RBS Share Price 31/12/2010

The British Government and therefore the British taxpayer own around 86% of RBS shares having put in over £20Bn to save the Bank in 2009.

The average price, per share, paid is 50.53 pence.

The price today is 40.68 pence showing an overall loss.

Oh dear!

This is not a Moan but…..

On the fridge in our villa, attached by a magnet, is a score sheet, a golf score sheet. The card shows a score of 26 –16 (its a Stableford score). I am not the 26.
The lady of the Villa is!
This score sheet to my knowledge has been in its location ever since the day she beat me, which, was at least 5 months ago. No matter the hint given it is still there. She has not won since!

Off to watch the Reds tonight

Back from Spain and off to watch the The Reds tonight with the Lady of the Villa.

Looks cold so will be well dressed for a winters night. Looking forward to seeing the group of season ticket holders we sit next to. Especially Mike the taxi driver who will be dressed as Santa and does not need a false beard to look like him (honest).

Hangover Cures that I have Tried

This is a list of hangover “cures” I have tried and I think work – well for me!

Pour Yourself Some Fruit Juice

Drinking fruit juice which naturally contains fructose, will help you burn the alcohol out of your system faster. Whether it be orange, tomato, grapefruit or your favourite fruit juice, the fructose is the key to the cure!

Eggs Are Not Just For Chickens!

Did you know that eating eggs can help cure a hangover? This is because eggs have a natural protein called albumin in them. Albumin has an osmotic effect that helps to rehydrate your cells after the dehydrating effects of the alcohol. Eat them any way you want, fried, scrambled, poached or better yet, raw! The effect is marvellous.

Crackers and honey

Eating crackers with honey on them is yet another way to flush the alcohol out of your system. Honey contains a very concentrated amount of fructose in it, that again, rids the body of alcohol faster.

Water

Drink plenty of water to replenish your dehydrated cells. Do so on the night that you drink, before you go to bed and immediately when you rise in the morning to relieve the effects of the hangover.

Plop Plop Fizz Fizz Oh What a Relief It Is!

Just from my own experience, taking an Alka Seltzer when you rise in the morning after the fact will help heal your throbbing head. Add 2 aspirin with the Alka Seltzer and the combined effect will prove itself a worthy cure.

Have a Nice Cup of Coffee

Try drinking a few cups of coffee with your hangover. The caffeine in the coffee acts as a vasoconstrictor that helps to shrink dilated blood vessels that are causing your headache.

Cup of Tea and Honey

Better yet have a cup of hot tea with honey in it and kill two birds with one stone! 

Sometimes I try them all at breakfast!

Weather in Spain 20th December – 26th December 2010

Monday: Lovely Sunny day with a temp of 13C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 9C.
Tuesday: Overcast and rain showers with a temp of 10C.  Overnight temp of 5C. 
Wednesday: A mostly sunny with lots of high cloud. Temp of  13C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 8C.
Thursday: Bright and sunny day. Temp of 12C. Cool overnight with a temp of 9C.
Friday: Sunny day with a strong cold wind kept temp to 9C. Overnight temp of 6C.
Saturday: Sunny spells with a temp to 13C. Overnight temp of 9C.
Sunday: A very sunny day. Temp of 15C. Overnight temp of 10C.

Boxing Day

I have always wondered why the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day, so i Googled it, here is the result (well one of them).
The traditional recorded celebration of Boxing Day has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions.
The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown and there are some claims that it goes back to the late Roman/early Christian era; metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen.
In the United Kingdom, it certainly became a custom of the nineteenth-century Victorians for tradesmen to collect their "Christmas boxes" or gifts on the day after Christmas in return for good and reliable service throughout the year.
Another possibility is that the name derives from an old English tradition: in exchange for ensuring that wealthy landowners' Christmases ran smoothly, their servants were allowed to take the 26th off to visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses (and sometimes leftover food).
In addition, around the 1800s, churches opened their alms boxes (boxes where people place monetary donations) and distributed the contents to the poor. However, the exact etymology of the term "boxing" is unclear and for which there are several competing theories, none of which is definitive.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my Readers

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Inventions from Space Exploration

I had an argument recently in a bar. I was asked when Teflon was invented in the Space program. Being a bit of a quiz man and knowing something about NASA. I replied that Teflon was invented in the 1930’s and not in the space program.
However, it got me thinking about what has come from the Space Program and I did some research. All of the following technologies or materials were originally developed for the space program.

The one I like is the pen. The Russians used a pencil! Simpler.

TV Satellite Dish
NASA developed ways to correct errors in the signals coming from the spacecraft. This technology is used to reduce noise (that is, messed up picture or sound) in TV signals coming from satellites.

Medical Imaging
NASA developed ways to process signals from spacecraft to produce clearer images. This technology also makes possible these photo-like images of our insides.

Vision Screening System
Uses techniques developed for processing space pictures to examine eyes of children and find out quickly if they have any vision problems. The child doesn't have to say a word!

Ear Thermometer
Instead of measuring temperature using a column of mercury (which expands as it heats up), this thermometer has a lens like a camera and detects infrared energy, which we feel as heat. The warmer something is (like your body), the more infrared energy it puts out. This technology was originally developed to detect the birth of stars.

Fire Fighter Equipment
Fire fighters wear suits made of fire resistant fabric developed for use in space suits.

Smoke Detector
First used in the Earth orbiting space station called Skylab (launched back in 1973) to help detect any toxic vapors. Now used in most homes and other buildings to warn people of fire.

Sun Tiger Glasses
From research done on materials to protect the eyes of welders working on spacecraft, protective lenses were developed that block almost all the wavelengths of radiation that might harm the eyes, while letting through all the useful wavelengths that let us see.

Automobile Design Tools
A computer program developed by NASA to analyze a spacecraft or airplane design and predict how parts will perform is now used to help design automobiles. This kind of software can save car makers a lot of money by letting them see how well a design will work even before they build a prototype.

Cordless Tools
Portable, self-contained power tools were originally developed to help Apollo astronauts drill for moon samples. This technology has lead to development of such tools as the cordless vacuum cleaner, power drill, shrub trimmers, and grass shears.

Aerodynamic Bicycle Wheel
A special bike wheel uses NASA research in airfoils (wings) and design software developed for the space program. The three spokes on the wheel act like wings, making the bicycle very efficient for racing.

Thermal Gloves and Boots
These gloves and boots have heating elements that run on rechargeable batteries worn on the inside wrist of the gloves or embedded in the sole of the ski boot. This technology was adapted from a spacesuit design for the Apollo astronauts.

Space Pens
The Fisher Space Pen was developed for use in space. Most pens depend on gravity to make the ink flow into the ball point. For this space pen, the ink cartridge contains pressured gas to push the ink toward the ball point. That means, you can lie in bed and write upside down with this pen! Also, it uses a special ink that works in very hot and very cold environments.

Shock Absorbing Helmets
These special football helmets use a padding of Temper Foam, a shock absorbing material first developed for use in aircraft seats. These helmets have three times the shock absorbing ability of previous types.

Ski Boots
These ski boots use accordion-like folds, similar to the design of space suits, to allow the boot to flex without distortion, yet still give support and control for precision skiing.

Failsafe Flashlight
This flashlight uses NASA's concept of system redundancy, which is always having a backup for the parts of the spacecraft with the most important jobs. This flashlight has an extra-bright primary bulb and an independent backup system that has its own separate lithium battery (also a NASA developed technology) and its own bulb.

Invisible Braces
These teeth-straightening braces use brackets that are made of a nearly invisible translucent (almost see-through) ceramic material. This material is a spinoff of NASA's advanced ceramic research to develop new, tough materials for spacecraft and aircraft.

Edible Toothpaste
This is a special foamless toothpaste developed for the astronauts to use in space (where spitting is not a very good idea!) Although this would be a great first toothpaste for small children, it is no longer available.

 Joystick Controllers
Joystick controllers are used for lots of things now, including computer games and vehicles for people with disabilities. These devices evolved from research to develop a controller for the Apollo Lunar Rover, and from other NASA research into how humans actually operate (called "human factors").

Advanced Plastics
Spacecraft and other electronics need very special, low-cost materials as the base for printed circuits (like those inside your computer). Some of these "liquid crystal polymers" have turned out to be very good, low-cost materials for making containers for foods and beverages.

Heart Attack

Until now, no blood test has been able to give an indication of a person's risk of heart failure. However,  a team in America have adapted a test normally used to establish if someone is having a heart attack to predict one years in advance.
The more sensitive test identified proteins in the blood that signal heart cells have been dying in seemingly healthy people with no outward signs of heart disease.
The development could allow those at high risk to take action such as adopting a healthier lifestyle and taking drugs to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Now this affects me, as a diabetic I am advised to take medicine to keep my blood pressure and cholesterol levels low. I will be speaking to my doctor soon!

Scouse and a recipe

Being a bloke from Liverpool, I am called a scouser. Why? Well here goes…

Scouse was brought to Liverpool by Northern European sailors, it was originally called Labskause. This was finally shortened to Skause and over time the spelling changed to the more Anglicised version we have today, Scouse.
The people who ate Scouse were all generally sailors and their families and eventually all sailors within Liverpool were referred to as Scousers. Time has now taken its turn and everyone from the region of Liverpool is known as a Scouser.
Scouse holds a place in the heart of most Liverpudlian's as the taste of their hometown and is still regularly eaten today by a great number of families, including my own.
There are records showing that it was also served to the inmates of the Birkenhead workshouse way back in 1864. The recipe was much simpler then than today's refined version but was predominantly the same staple ingredients - meat, vegetables and potatoes.
Scouse can be ready made and kept for up to 2 days. Keep it covered in a refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan. Most people prefer the added depth of flavour that reheating adds.
Blind scouse was a variation on the above recipe and was eaten by the poorer people as it was cheaper to make because it did not contain meat.

Recipe

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6 people
Half a Pound of Stewing Steak
Half a Pound of Lambs Breast
A Large Onion
1lb of Carrots
5lb of Potatoes
2 Oxo Cubes
2 Teaspoons of Vegetable Oil
Worcester Sauce
Salt and Pepper
Water

HOW TO COOK
Takes 4 hours of slow cooking
Cut the meat into large cubes and fry in the vegetable oil until lightly browned all over. You may wish to add some Worcester Sauce at this point for added flavour.
Transfer the meat to a large saucepan and add the onion that should have been chopped into large chunks. Follow this by chopping the carrot into medallions and place this on the meat. Peel and then Finely dice 1lb of the potatoes and place on top of the carrots.
Fill the pan with cold water until it is half full. Break up the Oxo cubes and sprinkle into the water. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Let the pan simmer gently, stirring occasionally. The large pieces of onion will start to break up and the potato will become soft and will make the final sauce thick.
Simmer for a total of two hours, then add the remaining potatoes that should have been peeled and roughly chopped, along with a few splashes of Worcester Sauce. Then simmer for another two hours.
Serve piping hot with red cabbage, beetroot, pickled onions and crusty bread. You may add Ketchup and HP for flavouring.

Weather in Spain 13th December – 19th December 2010

Monday: Overcast day with a little sunshine, temp of 13C. Cooler overnight with a rain showers temp of 9C.

Tuesday: early rain giving way to a sunny day with a temp of 14C.  Overnight temp of 8C. 

Wednesday: Sunny but cold day. Wind from North kept temp to 8C. Cold overnight with a temp of 4C.

Thursday: Bright and sunny day. Temp of 9C. Cool overnight with a temp of 7C.

Friday: Sunny all day. Temp of 10C. Overnight cooler due to rain showers with a temp of 5C.

Saturday: Overcast day with a temp to 9C. Heavy rain overnight with a temp of 6C.

Sunday: Rain off and on all day. Temp of 10C. Overnight temp of 6C.

American Football on TVu

The Lady of the Villa is a sports fan of sorts. She has a season ticket with me at Liverpool FC (even though we live in Spain) and will watch some sports on TV.

I, on the other hand, will watch almost anything (not horse racing, no WWW (which is not a sport but Theatre) and no Sumo). So apart from that anything.

Being in Spain and not able to get Sky, I have been missing some of my favourite sports including American Football. Now the Lady of the Villa hates American Football but now I have found an Internet TV site, TVu, which not only shows American Football but a lot of other sports, world news and movies.

A Sunday night has me glued to our large computer screen with head phones on while she watches the TV.

Peace in our time!

Tetris eases your stress says report

I must admit that one of the few games I play on a computer is Tetris. I find it soothing. OK it is a bit childish but what the hell.

Now I find that a report from the BBC suggests that playing puzzle games like Tetris is good for your mental health. A study discovered that the simple puzzle building block game aided people suffering from stress.

So its a win – win. I like the game and it keeps m y stress level down.

LOL. I just like the game!

The Telegraph

I was you may remember a reader of The Times and I had been for years and years. Having moved to Spain and being an IT geek I followed The Times on the Internet.
Early this year The Times required a payment to follow the paper on the Internet. After much turmoil in my mind I left The Times and followed the Telegraph on the Internet, although I still bought The Sunday Times in paper format at 5 euros for a cut down International edition.
Now The Telegraph are hinting at a charge for reading it on the Internet. Gulp where too next?

Apple iPad wins 'best gadget' award

Apple has trumped Amazon and Sky to win a prestigious best gadget accolade with its iPad.
The iPad beat the Amazon Kindle and Sky 3D to win both the gadget of the year and readers' gadget of the year gongs in the 2010 Stuff Gadget Awards.
I think that it is the best gadget this year, but, it's expensive and functionally limited.  I will wait until the next version appears before deciding to buy one.

Spanish 3rd popular internet language

According to a report prepared by the Fundacion Telefonica, an institution created by Spain's Grupo Telefonica Spanish is the Third most popular language on the Internet after English and Chinese.

Spanish-speakers are the third-largest language group among Internet users, with eight per cent of the total, after English users (38 per cent) and Chinese users (22 per cent). English is the language with the greatest online presence, with about one billion pages, followed by Chinese, with more than 800 million pages.

Argentina, Chile and Spain are the Spanish-speaking countries where more than 50 per cent of the public have online connections, with the proportion reaching 70 per cent in the European nation, according to the study.

Spanish occupies the No.3 position worldwide on the internet both in number of users (136 million) as well as in web pages (675 million), according to the study.

Cheats never prosper

Sean Grahame, 45, claimed he was unemployed and a single parent in order to receive thousands of pounds in income support, job seekers' allowance, housing benefit and council tax rebates.
In fact, he was starring in shows like Grease on a cross-Channel cruise ship, entertaining the audience with his comedy routines and vocal performances. Despite his entertainment commitments on board Brittany Ferries, Grahame would return to his home to sign on and attend job seekers' appointments.
But he was collared after an employee at his local job centre recognised him as she sat in the crowd at one of his performances aboard a cruise ship earlier this year.
The member of staff immediately alerted the authorities and a subsequent investigation revealed he had been illegally claiming benefits for over seven years from April 2003 to March 2010.
Grahame admitted four counts of benefit fraud last month and was sentenced to a 12 month sentence suspended for one year at Torquay Magistrates' Court.
A Department of Work and Pensions investigations revealed Grahame claimed a total of £40,642.57.

Weather in Spain 6th December – 12th December 2010

Monday: Lovely Sunny day with a temp of 17C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 12C.

Tuesday: Another brilliant sunny day with a temp of 20C.  Overnight temp of 14C. 

Wednesday: For the Third day running we have had sun and a high temp of 21C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 13C.

Thursday: Again a bright and sunny day. Temp of 19C. Overnight temp of 14C.

Friday: Overcast  day with showers and sunny intervals. Temp of 16C. Overnight temp of 10C.

Saturday: Sunny with a temp to 18C. Overnight temp of 12C.

Sunday: Overcast start with a sunny day later. Temp of 17C. Overnight temp of 13C.

Ten most Useless Iphone Apps

The Lady of the Villa is interested in getting an iphone 4 to help her in her business. Iphones have the option to use Apps. Apps can be purchased from Apple, some are free, the rest cost from pennies to many pounds. Some are helpful, others totally frivolous. Here are the top ten most pointless apps, as voted by iphone users.
The thing is, for every app purchased, the programmer gets a fee. Where are my programming books?
TOP 10 TIME WASTING APPS
1. Talking Tom (Cartoon cat repeating what you say and pulling faces)
2. iBeer (Simulates drinking beer)
3. Fat Booth (Morph pictures of yourself in to a much larger body)
4. Cat Piano (Cat playing the piano)
5. Zippo Lighter (Virtual lighter)
6. Cow Toss (You drag a cow and toss it)
7. Colour Tilt (You tilt your phone and the colours change)
8. Hold On! (You press and hold a button for as long as you can)
9. Woohoo (Press a button and it yells woohoo)
10. Rate a fart (Will rate the sound of your fart)

Apollo 17 The Last Trip to the Moon – 11th December 1972

Apollo 17 was the last manned flight to the moon and it took place 38 years ago today. Since then no human has placed afoot on the moon. 
The successful Apollo 17 manned lunar landing mission was the last in a series of three J-type missions which used the battery powered Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). As a result of these additions, the Apollo 17 mission had a duration of 12.5 days, and a time on the lunar surface of 75 hr with a total distance covered on the moon of approximately 35 km.

Crew

Eugene Cernan Commander
Last man to walk on the Moon.
Ronald B. Evans Module Pilot
Harrison H. Schmitt Lunar Module Pilot First trained scientist (geologist) to set foot on the moon.

Home Prices in Spain to Collapse

Banks in Spain now recognise that they have no alternative but to reduce Spain property prices further if they are going to have any chance of attracting more buyers.
In the past, Spain property firms and banks have generally refrained from slashing property prices during a market downturn. But the current collapse in the Spanish housing market has prompted greater action, in a bid to avoid the existing slump continuing for many more years.
The Spain property market has endured a torrid time over the past three years. Residential prices have plummeted, as a consequence of a chronic oversupply of homes in Spain.
The Spanish banks now own tens of thousands of homes in Spain, after accepting properties from struggling Spanish property developers who would have otherwise faced bankruptcy.
But in an attempt to reduce their property assets, many banks reportedly plan to lower home values further in the hope of increasing sells and avoiding a Japanese-style slump that continues for years. More banks may also start to offer up to 100 per cent loan-to-value mortgages.
Bargain basement Spain property prices are attracting more buyers, but not yet enough to clear the current backlog of unsold, empty, homes in Spain.

Last word (from me) on the World Cup 2010

SEVEN FIFA fatcats who are accused of destroying England's World Cup bid are named and shamed by The Sun.

The executive committee members are said to have indicated to our bid team they could be relied on to pick England to host the 2018 championship just hours before the crucial vote.

The fatcats are:

• Vice president Jack Warner
• America's Chuck Blazer
• Guatemala's Rafael Salguero
• Korea's Chung Mong-Joon
• Cyprus's Marios Lefkaritis
• Turkey's Senes Erzik and
• Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma 

Each of the seven is said to have indicated their vote was in the bag. It is claimed Warner even put his arm around Wills and told him: "You can rely on me." But in the early hours of Thursday a team of FIFA delegates met with Russia's campaign team at a Zurich hotel.

And in a secret ballot at FIFA's Zurich HQ hours later, England got just two of the 22 votes - neither of which came from the seven. After a second round of voting, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter announced the 2018 World Cup would go to Russia.

The person I admire most in this whole fiasco is the acting head of English football Roger Burden who announced he is QUITTING because he refuses to deal with the stitch-up merchants of FIFA.

Glass of red wine a day.

The Good News
A small glass of red wine every day could keep adult diabetes under control. A new study found that the drink contains high concentrations of chemicals that help the body regulate levels of sugar in the blood.
Just a small glass of red contained as many of these active ingredients as a daily dose of an anti-diabetic drug, the researchers found. Although the study didn't look at the effects of wine on people, its authors believe moderate drinking as part of a calorie controlled diet could protect against type 2 diabetes.
Past studies have shown that natural chemicals found grape skin and wine called polyphenols can help the body control glucose levels, and prevent potentially dangerous spikes or dips in blood sugar.
The Bad News
Previous studies have demonstrated potential health benefits from chemicals isolated from red wine. However the alcohol in wine is high in calories and can lead to weight gain, which can outweigh the benefits of these chemicals.

Let’s copy the Swiss!

The Swiss know how to stand up for themselves. In a referendum in November, they voted in favour of the automatic deportation of foreigners who commit serious crimes. Needless to say, the latte liberals at Amnesty International are appalled and – revealing their utter contempt for democracy – are calling on Swiss politicians to ignore the will of the people.

Amnesty’s reasoning is that deportations could cause convicts to be sent back to countries where they could face persecution. But this is a ridiculous argument: no one is forcing visitors to Switzerland to commit offences. If people don’t want to be sent back home, why don’t they just desist from rape, robbery, murder and fraud?

The new Swiss policy is so obviously a sensible idea that the UK ought to copy it. Having very high levels of immigration, and having allied with America in the fight against terrorism, the UK has an even bigger problem with foreign criminals.

I commend the idea to the people of the UK.

Weather in Spain 29th November – 5th December 2010

Monday: Light rain all day. Temp of 9C. Cool overnight with a temp of 6C.
Tuesday: Overcast day with no sun at all and drizzle all day. Temp of 11C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 8C. 
Wednesday: High clouds giving a bright day with sunny periods. Hotter with a temp of 18C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 13C.
Thursday: Bright and sunny day. Temp of 16C. Cool overnight with rain, temp of 10C.
Friday: Overcast start to what turns out to be a sunny day. However the cold north wind gave a temp of 8C, coldest this year. Overnight with a temp of 5C.
Saturday: Sunny day with a temp of 15C. Overnight temp of 10C.
Sunday: Overcast start with a sunny day later. Temp of 14C. Overnight temp of 9C.

Mosa Trajectum Golf Course

It is belive it or not the high season for golf here in Spain. This is the latest course to be tested by the team (me and the Lady of the Viulla). I won.

Located 13 km from Murcia, Mosa Trajectum has 3 ( hole golf courses giving a 27 hole championship course (Stone, Pine & Olive Courses). The championship course runs through the resort, through a spectacular and challenging landscape with a variety of plants and trees, cacti, open rock faces and a multitude of water features.

• Stone, Gents 3174 m, Ladies 2455 m, par 36.
• Olive, Gents 2819 m, Ladies 2194 m, par 36.
• Pine, Gents 2951 m, Ladies 2283 m, par 36.

Stone and Olive Course
18 holes
g White Par 72, 6436 m, VC 74.6, Slope 147
g Yellow Par 72, 5993 m, VC 72.5, Slope 134
g Blue Par 72, 5509 m , VC 75.4, Slope 148
g Red Par 72, 4649 m , VC 71.3, Slope 119
Pine and Olive Course
18 holes
g White Par 72, 6242 m, VC 72.7, Slope 136
g Yellow Par 72, 5770 m, VC 70.4, Slope 126
g Blue Par 72, 5234 m , VC 72.8, Slope 132
g Red Par 72, 4477 m , VC 68.9, Slope 114
Pine and Stone Course
18 holes
g White Par 72, 6554 m, VC 75.1, Slope 142
g Yellow Par 72, 6125 m, VC 72.6, Slope 135
g Blue Par 72, 5619 m , VC 76, Slope 140
g Red Par 72, 4738 m , VC 68.6, Slope 117
Driving range, pitching and putting green, restaurant, lessons
Buggy hire, electric trolley hire, club hire
Handicap: 36, Gents and Ladies.
Soft spikes are compulsory.

World Cup Bid

We lost the World Cup bid to Russia, seems to me we did not pay enough in ‘behind the scenes’ costs. However, some councils have paid up front to be part of the Bid.
In total the cost of the bid, £15 million, paid by the English FA. Here is the councils involved and what they paid

• Sunderland: £421,584.80
• Bristol: £363,000
• Birmingham: £353,048
• Leeds: £272,829.92
• Newcastle: £208,990.90
• Manchester: £144,750
• Plymouth: £136,000
• Milton Keynes: £130,000
• Liverpool: £94,662
• London: £60,000

Total spend: £2,184,865.62
Sheffield, Nottingham and N.I. did not give details of what they paid. The taxpayers alliance said ‘it was a waste of taxpayers money’. I would have move sympathy with their cause if they had said it before we lost!
In a way I agree with FIFA giving it to new countries. However, that should have been part of the criteria and not wasted other countries money in the bidding process.

Spanish Air traffic Controllers

The Spanish government are trying to reorganise and therefore reduce costs in the Spanish Airports Authority.
Recently they advertised for 48 new controllers to be trained up. The wages were 45,000 euros. They received 2,00 applications. 900 of which came in the first five minutes of the phone line opening.  

Will the next Contestant please Stand Up

Spain can’t really be the next-but-one euro-zone sovereign financial disaster.
Can it?
After all, its public finances are much healthier than Ireland’s, or Greece’s, or Portugal’s. And its banking sector has been a rare beacon of probity in amongst a global financial mess.
Right?
I think not. Get ready to rumble!

Books read in November 2010

Under the Dome. Stephen King. This is a classic King, a richly rewarding story in which SK does what few others can do with such mastery - write utterly believable characters that you get to know and love and loathe in equal measure. I won't re-hash the plot but it's what King does with the plot that makes it special. This is the best that King has produced in a long time, and that makes it excellent by anyone's reckoning. Don't be put off by the plethora of people introduced at the very beginning, stick with it and it gets better and better as the story unfolds. "Under the Dome" is vintage old-school King, and for this reader that's something very special. Highly recommended and no hesitation in giving 5 Stars.
Suite Française is the title of a planned sequence of five novels by Irene Nemirovsky, a French writer of Ukrainian Jewish origin. In July 1942, having just completed the first two of the series, Némirovsky was arrested as a Jew and detained at Auschwitz, where she was sent to the gas chambers by the Nazi regime. The notebook containing the two novels was preserved by her daughters but not examined until 1998. They were published in a single volume in 2004. The first book ‘The Storm’ follows several groups of characters who flee from Paris in advance of the German entry into the city. As transport and distribution collapse under German bombardment, all have to change their plans and nearly all lose their veneer of civilization. The second book, Dolce, the storyline concerns Lucile Angellier, whose husband is a prisoner of war. She lives, uneasily, with her mother-in-law in the best house in the village, where the German commander is billeted. Unwillingly Lucile finds herself falling in love with him. 3 Stars.
The Falls. Ian Rankin. A complex mystery Rebus novel, as you would expect from Rankin. A student has gone missing in Edinburgh and there's very little for Rebus to go on apart from his gut feeling that there's more to this case than a runaway. Two leads emerge: a carved wooden doll in a tiny coffin and an Internet role-playing game. Rebus concentrates on the coffin, reminiscent of sixteen similar relics found around Scotland in 1836, leaving his protégé DC Siobhan Clarke to deal with the cyberspace role playing game. Great stuff. 4 Stars.
Whiteout. Ken Follett. As a Christmas Eve blizzard whips out of the north, several people converge on a remote family house. Stanley Oxenford, the research company’s director, has everything riding on the drug he is developing to fight the virus. Toni Gallo, forced to resign from the police department in disgrace, is betting her career on keeping the drug safe; a local television reporter, determined to move up, has sniffed the story and a violent trio of thugs is on its way to steal it for a client already waiting – though what the client really has in mind is something that will shock them all. Desperate secrets are revealed; hidden traitors and unexpected heroes emerge. A good Yarn but not one of his best 2.5 Stars.
Beggars Banquet. Ian Rankin. Perhaps the problem I had with this collection of short stories, is that the Rebus novels are so outstanding. The novel format allows Rankin space for his excellent exploration of character (particularly the flawed but resilient Rebus himself), the teasing out of often complex plots and the superb sense of place, with the old city of Edinburgh an uncredited character. There are eight Rebus short stories amongst the 22 in this book all of which I enjoyed, however, the others were a mixed bunch. 2.5 Stars.

RBS Share Price 30/11/2010

The British Government and therefore the British taxpayer own around 86% of RBS shares having put in over £20Bn to save the Bank in 2009.
The average price, per share, paid is 50.53 pence.
The price today is 38,69 pence showing an overall loss.
Oh dear!
I will keep you informed.

Weather in Spain 22nd November – 28th November 2010

Monday: Sunny day with a cool breeze, giving a temp of 17C. Cool overnight with a cold wind giving a temp of 12C.

Tuesday: Very warm and sunny. Temp of 19C. Cooler overnight with rain showers and a temp of 15C. 

Wednesday: Overcast day with bright intervals later. Temp of 17C. Rain overnight giving a temp of 13C.

Thursday: Rain showers during an overcast day. Temp of 17C. Cool overnight with a temp of 14C.

Friday: Overcast day with no sun. Temp of 13C. Overnight cold with a temp of 10C.

Saturday: Another overcast day with showers and a temp to 11C. Overnight again cold with rain and a temp of 9C.

Sunday: Sunny day with a temp of 15C. Overnight temp of 12C.

Spain in money trouble?

After Ireland was finally forced this week to ask for financial help from the European Union and International Monetary Fund it is possible that a similar fate could await Spain.
In the first four months of 2011, the Spanish government and the country's banks must raise about €70bn (£59.2bn) in the bond market, which would be a "big test for investor appetite".
So the challenges facing Spain remain substantial – with the likelihood of a positive outcome poor until at least the sovereign and the banks have successfully navigated their way over the funding hump facing them both in Spring 2011.
The situation facing Spain is in some respects similar to that which led to the implosion of the Irish banking system, with international investors reluctant to buy the country's bonds as fears remain over the risks contained within the financial system.
While the Irish government repeatedly insisted it was fully-funded for the next year, the funding position of the Irish banks made the bail-out inevitable as they faced redemptions of €25bn in government-guaranteed debt they had issued.
Simply put, the Irish sovereign has been dismembered by its banking system.
The Spanish government has set up an €99bn fund to help its banks, however only €12bn of this is pre-funded and €11bn has already been drawn down, meaning the country will have to borrow more from the bond market to fund the rest. Spanish pensions funds could be leaned on to buy some of the bonds, but not enough to cover the entire amount the government will need to raise.

Recession hits Construction in Spain

I spent just an hour going around the area I live in and took some photographs of some areas that should have been developed but has now stopped.
This is a group of houses, the six on the left have been sold and are occupied either full time or as holiday homes. The two on the left have been abandoned by the builders. Just left to go to seed as you can see from the bush in the garden of the uncompleted house second left.
This area, below, the builders started at the bottom of the hill and worked up. In this case they at least finished the homes in progress. However, the land up to the sign, 50 metres by 100 metres has been left, again to go to seed.
The next construction site, because that’s what it is, nowhere near completion, shows 4 apartment blocks. The two in front obscure the two behind (i could not get closer!).They have been left like this for 3 years. Notice the cranes, they have been left there as there is nowhere for them to go, so they sit there unused and getting unsafe. The area used to be an orchard (i only wish it still was!), you can see nature trying to reclaim it back.
These half finished buildings blight the areas. The Town Halls it seems don’t care.

Spain 'orgasm' video criticised by politicians

I saw this advert on one of the Spanish TV channels. However so did some of Spain’s ‘finest’. Here is their view…..

Spanish politicians have criticised a video by the Young Socialists in Catalonia in which a woman simulates an orgasm while casting her vote. Both Socialist and opposition politicians have attacked the campaign video.

In the video the young woman gets increasingly excited as she votes for the Socialist Party in this month's regional elections in Catalonia. It concludes with the phrase, "Voting is a pleasure", after she puts her voting slip in the ballot box.

I thought it was funny!

The Red Houses

We were at our Bank branch recently and while the lady of the villa did her banking business, I looked at the local properties for sale. The bank have a list of repossessed properties in the Branch.
Lo and behold, what did I see? But the houses in the next urbanisation for sale, not one house but up to a dozen.
It seems the Bank, imprudently, gave a loan of about 1.2 million euros to an ‘entrepreneur’ so that he could buy the properties off plan. The recession came and the entrepreneur walked away leaving the bank holding the properties.
180,000 euros is the asking price per villa, it is a no goer. 100,00 euros is more like it. Someone, presumably the bank, will take a hit.

Spain's unemployment increased for third consecutive month in October

Spain's Labour Ministry says the number of people filing claims for unemployment benefits rose for a third straight month in October, by about 68,000.
The rise pushed the total number of people claiming unemployment benefits to 4,085,976.
The overall number of jobless in Spain, which includes those whose benefits have run out, is published separately and stood at 19.8 per  cent in the third quarter, downs slightly from the second quarter but still the worst rate in the euro zone.

Vatican to issue guidelines on sex abuse

The Vatican has said it will issue guidelines on how to combat sexual abuse, which will be circulated to bishops around the world.
How about.
Rule 1. Do not do it
Rule 2. See Rule 1
Rule 4. No Rule 3.
Rule 5. Enforce Rule 1

Weather in Spain 15th November – 21st November 2010

Monday: Sunny and warm day. Temp of 20C. Cool overnight with a cold wind giving a temp of 14C.
Tuesday: A cooler day than yesterday, still warm and sunny but a bit a a bit in the wind. Temp of 18C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 12C. 
Wednesday: Overcast day with a few rain showers. Temp of 18C. Cool overnight with a temp of 13C. 
Thursday: Back to a warm and sunny day after yesterday. Temp of 20C. Overnight temp of 15C. 
Friday: Overcast start with a sunny periods later. Temp of 19C. Overnight temp of 12C.
Saturday: Sunny day with a temp to 20C. Overnight cold with a temp of 15C.
Sunday: Sunny day with a cold wind. Temp of 17C. Overnight temp of 12C.

The End of the Euro?

Portugal became the latest European nation to suggest it was on the brink of seeking help from Brussels after Ireland confirmed it had begun preliminary talks over its debt problems.
Greece recently disclosed that its economic problems are even worse than previously thought.
Monday, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the spectre of the euro collapsing as she warned: “If the euro fails, then Europe fails.”

Truth and Greek facts?

I have previously posted about the PIIGS in Europe and their possible effects on the Euro. Greece has been under constant observation by Eurocrats.
It has now come about that Greece's 2009 budget deficit was worse than previously calculated (by the Greeks), making it the largest in the eurozone.
The country's deficit last year stood at 15.4% of its annual economic output, said Eurocrats. This is higher than the 13.6% figure that was reported, by the Greeks, in April 2010.
Due to the revision, Greece said its 2010 deficit would only be cut to 9.4%, not its earlier target of 7.8%.
If you can believe their figures.

Oh Dear

I thought that blatant use of public funds had gone deep underground after the MP’s housing and expense scandal.
But no.
David Cameron has ordered that the newly installed photographer Andrew Parsons and camerawoman Nicky Woodhouse be removed from the public payroll after intense criticism about the appointment of his so-called "vanity staff" to the civil service. i.e. He has been found out!
Sources in Downing Street said that they stood by the logic of the appointments (they can but I can’t can you?) but that they now acknowledged that the move "sent out the wrong message" when the rest of the public sector was being asked to make savings.
It seems that the Conservative party will now pay their salaries – that is until they can be dropped in a couple of months.

Take That

I must admit I am not a big fan of Take That or any current boy band. my boy ban era was The Beatles, The Stones, The Who etc. However, I came across this review of Take That’s new CD, Progress.
I quote : “”Out go the Coldplay-style ballads. In come sci-fi Europop techno stomps with cut-up lyrics and visions of dystopian social apocalypse.”
Pretentious? Moi?

A true tale? I do hope so!

I have just read more detail of the British team that sent send homemade aircraft to the edge of space before flying it back to Earth.

Pictured here initial launch of the plane before its 17 miles trip into the atmosphere where it captured images of the curvature of the globe using a miniature camera. The plane, which has a 3ft wing span and is made from paper straws covered in paper, was launched using nothing more powerful than a large helium balloon.

Notice it box shaped wings.

Here is a picture of the plane as it was found 100 miles from the launch site. Notice the wings are no longer box shaped,

I hope this is no hoax story!

The Hajj Terminal

The annual Haj haj pilgrimage in Mecca Saudia Arabia started on Sunday.

During the 1980’s I was in Saudi working as the Software Support Manager at the International Airport in Jedda. We looked after the processing of the 1million pilgrims entering the rather closed country of Saudia Arabia.

The most startling building in the airport was the Hajj Terminal. It houses, for a short time, the one million or more pilgrims who make their way to Mecca each year. The capacity of the terminal at any one time is estimated at 50'000 for a period of up to 18 hours during arrival and 80,000 for periods of up to 36 hours during departure. Roofed by a fabric tension structure that covers more area (40.5 hectares) than any roof in the world, the terminal provides toilets, shops, benches and banking facilities for the pilgrims. Twenty-one tent units, each 45 metres square, form a single module. The terminal is comprised of 10 such modules: two identical five-module sections separated by a landscaped mall.

Thus, the two large terminal units each comprise a total of 105 tents. The tents are hooked to steel rings hung from suspension cables which are draped from single pylons in the interior of the module, from ladder-like double pylons at the module edges and from four-pylon towers at the corners. The enclosed and air conditioned arrival buildings are located under the tents along the outside edge of the terminal units parallel to the aircraft aprons.

It is the brilliant structure I have ever seen.

Weather in Spain 8th November–14th November 2010

Monday: Overcast at the start of the day giving way to a sunny afternoon. Cool wind kept the temp down to 18C. Cool overnight with a temp of 14C.
Tuesday: A warmer and sunnier day than yesterday. Temp of 21C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 17C. 
Wednesday: Very warm and sunny. Temp of 21C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 16C.
Thursday: Another glorious warm and sunny day with a temp of 25C. Much colder overnight with a temp of 15C. 
Friday: Warm and sunny with a temp of 26C. Overnight with a temp of 23C.
Saturday: Sunny with a temp to 22C. Overnight temp of 16C.
Sunday: What a week! Another sunny day. Temp of 22C. Overnight temp of 15C.

World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes mellitus world and is held on November 14 of each year. It was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world. World Diabetes Day is a campaign that features a new theme chosen by the International Diabetes Federation each year to address issues facing the global diabetes community. While the campaigns last the whole year, the day itself marks the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1922.
As a diabetic with type 1 having to inject insulin each day I thank the discoverers for my health.

Southern England hit hardest by recession

This does not surprise me at all. After all the south has more people and have a more affluent life style. While in the North they have had it harder no matter what state the country is in. Always with the highest unemployment, always with poorer standard of life. So no surprise to me.
So the details.
A total of 2.9 million people in the North had more than £30,000 in liquid assets in 2007, falling to 2.5 million by the end of 2008, and recovering slightly to 2.7 million by the end of 2009, according to figures recently published.
It compares with five million people in the South with more than £30,000 in liquid assets in 2007, which dropped to 4.1 million by the end of 2008, before recovering to 4.5 million by the end of 2009.
So the south is “richer” in terms of the relative size of its affluent population compared with the north, this population has taken more of a beating during the economic downturn, contracting more sharply than the affluent population in the north.
It comes as separate research suggested hairdressers, gardeners and taxi drivers are the professions worst hit by the recession. Workers who provide these services - which people are likely to cut back on during a recession are the hardest hit.

The Quid

I came across an article about the pound note recently.

The pound note, The familiar green £1 note was replaced on the 12th November 1984 (how time flies 26 years ago!) and replaced by the coins we see today.

I can remember the old £1 note as can my children but none could remember the 10 shilling (Ten bob note) a rusty red colour.

Smoking Ban in the home

The chief medical officer said children should be protected from second-hand smoke in cars and that the smoking ban should be extended to the home to protect children from second-hand smoke.
Oh I can just see the Wayne’s and Waynette’s of the UK sink estates standing outside their homes smoking.
I’d laugh out loud.
And who is to enforce this?

Urbanisation Debt

Our Urbanisation, like all those in Spain have to have by law a Committee. One of their tasks is to set a local tax to pay for urbanisation services, electricity, maintenance, community pool etc.
Our urbanisation has set a levy of 300 Eros a year, this has not changed for the 5 years the urbanisation has been in existence. However, villa owners are failing to pay, for whatever reason and their debt to the community is now 16,500 euros.
Time for the Bailiffs me thinks!

Adios Spain

A friend of mine who I first met on my first day in Spain is leaving and going back to the UK after 5 years in Spain. He has worked hard but has, eventually, had to succumb to the economic realities of Spanish life.
It is hard enough trying to make a living being Spanish at the moment never mind an ex-pat. You need deep pockets and patience to succeed, or to duck and dive and avoid taxes.
KL was legit, but, could not survive. He is off to start a new job in the UK and taking his family with him.
Adios KM, I will miss you.

Weather in Spain 1st November–7th November 2010

Monday: Overcast day with sunny spells. Strong wind kept the temp down to 20C. Cool overnight with a temp of 15C.
Tuesday: A warm and sunny day . Temp of 21C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 17C. 
Wednesday: Very warm and sunny. Temp of 26C. Cooler overnight with a temp of 18C.
Thursday: A warm and sunny day with a temp of 21C. Colder overnight with a temp of 14C.
Friday: Overcast day with sunny intervals. Temp of 19C. Overnight temp of 15C.
Saturday: Sunny and warm with a temp to 23C. Overnight temp of 18C.
Sunday: Overcast start with a sunny day later. Temp of 20C. Overnight temp of 16C.

Gold in them there seas!

Spain has decided to send an armada into the waters around its coasts to seek out hundreds of shipwrecks in an attempt to head off a US marine exploration firm accused of plundering Spanish property from the seabed.
More than 100 suspected shipwrecks have been located by the Spanish navy in the Gulf of Cádiz, considered one of the world's richest hunting grounds for underwater treasure. Most are Spanish galleons returning from the colonies in South America believed to have sunk in waters around Cádiz.
Three Spanish navy vessels are devoting two months to the project, which will end in mid-November. Spain's navy said it had recovered evidence from potential wreck sites which was being analysed by archaeologists.
Spain wants to avoid a repeat of the saga that began in 2007 when the US firm salvaged an estimated $500m (£314m) in silver coins and artefacts from what Spain claims was a Spanish galleon. The treasure was landed at Gibraltar and then flown out to the USA. A US court ruled last year that the find belongs to Spain, but the firm appealed and still has the treasure.