in the 1650s, it was an expensive luxury. The first London Chocolate House was opened in 1657 and chocolate, probably made from blocks of chocolate prepared and imported from Spain, was served as a fashionable drink alongside ale, beer and coffee. Heavy import duties kept its price high (about 6-8d a pound, equivalent to the daily wage for a labourer) in the 17th century. It was not until the Industrial Revolution, when transport became easier and import taxes were reduced, that the price of chocolate fell and it became available to a larger percentage of the population.

For some reason it was over 200 years before a solid form was available but even then it was to melt down to make the drink: not until 1828, did things take a dramtic turn - and not by someone who’s name rolls off the tongue - : not only did Dutchman Coenraad Johannes van Houten patent a method for extracting the fat (or most of it) from cocoa beans to leave the powdered cocoa and cocoa butter separate but he also developed what is now called the ‘Dutch process’ of removing the bitter taste by treating the chocolate with alkali. God there must be a shrine to him somewhere!

Then come the big names: in 1847, Joseph Fry, a chemist and doctor of a Bristol Quaker family started, amongst other things, a chocolate factory, produced what was arguably the world's first eating chocolate 'chocolate delicieux à manger'. Soon to follow was Cadbury in 1849. Then almost 20 years later in 1867, Daniel Peter, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer, had the idea of using powdered milk that he got from the Swiss chemist who had developed it, one Henri Nestle, and what is probably the final step in the distinctive taste of the chocolate we eat today, Rodolphe Lindt invented the process called conching, which is where the chocolate solids are heated and then very finely ground resulting in the ‘melt in the mouth’ texture. There is a chemical reason for that it’s to do with the fatty acid profile of the cocoa butter…but that’s another story.

Strange it took so long to get round to adding milk, especially when the Spanish had been adding vanilla over 300 years before. All that said and done we know nowadays of the various benefits attributed to chocolate consumption: for starters it contains phenol anti-oxidants (processing decreases their contents)…Scientists have found that one 'square' of milk chocolate contains almost the same amount of phenols as a glass of red wine and that plain, dark chocolate contains even higher amounts.

Dietetics professionals must be aware that chocolate cravings are real. The psychopharmacologic and chemosensory effects of chocolate must be considered when formulating recommendations for overall healthful eating and for treatment of nutritionally related health issues.

…and added to all that is the feel-good factor, the theobromine etc, but this has never been satisfactorily proven because all palatable foods stimulate endorphin release in the brain; scientists now believe would be from the response in the brain opioid peptide systems :-/

...and as an aphrodisiac? remembering back to what Cortez said about anti-fatigue, Montezuma and his harem, other such tales as Casanova who made a habit of consuming chocolate before lovemaking and Madame Du Barry, or whom it was said, that she plied her lovers with chocolate to whip up their ardor in gratifying her lust (oh I say!), all this led to the belief that it was an aphrodisiac but both the fact that during a woman's monthly cycle her body craves magnesium (good chocolate is high in Mg), and this article from Sarah-Kate Templeton in The Times “Women really are hot for chocolate” (I wonder if that’s a picture of you Sarah-Kate? Wow!), tend to lend weight to the pleasure factor assisting women.

Dr Andrea Salonia, a urologist from San Raffaele hospital, Milan and author of the study (NOT by the confectionery industry)

“Women who have a daily intake of chocolate showed higher levels of desire than women who did not have this habit. Chocolate can have a positive physiological impact on a woman’s sexuality.”
— women who have a low libido could even become more amorous after eating chocolate. He believes chocolate could be particularly medicinal for women who shun sex because they are suffering from premenstrual tension.

Ah well, who cares if it’s moreish (addictive!): any questions at all go to chocolate.org – wonderful site, here are their FAQ’s. All I care about is that overall it’s good for you (oh YES it is!), apart from all that previously mentioned, it full of the usual trace elements and vitamins; chocolate won’t rot your teeth (that’s the sugar) won’t give you spots (that’s the milk) I guess it’s a combination of the fatigue-busting, squidgy (is that a word?) melting, pleasure-giving that makes it seem so…so...I’ve got to stop because there is so much to say I could go on and on; in fact I could do with a chocolate covered goody right now…hmmmmmm

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate." (from The Pickwick Papers)

S.O.

Overweening, odious offenders...

From today's Daily Telegraph: "Hunt saboteurs revealed in their true colours"
"It could have been a scene from a film set in a future in which law and order has broken down, and Britain is ravaged by marauding gangs."

How did this grotesque incident come about? The saboteurs had apparently been thwarted in their plan to disrupt a grouse shoot, so picked an easier target. But can these activists seriously expect that their campaign will lead to the banning of an activity in which about three million Britons take part?"

"Like the masked "animal rights" activists who terrorise scientists and their families, these thugs are sociopaths: not animal-lovers, but people-haters."...Well they may have bitten off more than they can chew this time because , unlike the class hatred that there undoubtably was with the ban on fox-hunting, this cuts across two 'untouchable' sections of society: Remember this...

Angling? It's too white and too middle-aged, say ministers as they go fishing for women and ethnic minorities.

"Angling does not discriminate against gender, race, age or athletic ability", and the "Government is interested in angling in the context of social inclusion in deprived urban areas".

Also, to confirm why the government are sure be taking this more seriously, from todays article:

The Government has no plans to ban this most unassuming and democratic of field sports, pursued by so many of its natural supporters: indeed, its social engineers are currently trying to thrust rods into the hands of women and ethnic minorities, spending the revenue from fishing licences on - among other things - teaching Muslim women to fish.

Lets see how quickly the police take a tougher line now.

S.O.

Orange obtuse over ousting of 'orismologist'...

From the Guardian: 'Lefty lexicon' lands Orange executive in big trouble: Mobile phone company Orange has suspended its community affairs manager after he posted what he termed a "lefty lexicon" on the blog site ConservativeHome which includes a description of Islamophobics as "anyone who objects to having their transport blown up on the way to work…. (From the title: Orismology [n]. - the science of defining or explaining technical terms)

The Guardian tells us that “Orange has received a flood of complaints from customers”...but how?…here’s how:

A campaign against him was mounted on the website of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee. Yesterday it emerged that Mr Wilson has been suspended pending an internal Orange investigation. A spokesman for MPACUK said Mr Wilson's views were extremely unhelpful at a time when British Muslims are increasingly being subjected to bigotry and prejudice, and bordered on racist.

…and interestingly, look at the address window when you follow the Guardian link: it is under this archive: politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism!!!

From the ConservativeHome site: Inigo Wilson manages community affairs for a large telecoms company. [we now know who!]. His favourite blogs are ‘the Belmont club’ and ConservativeHome...He is a regular reader of Commentary, National Review and The Spectator. Go to the list via the link in the article on the ConsHome site or go straight to it here. Inthe article Inigo Wilson had some interesting things to say:

And there is evidence to be found in official communications not only of the changed language but also the altered priorities it attempts to mask. You can find some particularly rich hunting grounds among the well-stocked leaflet displays of Metropolitan Police stations. No one yet has formally announced that the Met doesn’t 'do' ordinary crime, but each flyer makes it clear that if you are one of the large range of very modern sounding 'victim' types, then you are the priority for modern policing.

I touched on something similar when I posted on Officers Out Of Order, re the various Associations of Police and the strange reaction by the AMP (Association of Muslim Police) to what I would have thought would be normal police procedure; here is another example of how they seem to do anything but ‘be policemen’. I know I’m being unfair to them, after all it’s government policy they follow.

Finally, there is the language of race and rights activists, part of the rainbow coalition of charities, pressure groups and human-rights lawyers. Between them, these contributors have built a whole new linguistic system to communicate with each other - and us. As for the motive, well, if you want to hide some things and advance others while relatively undetected, then what better way to do it than by using language that has slipped the moorings of any tangible meaning. And every day is now 'a good day to bury bad news'.

The actual Leftie Lexicon is really rather good but there’s only one entry for ‘O’: Organised labour - what Lefties used to be interested in….other examples, and the ones that (I presume) have caused the grief are, for instance:

Legitimate grievances - foreign affairs: why we're all to blame for deranged Islamists murdering people in the developed world.
Liaise - the day-to-day process of Lefty Government. Replaces 'work'.

Relevant - education: something badly written, with references to sex and full of swear-words. Always better than literature by 'dead white people'.

Religion -
• Christianity: irrational, dangerous belief that material things may not be the principal motive behind human behaviour.
• Judaism: most Israelis are Jewish, so probably 'intolerant'.
• Islam: always needs to be 'understood'.

Inigo, if you hadn’t mentioned ‘that’ religion’ nobody would have cared! Please read Inigo's Lexicon but we also know there’s some "great" (i.e. crap) ‘management speak’ already out there, we had this on the beeb not long ago but this info on Seto.org, apart from starting with my favourite politician joke, has some classics:

MANAGEMENT SPEAK: I'm glad you asked me that.
TRANSLATION: Public relations has written a carefully phrased answer.
MANAGEMENT SPEAK: That's a good question.
TRANSLATION: I don't have a good answer.
MANAGEMENT SPEAK: That's an intriguing notion that merits additional thought on the part of our best people.
TRANSLATION: No. (hehehehe)

S.O.

Odds-on offspring...

I know England won last night (4 - 0 Against European Champions Greece...God that sounds good!)...but it just pissed me off. The good bit of news was that the family of goalkeeper Chris Kirkland (England debut yesterday) have won close to £10,000 on a bet after he took the field for England in the friendly match against Greece. Eddie Kirkland put on a bet 12 years ago that his son would win an England cap before turning 30. It was reported 3 years ago and the follow-up, again from the BBC, today. Well done Eddie! Good on you for your confidence and the spur that must have given your son.

Bookmakers William Hill said Eddie Kirkland had staked £98.10 with the firm at 100/1, and would receive a cheque for £9,908.10

However, that was the good bit; [RANT warning]...the bad bit is the result: on 17 August in 2005 (last year) the England team suffered their worst football defeat in 25 years, a 4-1 thumping against a Denmark side that hadn't qualified for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany...on there was a World Cup?... Twelve months later - and with pretty much the same team - "England hammered reigning European Champions Greece 4-0 at Old Trafford in new head coach Steve McClaren's first match in charge."...lets look at the team: Robinson (Kirkland 45), Gary Neville (Carragher 78), Ferdinand, Terry, Cole (Bridge 80), Gerrard (Bent 78), Lampard, Hargreaves, Downing (Lennon 69), Defoe (Richardson 69), Crouch....yep, that's pretty much the same team

And the goals: Terry 14, Lampard 30, Crouch 35, 42....sorry? Terry, Lampard and Crouch...weren't they in the England team (and the rest were too) that were sooooo disappointing in the World Cup, in fact sooooooo crap that they couldn't score a goal between them even when it was a fucking penalty?

That made me really angry, but this topped it:

Eriksson, who is still being paid his wages by the Football Association, become a lame duck in Germany...

Still being paid?!! I give up.

Objection! Only one...

Well, I've been planning this post for a few days - today all I've had to change is the numbers and the feeling of acute disappointment: now it's only slight disappointment.

Athletics, sports love of mine, second only to Rugby Union, which is the greatest sport known to man...and women, although I prefer them at beach volleyball... ahem...The European Championships: this is the bit I had to change: yesterday we were about 17th behind huge, highly-populated, sports winning monsters like...erm...Lithuania and Latvia; today a medal rush has seen that improve to 10th...TENTH!...

However, to put things back in a better perspective - only after today, the final day, I hasten to add! - in terms of total medals we finished equal 2nd, with Spain, behind Russia; in terms of bronze medals we finished equal 2nd , with Spain, behind Russia (I could have copied and pasted that bit!); in terms of silver medals we finished 2nd only to Russia...all this sounds great!!...oh, but we finised 10th (tenth!) because this 'game' is about winning, not coming second or third, and winning gets you a Gold Medal.

P.S. We did get one gold- the same total gold as 9 other countries - I get very pedantic when I'm disappointed; the combined population of those other NINE countries is less than 67 million people...ahha...but Great Britain has ONLY 60 million...yes, OK it's a United Kingdom of more than one country...but you see that just makes it worse: one gold just isn't enough.

P.P.S. I care not a jot for egos: if the great Michael Johnson (Double WR holder and all round good guy) said - referring to 'an emotional' Darren Campbell who had said "certain accusations" had made him not accompany his team mates on a lap of honour - that "he was not surprised at Campbell's outburst and urged the British public not to let it overshadow the rest of the team's achievement" then I agree: Johnson has yet to say anything on the BBC that I don't agree with - why can't there be more like Michael Johnson.

Once-over of ominous outlook...

Are we heading for a 'real war'? ...with the UN resolution signed, hopefully not. This is my third post today! ...and all about Hugo Chavez the love me/hate me Venezuelan President. The first two re Orinoco OilandOpposition Options were national (to Venezuela obviously!), this one is international and, as the title of the post and the first sentence suggest, it's serious. There's lots more...

I'm a bit concerned: he's getting worse and he's getting dangerous. The clowning is taking many twists and turns that should have us starting to worry about where this is all leading. This letter and Chavez's genocide comments only add to that worry. There wasn't much condemnation of Chavez's very untrue and ridiculous comment but ironically GWB's comment re Islamic–Fascists gets immediate reports from offended Muslims condemning what is essentially true!Little surprise then that last week saw tit-for-tat envoys/ambassadors being recalled.

Back in May when Chavez came to London Red Ken said this: "For many years people have demanded that social progress and democracy go hand in hand, and that is exactly what is now taking place in Venezuela." And I have tended to agree with the way he is sowing the oil. However I stressed that his clowning on the international stage was tedious and unnecessary; now it is becoming more threatening.

First we had the 'mad' Mercosur Summit (from The Economist) where Bolivia was invited to join [Evo Morale's] voice would strengthen the stridently anti-American chorus led by Mr Chávez. Mercosur is becoming an anti-imperialist "political block", says Pedro da Motta Veiga, a trade consultant in Rio de Janeiro. It may now split between a pragmatic camp, led by Brazil, and Mr Chávez's ideological one.

While the world was focused on the tragic events taking place in Lebanon and northern Israel, something very disturbing happened in South America last week.

MERCOSUR: ¿Se Han Vuelto Locos? (Spanish version) So, have the Mercosur countries all gone bananas? Yes. So says Alvaro Vargas Llosa Special to washingtonpost.com (same, in English)Forget the fact that Chavez is offering to supply natural gas to the Southern Cone countries through a 5,000-mile pipeline. What are really driving these countries are an inferiority complex, ideological adultery and an economic misconception. Not only that but...

Adding insult to the injury, Mercosur invited Fidel Castro to the summit and signed a "trade" deal with him that was more political than commercial.

This summit performance was followed by Mr. C’s embarking on a two-week world tour: Chavez wants to become a world power broker as a member of the Security Council. The seat would also make him the voice of Latin America at the U.N., naturally the USA favours the Guatemalan bid; his world tour to gather allies for a geopolitical counterbalance to the U.S.

First however, he went to Russia to buy arms, a Weapons Deal Represents Kremlin's Assertiveness to Counter U.S. Influence says the Wall Street Journal. "The arms deal appears to be a move by Mr. Chávez to keep his military commanders fat and happy as he vies for regional leadership in Latin America. During his presidency, the Venezuelan navy and air force in particular have been starved for new equipment because Mr. Chávez doesn't trust the officers in those services."...'nuff' said!

"Moscow sees little prospect for a military or strategic alliance with Mr. Chávez, but the timing of his visit was meant to send a message to Washington,"...basically if the US can be best buddies with Georgia we can do the same with Chavez...it’s all a game. Also these arms deals don’t threaten the USA directly (militarily) but they will play some part - a negative influence? - in the balance of the region, "particularly since, as the State Department has observed, the weapons exceed Venezuela's defensive needs."

His visit also took him to Belarus where the EU have extended sanctions but where Hugo says:

"Belarus is a model of a social state, which we are also building,"

And he is perfectly happy to express his wishes for a pact against the US. "The number of countries in the world which resist the forces of dictatorship is growing," said Lukashenko, standing alongside him [Chavez] at the military academy"...'resist the forces of dictatorship'...oh the irony! The Washigton Times Editorial on July 28 (Chavez, Putin and Tehran) put it very well (hehehe):

"That Mr. Chavez made a new friend in Alexander Lukashenko means only that the isolated Belarussian dictator may now count his friends with two fingers instead of one."

More from that editorial later. All that said possibly the most worrying is the Iranian connection. Not that being there is bad in itself (no problem there, been a few times myself) or even trading/ increasing trade between the two countries... in his recent visit he was on about anti-imperialism (no change there then) but Chavez also said this:

"We will stand beside Iran in every time and occasion and under every circumstance,"

When Chavez and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with the 'supreme leader' Ayatollah Khamenei the Ayatollah said "Today all the Arab and Muslim nations are supporting Hezbollah. Since it is resisting America and the Zionist regime, the leader of Hezbollah has become the people's favourite person all over the world," Remember here that recently Iranian troops were among the Hezbollah combat dead...in fact remember also that Iranian engineers were at the missile launch in North Korea. On the tour [Chavez] had "originally intended to visit North Korea as part of his global whistle-stop tour but Venezuela's National Assembly did not ratify a stop off in Pyongyang on this occasion. "I'm relieved he's not going to North Korea this time," a Venezuelan official said. "The timing would have been difficult given that North Korea is in the spotlight of the international community." Back to Iran...and as Iranmania.com tells us:

Referring to President Chavez stances on the world issues, Ayatollah Khamenei said they reminded the stances of Simon Bolivar, the Latin American Revolutionary figure. President Chavez, for his part, by expressing pleasure over his new visit to Iran, called Bolivarian revolution of Venezuela as a brother of the Islamic revolution in Iran. He emphasized the necessity of consolidation among countries with the same stance and opposed to the US policies and pointed out that such countries should expand their cooperation and increase their ability and potentials and never be frightened by the US threats.

Simon Bolivar?!! What an insult to that great man and all those South Americans whom he helped liberate. Back to that Washigton Times Editorial “Chavez, Putin and Tehran”

Mr. Chavez's relationship with Tehran... "is more threatening. The two regimes have previously discussed joint military exercises. Mr. Chavez has been vocal in his support of the Iranian nuclear program, and the two countries have reached several agreements, including one that would allow Iran access to known Venezuelan uranium deposits."

"The majority of Mr. Chavez's antics are innocuous. For as much as the populist president lambastes America, his regional influence, as well as domestic power, ultimately derives from oil, and the United States is Venezuela's largest export market. Washington is right not to let him become the focus of policy in South America, but the worrisome nature of his dealings requires continued scrutiny."

This point about the US being the largest export market should be more worrying, perhaps it is but being played down. Recent developments, do however, point to the fact that Venezuela is rapidly and efficiently expanding its international relations and influence in the energy sector. If a pipeline heading west from Venezuela is constructed, could China become the new large consumer of Venezuelan oil? This last from the mining section of South Africa’s Business Day – with interesting news, towards the end of the article, of Chavez’s visit to Vietnam and Mali (one of the more understandable trades) – Oil for gold...more 'sowing the oil'...at least in a good way this time!

Only one opposition option…

CARACAS, Venezuela (By Chris Kraul Los Angeles Times, quoted here from the South Florida Sun Sentinel) Eight candidates opposing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called off a primary election set for Sunday, saying they had unanimously agreed to support the front-runner and best financed among them, Gov. Manuel Rosales. Here we go again!

Rosales acknowledged in television and radio interviews Wednesday that he faces an uphill battle and that "time is short." But in an acceptance speech before supporters he hammered away at what some analysts say are Chavez's vulnerabilities: his massive foreign aid programs, the government-approved takeovers of land and buildings, and the perception that crime is on the increase."The government wants to be the owner of all private property," Rosales said. "We will distribute land to the peasants but we will buy it in such a way as to respect the principle of private property, just as we will respect those of human rights and social justice.

OK, but this is what happened before. The opposition, instead of campaigning on their own policies/ ideas/ whatever, all joined together and campaigned as Anti-Chavistas, that hasn't been good enough before, I can't see it being good enough this December.

The same story here: The pullout of nine candidates prompted the cancellation of Sunday's primary vote and cleared the way for Zulia state Gov. Manuel Rosales to face Chavez, who was first elected in 1998 and is seeking a third four-year term. The fact that Sr. Rosales is from Zulia State may help, at least in the west of the country. Zulia is the state that covers most of the frontier with Colombia, it along with Tachira, apart from being beautiful, are suffering increased breakdown in security, kidnappings, murder etc... from Colombian rebels, something Chavez seems to care little about, it has become an almost Lawless zone in Venezuela

Martínez had gone to police days before to report that he had been threatened and to ask for protection. He even brought along photos of the suspects he had taken with his cell phone. Martínez told other ranchers that he would rather die than be kidnapped, Vargas said. And he did just that, witnesses say, resisting a group of eight men dressed in the battle fatigues and knee-high rubber boots preferred by the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

"Our government is totally indifferent to the problem,'' Martínez said (Adonay Martínez, president of a ranchers' association) who went on to say "Our sovereignty is being violated, and the response we get is total complacency.'' Other ranchers, who after several kinappings and deaths, had asked not be identified, suggested that the Chavez run military had been "passive because it is sympathetic with the leftist rebels' cause."

Colombia and Venezuela, neighbours who share a history; one very pro USA and the other the complete opposite - how long before 'border incidents' become more widespread and/or violent.

Ows edit, 18/08/06: From AP News on Myway.com:

Manuel Rosales, the popular governor of Zulia state, said Venezuela's foreign policy has been skewed by President Hugo Chavez's antipathy for Washington and his close friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro.
"We don't have to depend on either the (U.S.) empire or the bearded one," Rosales said, alluding to Castro.
Chavez this week said Rosales and every other presidential challenger were candidates of the U.S. "empire."

S.O.