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29 Jul 2012

BMW to sell luxury cars for less online

The BMW i3 concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.

The BMW i3 concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January. (John T. Greilick / Detroit News)

BMW will sell cars over the Web for the first time as the world's largest maker of luxury vehicles seeks an inexpensive way to reach more buyers to recoup spending on its electric models.

A direct online sales platform for BMW's new I sub-brand will be unique in an industry where, outside of small-scale experiments, competitors leave Internet orders for cars to dealers. BMW's range of strategies for the models, including a roaming sales force backing a limited showroom network, reflects the challenge carmakers face as low-emission vehicles trickle into dealerships to sluggish demand after years of development.

"There is considerable risk in BMW's approach of promoting the I brand so prominently," said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Science in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. "There is the image risk, if they don't succeed as quickly as expected, and then there's the main risk of costs, which can only be countered with high deliveries."

BMW opened the I models' first showroom Tuesday in London, although only prototype cars and informational materials will be displayed at first because the vehicles themselves won't go on sale before next year. BMW is spending about $3 billion developing the i3 battery-powered city car and i8 plug-in hybrid supercar, according to an estimate by Frost & Sullivan. Industry sales of electric cars last year, at 43,000 vehicles, were only 57 percent of the 75,000 deliveries predicted by Sarwant Singh, a London-based automotive partner at the consulting company.

Starting prices posted

The four-seat i3, scheduled to reach the market in late 2013, will be priced at about 40,000 euros ($48,500), Bratzel estimated. That compares with a 23,850-euro starting price ($29,388) in Germany for the 1-Series, the cheapest BMW-brand car. The i8, targeted for sale in 2014, will cost more than 100,000 euros ($123,221), according to Ian Robertson, BMW's sales chief.

Details of how I-model buyers, the website and dealerships will interact are "still in the planning process" and will be communicated later, Linda Croissant, a spokeswoman at Munich- based BMW, said last week. Sales will be focused on the world's major urban areas, she said.

The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet, and will be an extension of the car configuration that most automakers offer customers to view models with desired options such as interior colors, seat materials and roof styles.

Test drives not an option

The Internet platform may take a while to catch on because "many customers will still want to go somewhere to look at and drive the vehicle before buying," said Ian Fletcher, an auto analyst in London at research company IHS Global Insight.

"With new technologies, there may be even greater skepticism about buying a car over the Internet, as in many cases you'll have to win the confidence of customers that it works and there is support for them," Fletcher said in an email.

The setup may help BMW reduce expenses: Internet sales require less than half the cost of distributing through a dealership, according to Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the Center Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. That allows online car prices to be 5 percent to 7 percent less than showroom tags.

Still, BMW sees standard dealerships as "the backbone of what we are doing in the interface with the customer" for the I models, Robertson said in June at a press presentation at the sub-brand's Park Lane showroom in London.

Dealer selection criteria

Outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models' powering technology and carbon-fiber body material, Robertson said. The carmaker has chosen 45 of its approximately 200 dealers in Germany to sell the i3 and i8, a ratio that will probably be similar elsewhere, he said.

Dealers will be designated as agents for the I models, which provides an "advantage" by keeping the vehicles on the carmaker's books, the association of BMW distributors in Germany said in an email.

Electric vehicles' disadvantages versus conventional cars include costly battery packs, limited ranges and the time needed to recharge. Consumer reception to models like the Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf and General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt has been tepid.

"Currently available electric cars have a limited market success because they are a big compromise," said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst at Credit Suisse AG. "Customers are not willing to compromise and spend a lot of money."

Carbon fiber bodies lighter

BMW Chief Executive Officer Norbert Reithofer started Project I at the end of 2007 as tighter emissions regulations threatened the viability of sporty sedans. BMW chose to create all-new vehicles that use expensive carbon fiber for a lighter body to make up for the weight of the battery system.

The approach contrasts with a decision by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Cars division to convert existing models, such as the van-like B-Class or two-seat Smart, to electric power.

To make its electric vehicles more attractive, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler's Smart brand offers to lease the battery separately from the car. The automaker has a target of selling more than 10,000 of the models next year, with a starting price of 18,910 euros plus monthly battery rental at 65 euros.

The I models' new technology poses risks for BMW, "but they have no choice if they want to keep their premium and image as an innovation leader," Ellinghorst said.

The i3 and i8 will probably be among BMW's lowest-selling models through 2024, alongside the existing Z4 roadster, according to IHS estimates. In 2014, the first full year of production, BMW will probably deliver 31,380 i3s, compared with 564,760 of the best-selling 3-Series model and 18,101 Z4s, a study by the research company shows.

BMW's stance is that the models should produce earnings from the start, sales chief Robertson said.

"We clearly, as a company, go into any product launch with the view of making profit, which is no different with the I brand," Robertson said. "This is a car line just as every other car line, and we intend to make profit from Day 1."




26 Jul 2012

A million Britons live with the hell of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Nadine Stewart was convinced she was going to die. Just ten minutes after setting off for a pop concert with her sister, she felt a tingling sensation in her arms and pain in her chest.

‘I knew I was having a heart attack,’ says Nadine, 41, a customer services adviser from Morecambe, Lancashire. ‘I begged my sister to take me to A&E: I ran in and screamed that I was having a heart attack.

‘They put me on a monitor and my heart was fine — what I had suffered was a panic attack. I have no idea to this day what caused it, but it terrified the life out of me.’ 

Nadine Stewart has to do everything nine times or fears her husband will die

Nadine Stewart has to do everything nine times or fears her husband will die

But worse was to come. ‘Afterwards, I developed a fear that if I didn’t do something nine times, something terrible would happen to me, my husband Paul or a member of my family.’ says Nadine. 

‘If I made a drink I had to stir it nine times. If I locked the door I had to check it nine times and if I used a cloth to wipe a surface I’d have to wipe it nine times. I don’t know why it was nine. I realised I was being utterly irrational. But every time I tried to curb it — such as only stirring my drink three times — I’d begin to panic.'

 ‘If I didn’t do these things nine times, I’d imagine Paul and me veering off the motorway in our car and see his injured face in the aftermath.’

Nadine had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the top ten most disabling disorders in terms of its effect on quality of life. 

Last month both the British actress Emily Blunt and the MP Charles Walker revealed they suffered from it, with Walker admitting he had to do everything in multiples of four — and felt the need to wash his hands hundreds of times a day. 

 Who knew?
Surveys estimate that fewer than
10 per cent of those suffering OCD are currently receiving treatment.

They are not alone. Around a million people in the UK are thought to be undergoing treatment for OCD, the majority of them women. Women are twice as likely as men to develop anxiety disorders such as OCD — and high-achieving perfectionists are particularly at risk. 

‘There are two parts to OCD, the obsession and the compulsion,’ explains Joel Rose, of charity OCD Action. ‘The obsession is a thought that pops into your head, about harm coming to someone you love or you causing harm to someone.'

‘Everyone has these thoughts but most of us ignore them and get on with our lives. Someone with OCD will develop a compulsive ritual as a reaction to them. It can be continually washing their hands or something invisible like repeating the same phrase over and over in their heads.'

‘The time spent on these compulsions lengthens with time. A severe OCD sufferer might spend six or seven hours a day washing their hands in the hope nothing terrible happens to their children.’

The cause of the condition is not known, though a stressful event in someone’s life may trigger an underlying problem. 

Nadine has never pinpointed the root of her troubles — though they began in the year she started a new job, moved house and got engaged. ‘I had no reason to feel anxious,’ she said, ‘though I suppose there was a lot of change.

‘I became scared of choking to death so I stopped eating and lost three stone in less than three months. I couldn’t leave the house without Paul, and even then it would take me three hours to pluck up the courage.’

Someone who can empathise with Nadine is Jeni Scott, 31, who’s had OCD for three years. 
It began when her father had a heart attack and her mother was diagnosed with cancer, soon after Jeni left university. 

‘I became obsessed with doing things in order,’ says Jeni, a tutor from Newport, Wales. ‘I started making lists but it had everything on it such as “get up, have shower, make a cup of tea” and if I didn’t stick to it I would punish myself by denying myself a treat.

Actress Emily Blunt, star of Five Year Engagement, has revealed she suffers from OCD

Actress Emily Blunt, star of Five Year Engagement, has revealed she suffers from OCD

‘I developed a phobia of being in the rain in the wrong clothes and had to take a backpack with spare bra, pants, coat, shoes and umbrella everywhere with me. I’d carry antibacterial gel in my bag and use it every ten minutes. I’ve still no idea why I did it, I just found it helped me.’ 

Aisha Faisal, from Reading, Berkshire, also suffers from OCD — and it’s getting worse. ‘I developed it in my teens when my mother fell ill and I had to clean the house,’ the 26-year-old says. ‘Now I’m obsessed with everything being super-clean. I wash my hands 14 or 15 times a day, I shower for an hour at a time and wash the shower head and bath thoroughly before I step in. 

‘If someone touches me, I cringe. My neighbour touched my scarf to tell me it was pretty and I had to have a shower and put all my clothes in the wash.’ Aisha, who has three children under four, admits her obsession extended to giving birth. 

‘Each time I had Caesarean sections — the thought of having a natural birth makes me feel physically sick.’ She made the surgeons assure her everything had been scrubbed thoroughly before each operation. Understandably, her OCD worries the rest of her family. ‘My husband Ali finds it very hard to see me like this. I won’t let him touch me when he comes in from work: he has to shower and put on clean clothes before he can hug me.'

‘With three young children, being clean is impossible and I bathe them twice a day in the winter and sometimes four times a day in the summer if they’re hot and sticky.’

As a result of her obsession her own hands are red raw and she suffers from eczema. ‘I have been to the GP but it’s very difficult to treat. I know I must do something soon, because my eldest daughter, who is four, is picking up on my behaviour and I feel very guilty about that.'

‘The other day she came in from the garden and said she was dirty so needed to get out of her clothes and I washed her and cleaned her thoroughly. My husband can’t believe our electricity bill because the washing machine is on constantly.’

While Aisha is still in the grip of OCD, Jeni and Nadine have overcome the condition. According to the NHS, the two recognised forms of treatment are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), which helped Jeni, and anti-depressants. 

But Nadine used another therapy called The Linden Method — a two-day workshop costs £995 — when she reached her lowest point early last year.

‘I was unable to work, leave the house or answer the phone,’ she says. ‘My vision became blurry, my hands would spasm and I’d get pains like rheumatism. I began to think: “What’s the point in living?” yet I was too scared to kill myself.’

The Linden Method — which has also helped OCD sufferers Jemma and Jodie Kidd — works by convincing the sufferer’s sub-conscious that they are safe. 

‘I’m a different person,’ says Nadine. ‘I can leave the house, I’m applying for jobs, taking up hobbies and it’s transformed my relationship with Paul. 

‘He says it’s like having a wife in a wheelchair who can walk again. Except I feel I can not only walk, I can fly.’




Paper Passion, a scent from Geza Schoen for Wallpaper magazine, makes its wearers smell like freshly printed books

Paper Passion, a scent from Geza Schoen for Wallpaper* magazine, makes its wearers smell like freshly printed books. I suppose it can be alternated with "In the Library," a perfume that smells like old books.

Paper Passion fragrance by Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl, and Wallpaper* magazine, with packaging by Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl.

“The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.” Karl Lagerfeld. 

It comes packaged with inside a hollow carved out of a book with "texts" by "Karl Lagerfeld, Günter Grass, Geza Schoen and Tony Chambers."

23 Jul 2012

It will cost two million € to connect the electricity, and nobody wants to pay.The empty Guadalhorce Hosptial in Cártama

The Guadalhorce Hospital has been completed in Cártama on the Costa del Sol, but it has been empty for several months with no opening date planned.

To continue installing the equipment in the hospital it has to be accepted as meeting requirement, and to show that hospital is as planned, but for that to take place it must be connected to the electricity supply.

The problem is that will cost two million €, although the originally quoted price was 300,000 €, to install the electrical connection required. Endesa say the problem is that to supply the hospital an electrical substation at Villafranca del Guadalhorce will have to be expanded.

Cártama Town Hall has said they cannot meet the extra cost, which has put the budget up five fold. Mayor Jorge Gallardo says he thinks the electricity company is ‘making the most of the circumstances’. 

However the Junta say they think the 2 million bill should be met by the Town Hall. They say the electricity contract was undertaken by Cártama Town Hall.

The Guadalhorce Hospital has been built thanks to an agreement between the Málaga Diputación, the Junta de Andalucía and the Cártama Town Hall, to give the district its long-wanted hospital. Many foreigners live in the inland area and have complained about the time to get to a hospital in Málaga.

Spain wildfires: Three killed

 

Forest fires in the county of Alt Emporda, in north-east Catalonia, on 22 July 2012Officials say the flames have been fanned by strong winds

Forest fires raging in Spain's north-eastern Catalonia region have left three people dead, officials say.

Two French nationals drowned in the sea close to the border with France while trying to escape the flames, Catalonia's interior minister said.

Strong winds gusting up to 90km/h (55mph) have rendered one fire "out of control", he said.

All residents of the county of Alt Emporda - about 135,000 people - have been ordered to stay indoors.

The area is a main link for holidaymakers travelling to and from southern France. Traffic on the cross-border AP-7 motorway was reported to have been severely disrupted on Sunday.

Cardiac arrest

The two French victims were among several people who were trapped by fire as they travelled along the N-260 main coastal road near the town of Portbou and tried to reach the sea by climbing down cliffs, according to Catalan Interior Minister Felip Puig.

Map

The victims were a 60-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter, Spanish media reported.

A 75-year-old man died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Llers, north-west of the area's main town, Figueres.

At least another 19 people have been wounded, including a French national who suffered burns on 80% of his body when he was caught in his car by the flames.

The fire near Portbou has been brought under control, according to media reports, while a much larger blaze further inland, around the border town of La Jonquera, was still spreading late on Sunday, Felip Puig said.

The fire, travelling at about 5-6km/h, came within 10km of Figueres, Mr Puig said.

A total of about 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of forest are estimated to have been devastated in the area, according to the authorities.

Spain Scraps Siesta as Stores Stay Open to Spur Spending

The Spanish shopping siesta may be about to become the latest victim of the sovereign debt crisis. To stimulate spending after a 23 percent drop in retail sales since 2007, the euro region’s fourth-largest economy this month approved measures that allow shops of more than 300 square meters (3,229 square feet) to open for 25 percent longer a week. The new rules may encourage the outlets to sell during the traditional afternoon snooze from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and on an additional two Sundays or holidays a year for a total of 10. “When everything was fine, nobody complained, but now that things have gone awry, then it’s another story,” said Carmen Cardeno, director general for domestic commerce at the nation’s economy ministry, which created the rules. “We need to evolve and be more flexible.” Spain is following its European neighbors in trying to liberalize shopping hours that have traditionally been checked by governments in the region to protect religious observances, for rest and on behalf of smaller retailers that have fewer resources to staff shops around the clock. England has allowed retailers to open for longer on Sundays during the Olympics than the six hours usually allowed. In France, food shops can be open 13 hours a day and stores located in tourist areas have the right to open on Sundays. Spanish shops are allowed to open for less time than anywhere else in Europe, according to its government, which was asked by retail associations to allow large stores to open 16 Sundays or holidays a year. Some smaller merchants opposed the extension, arguing that the bigger stores would have the necessary manpower and they wouldn’t. The new measures allow stores 18 additional business hours a week and will permit merchants to decide when to cut prices in sales instead of only twice a year. Siesta Time The country’s regions will get to decide how to implement the rules, though they usually follow the lead of the central government. In Madrid, which is an exception, stores have been able to open for as long as they want since July 15. Outlets of less than 300 square meters also have no restrictions on opening hours, though the Spanish tradition of eating at home and having a siesta means most shopkeepers keep their businesses closed for about two hours in the middle of the day. The new measures may not be enough to offset shrinking demand in Spain’s 217 billion-euro ($264 billion) retail industry, which is worsening each year the crisis goes on in a nation where one in four people is out of work. The number of companies seeking bankruptcy protection rose 22 percent from a year earlier to 2,224 in the first quarter, according to the nation’s statistics institute, with commerce being the third- largest contributor behind construction and housing firms and industrial and energy companies. ‘Almost Insignificant’ Javier Millan-Astray, director general of retail association ANGED, said the approved loosening of restrictions on opening hours doesn’t go far enough. “The government’s reform is almost insignificant,” Millan-Astray told reporters in Madrid, when retail groups pushed for 16 Sunday openings. The associations’ “new proposal would help boost consumption and create more jobs because when we open on a holiday, people come and shop. It’s unbelievable that amid this crisis, we have to keep our stores closed.” Spain has been wrestling with the dilemma of preserving its culture and modernizing the industry for decades. The socialist government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in 2004 rolled back liberalization of opening hours instituted by his predecessor, bringing them back to rules from the 1990s and leaving the country with the tightest regulations of any European country. Job Creation Even with the latest proposals, “retail regulation is hurting both business and customers in Spain,” said Fernando Fernandez, a professor at the IE Business School in Madrid. “Both big and small retailers would benefit from fewer restrictions. When big retailers such as Ikea or Zara open a store, all small shops in that area benefit from that.” Ending the restrictions completely would create 337,581 jobs across all industries and add 17.2 billion euros to economic growth this year, according to a study commissioned by the government, which examined the implications of several scenarios. The nearest of those to the current proposals, under which stores open on 16 Sundays or holidays, could have added 47,945 full-time retail jobs, the study found. About 1.8 million people worked in retail in the first quarter, 0.3 percent less than in the year-earlier period. Stores are also bracing for change as the government looks to the retail industry to help boost tax revenue. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will increase the most common rate of sales tax to 21 percent from 18 percent on Sept. 1, putting an additional brake on consumers’ ability to spend. previous

21 Jul 2012

Spain king ousted as honorary president of World Wildlife Fund branch after elephant hunt

The World Wildlife Fund’s branch in Spain has ousted King Juan Carlos as its honorary president — a title he’d held since 1968 — after deciding his recent elephant hunting safari was incompatible with its goal of conserving endangered species. The announcement Saturday was the latest in a string of bad news for Spain’s royal family, which has been embarrassed by legal and other scandals. The fund said in a statement that “although such hunting is legal and regulated” it had “received many expressions of distress from its members and society in general.” It said members voted at a meeting Saturday in Madrid to “to get rid of the honorary President” by a substantial majority of 226 votes to 13. The Royal Palace declined immediate comment on the announcement. Many Spaniards were dumbfounded when news broke in April that the king had made a secret journey to hunt elephants in Botswana even though it was widely known he was president of the Spanish branch of the fund. Such an opulent indulgence also angered Spaniards at a time when national unemployment hovers around 25 percent, the economy is contracting and there are fears the country may need an international financial bailout. The Spanish public learned of the safari only after the king had to fly back in a private jet to receive emergency medical attention for a broken hip suffered during the trip. In an unprecedented act of royal contrition, a sheepish Juan Carlos apologized, saying as he left the hospital: “I am very sorry. I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.” It was a poignant moment because the royal family had been under intense media scrutiny for all the wrong reasons. The king’s son-in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, is a suspect in a corruption case, accused of having used his position to embezzle several million euros in public contracts through a supposedly not-for-profit foundation he’d set up. Over Easter, the king’s 13-year-old grandson, Felipe Juan Froilan, shot himself in the foot with a shotgun, even though Spanish law dictates you must be 14 to handle a gun. The king on Tuesday decided to take a pay cut in solidarity with civil servants who are to lose their traditional Christmas bonuses as part of the government’s most recent austerity drive. The salaries of Juan Carlos and Crown Prince Felipe will be reduced about 7 percent — to about 272,000 euros ($334,000) and 131,000 euros ($160,000) respectively — in line with government policy, the Royal Palace said. The king and prince acted voluntarily in cutting their salaries, the palace said.

18 Jul 2012

HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS TODAY


 
Grabbing a cup of coffee
Description: Description: CF576CE06B56479DB8C5A48E42CA3BA9@HomeLT
  
Dining out at your favourite restaurant
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Spending some time at the museum
  Description: Description: 810C23D4F768471C975BAA3637C7E2F9@HomeLT
 
Meeting at a popular fast food centre 
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Relaxing at the beach
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Going to a game
 
Description: Description: 86E35EEDDDD8402D90B4DE9C978CB4BF@HomeLT 
 
   Going out on a date
Description: Description: E2E7E88F4CF34955A4CAA39B6C207ED2@HomeLT   
 
Taking a drive around town
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I am thankful I belong to another generation  !!!!
 
“It’s become appallingly clear that our Technology has surpassed our Humanity” -- Albert Einstein

17 Jul 2012

Soaring unemployment, rising taxes and belt-tightening family budgets across Spain could finally spell the end of the traditional Spanish lunch and siesta.

The two-to-three-hour midday breaks with time built in for a snooze during the hottest part of the day were once the Spanish worker's universal way to beat the afternoon heat. But it is becoming a luxury for cash-strapped employees who are working longer hours and having to make do with less in the country's steepest downturn since the 1930s.

Many Spaniards still start work at around 9 a.m., and don't leave work until after 8 p.m., in part to allow for a long lunch, and restaurants cater for them with three-course set-price menus from 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

But restaurants are being forced to rethink their formats and pricing, as more workers opt for once frowned-upon sandwiches at their screens, or lunch brought from home.

"You save a little every month and that's really good for the family budget now the country's in crisis," said Margarita Pallas, who works in a small shop in Calle Mallorca in Barcelona.

The "siesta", the afternoon nap to cope with baking midday heat, has practically died out, but many office workers still take the time to eat a big meal together in groups and consider lunchtime snacks less healthy and anti-social.

A typical 10-euro ($12.24) set menu in the Spanish capital includes two savoury main courses, a beer or a glass or carafe of wine, dessert and a coffee - good value compared to lunch in many other European capitals.

The set meal was once the most popular format since lunch is traditionally the largest meal of the day, supplemented by an early light breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a mid afternoon tea and a late light supper.

Restaurants, though, are shedding their faithful set-menu clients in a country where one in four workers are jobless. Those in work are being forced to tighten their belts to compensate for family members out of work, tax rises and continued economic uncertainty.

"The crisis has hit citizens so hard that people haven't had any choice but to get over the embarrassment of taking food to work and once someone has lost the shame factor, it makes it easy for everyone else," said Rogelio Barahona, chef and owner of the restaurant Urkiola Mendi in Madrid.

Barahona says restaurants like his which cater to lunching office workers have lost 50 percent of sales during the crisis and many are being forced to replace home-made cooking on site with bought-in meals from bigger kitchens to save on costs.

"I pay my taxes, my suppliers, the rent and in order to pay my staff I haven't earned a salary for the last year," said Barahona.

Four years into Spain's economic downturn, with the country now in its second recession, restaurants are offering cheaper options like single dishes or cut-price menus using cheaper ingredients in order to win customers back.

 

FAST FOOD AND DOGGY BAGS

Emilia Cordero, owner of the La Fuente del Collado in the picturesque mountain town of Bustarviejo outside Madrid, says she has never seen such an abrupt change in eating habits since she opened her restaurant in the 1960s.

In the last few years, Cordero says new habits have crept in to her restaurant include shared children's menus, people asking for doggy bags, a single bottle of wine split between seven people and even fast food.

"I used to sell four or five sirloin steaks in just one weekend, but now, forget about it. I'll be lucky if I sell one a week and we've even started offering hamburgers," she says.

The advertising industry reflects those changing habits in a TV commercial for San Miguel alcohol-free beer. In the advert, Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the United States, asks to take his leftover meal with him, almost unheard of in Spain until recently.

"The world is changing," says the voiceover.

Nor are schools immune to the changes. Spanish school children, who have classes until 4-5 p.m. every day, still eat a three-course meal during their two-hour lunch break.

State-run schools charge as much as 150 euros a month for a full meal leading some struggling parents to send children to class with packed lunches, a move resisted by staff.

Part of the problem is logistical, with soaring summer temperatures forcing some schools to buy fridges to store food brought from home, though what has really fuelled the resistance to the "Tupperware kids" - named after a brand of plastic food containers - are concerns that they risk an imbalanced diet in a country with rising child obesity rates.

"There's a risk that the kids start to change their eating habits, because in Spain we eat a big meal at midday with a lighter supper. The tupperware lunch is turning meal times on its head and that's an important change for our culinary culture," says mother-of-two Eloisa Hurtado who works closely with her school's committee.

Some schools have even banned packed lunches, meaning those on tighter budgets are forced to take their children home during the dinner break. Hurtado admits this is not a solution as budgets get tighter.

"Not all families have someone to pick their children up midday," said Hurtado. "So what do those families do if we ban packed lunches?"

13 Jul 2012

Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary feelings

Tattoo
'It's wisest to pick someone whom you cannot break up with or divorce.' Photograph: Gary Powell/Getty Images

Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary feelings – at least if you believe the report in Thursday's Daily Mail, which looked at "embarrassing" matching couple tattoos – designs that complement or complete each other across two, romantically involved bodies.

Yet there are millions of people who feel no embarrassment about the tattoos they share with their friends, lovers and even exes. Moreover, as with most perceived "new trends" in tattooing, this practice is one with a history far older than the current generation; it's a phenomenon that provides both an insight into human beings' fundamental relationships with their own bodies and the bodies and lives of those close to them.

 

Tattoos have been used as markers of association for probably as long as human beings have walked the earth, to mark tribal affiliations, regimental membership in the military, membership of fraternal orders such as the masons or US college Greek letter groups, and to signify gang membership.

The most common of these types of affiliative tattoos, though, is marking an attachment to a loved one. There's an old adage in tattooed circles that suggests getting your lover's name tattooed on you is a sure kiss of death for that relationship, and it's an old gag too: Norman Rockwell's famous 1944 Saturday Evening Post cover painting, The Tattooist, shows a salty sailor in the tattooist's chair, having yet another name added to an arm already full of the crossed-out names of past paramours. Even earlier, a cartoon in Punch from 1916 shows a "fickle young thing" – a well-turned-out young woman, as it happens – revisiting her tattooist to seek an amendment to the ornamental crest tattoo on her arm as she has, euphemistically, "exchanged into another regiment".

 

None of this seems to have affected the long-standing popularity of having names or symbols tattooed to commemorate couples' love and bond. Magazines in the 1920s reported the latest fad for newlyweds was getting matching tattooed wedding rings; preserved tattooed skins in the Wellcome Collection from the late 19th century feature names and portraits of lovers; studies of tattoos in the American navy in the 18th century reveal a large percentage of seamen of the period bore tattoos of the names of women; even Christian pilgrims in the 16th century were recorded to have borne the names of their wives on their skins, as tokens or identificatory marks; and records attest to romantic tattooing even in ancient Rome – St Basil the Great (329-380) is said to have condemned the tattooing of a lover's name that he observed on someone's hand. While I'd certainly never advocate getting a permanent mark of your relationship too hastily, it does seem that the instinct to inscribe a permanent token transcends the ages. Caveat amator.

 

Single tattoos that span multiple bodies appear to be a more recent phenomenon, however. In 1977, New York-based tattoo artist Spider Webb undertook what was probably the first conceptual art project to use tattooing, in a piece called X-1000, in which he tattooed single, small Xs on to 999 individuals, and, as a culmination, one large X on the final, 1,000th skin, conceived as one contiguous work. This tattoo, potentially spanning thousands of miles at any one time, was, Webb said, "the largest tattoo ever done at any point in history". In 2000, as the culmination to a performance art project begun in 1998 designed to highlight the horrific lives and plights of the homeless and hungry in Mexico City, Santiago Sierra produced his piece 160cm Line Tattooed on Four People, a single black line tattooed across the backs of prostitutes in exchange for wraps of heroin, as a symbol of their desperation, interdependence, and utter powerlessness. Sierra would later remark: "You could make this tattooed line a kilometre long, using thousands and thousands of willing people." In 2003, author Shelley Jackson famously published her short story Skin on the bodies of 2095, one tattooed word per person. These tattoos bring together strangers in common cause.

 

My favourite set of matching tattoos, though, are probably the ongoing collection of work worn by twins Caleb and Jordan Kilby, tattooed with matching work by influential and extraordinarily talented New York-based artist Thomas Hooper. If you must get matching tattoos with someone, it's wisest to pick someone whom you cannot break up with or divorce, and to get the work carried out by a tattoo artist who will produce a piece of work that will stand the test of time on its own terms.

Latvian company creates leather bound Ferrari


Motors News

We're familiar with seeing tight leather on smoking hot women, and weird old men, but it's a first for us seeing a leather bound Ferrari F430.

There seems to be a lot of fuss over this leather bound Ferrari F430 in the UK with both The Sun and The Daily Mail reporting about it recently.

However, this isn’t a new car by any means as US motoring blog Jalopnikreported on the F430 way back in August last year. It’s a pretty cool, albeit manky, car so we thought we’d show you anyway.

It’s the work of a Latvian custom car company called Dartz who hit the headlines in 2009 when they created a $1.5 million ruby red SUV with whale foreskin-covered seats. Yes, foreskin…

Anyway, some high roller with more cash then sense decided it would be a great idea to cover his €170,000 Ferrari in dark leather.

The owner of Dartz, Leonard Yankelovich, said: "One of our very rich customers from the Cote d'Azur wanted a leather exterior and knew we could deliver.

"It took three of my staff 16 working days to apply the leather and finish. He was more than happy when he picked it up."

He won’t be too happy when he scratches it though.

Is this the most expensive way to ruin a Ferrari?

11 Jul 2012

Stunning pictures from Spain as revellers take part in the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona

 

 

Running the gauntlet: Revellers dash down the streets of Pamplona, chased by charging fighting bullsRunning the gauntlet: Revellers dash down the streets of Pamplona, chased by charging fighting bulls
AP

The annual "Running of the Bulls" in Pamplona, Spain, is one of the most intense, dangerous public events we've seen, as members of the public charge down the streets as fighting bulls are released onto the town's cobbled streets.

The revellers run down the streets, looking to get close to the bulls without being gored by them, on a route that finishes in the town's bull ring.

The event sees thousands of people line the streets and take to the balconies of their houses as the charge takes place.  Side streets are barricaded off and shepherds are situated in key junctions to prevent the bulls from turning back.

The event, which marks the seven-day festival of Sanfermines, is markedly different to the usual bullfight events held in Spain.  Bullfighters are professionals.  During the Running of the Bulls, anyone over the age of 18 can take part.

As you'll see from the pictures, it's a dangerous affair.  Twp British revellers were gored during this year's event, one in the right leg, the other in the left, when caught by one of the 500kg+ fighting bulls.

The bulls routinely throw runners up into the air using their horns, while it's also commonplace to see runners pinned up against walls or trampled by the stampede.

Check out the best of the pictures from this year's festival in our amazing gallery below.

 

5 Jul 2012

Freeze Fresh Herbs in Oil to Preserve Them

Have a few fresh herbs sitting around that you won't get to using before they turn? Sure, you can freeze them in water or dry them out, but if you know you'll use them relatively quickly, you can add a few weeks to their life without damaging their potency by freezing them in oil instead. We've shown you how to make simply syrups with them, and how to use sea salt to dry them, but if you have some lovely herbs you want to use, but won't get to before they turn brown, consider dropping them in an ice cube tray, filling up the cubes with olive oil (or any other oil of your choice, as long as it freezes nicely), and popping them in the freezer. When you're ready to fry some potatoes, for example, pop out a couple of rosemary oil cubes—you'll need the oil for the pan anyway, and the rosemary will be right at home. Need some oil in a baking dish or crock pot for a few chicken breasts? Grab a frozen sage oil cube. The sky's the limit. The only thing to note is that with some herbs have a shorter shelf life when frozen in oil than in water (like garlic, for example), so this won't beat drying if you're looking to keep your herbs fresh for months and months. It will, however, work for weeks on end, and if you freeze them, pop them out of the ice cube trays and put them into zippered baggies, they'll keep even longer. Then, the next time you need oil for a recipe, you can add a little fresh flavor at the same time. Hit the link below for even more oil-freezing tips, and some tips on which herbs take well to freezing and which don't.

3 Jul 2012

Maurice sells 'too-big' €1m Marbella villa

Pain in Spain? Not in the Marbella property market at any rate. Maurice Boland and his wife Wendy are selling their palace in the hills overlooking Marbella for e1m. And, pardon my Spanish, but it is absolutely nothing to do with his relationship with a 16-year-old teenager in Marbella in the not-too-distant past, which the top Irish DJ described as "a massive error in judgment". "That was two years ago," he told me. "You learn from your mistakes. Wendy and I have just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We're stronger than ever," he said, adding that they have five lovely grandchildren. Maurice, who last year launched his new radio station iTalk FM in Marbella, told your diarist that the House Casa Eden (with three living rooms, two dining rooms and its own cinema set in more than an acre of land with incredible views) is just too big now for himself and Wendy. "Our sons are all married and have their own homes so Wendy and myself just don't need something as large as this," he said. "It's a magnificent home with amazing sea and mountain views. We are looking at a smaller place closer to Marbella with a view of the sea."

Barclays boss Bob Diamond resigns

Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond has resigned with immediate effect. The move comes less than a week after the bank was fined a record amount for trying to manipulate inter-bank lending rates. Mr Diamond said he was stepping down because the external pressure on the bank risked "damaging the franchise". Chairman Marcus Agius, who said on Monday he was stepping down, will take over the running of Barclays until a replacement is found. "I am deeply disappointed that the impression created by the events announced last week about what Barclays and its people stand for could not be further from the truth," Mr Diamond said in a statement. He will still appear before MPs on the Treasury Committee to answer questions about the Libor affair on Wednesday. "I look forward to fulfilling my obligation to contribute to the Treasury Committee's enquiries related to the settlements that Barclays announced last week without my leadership in question," Mr Diamond said. Last week, regulators in the US and UK fined Barclays £290m ($450m) for attempting to rig Libor and Euribor, the interest rates at which banks lend to each other, which underpin trillions of pounds worth of financial transactions. Staff did this over a number of years, trying to raise them for profit and then, during the financial crisis, lowering them to hide the level to which Barclays was under financial stress. Prime Minister David Cameron has described the rigging of Libor rates as "a scandal". The Serious Fraud Office is also considering whether to bring criminal charges.

1 Jul 2012

If you include one portion of seafood in your weekly diet, you may halve the chances of suffering a heart attack.

Prawns, crabs, squid and octopus are just as packed with vitamins, minerals and fish oils as fish like salmon or cod.

They all contain Omega-3 – a key fatty acid known to help with heart health.

Shelling out: It is recommended that you try to eat fresh seafood

Shelling out: It is recommended that you try to eat fresh seafood

Although seafood contains cholesterol, it’s actually foods high in saturated fats – the type found in cheese, red meat and fast food – that increase levels of bad cholesterol in the body. 

So seafood is unlikely to have a major impact on your blood cholesterol levels.

The NHS advises against eating raw shellfish and raw seafood during pregnancy. 

Try to eat fresh seafood, as frozen products may contain more sodium – and we already consume twice as much as the recommended 6g a day. 

Here, Alice Smellie and nutritional therapist Jackie Lynch of the website well-well-well.co.uk explain what is in our favourite seafood.

 

Smoked salmon and gravadlax

Smoked salmon

What’s in them? Very high levels of Omega three. A recent study has shown that marine Omega-3 can help protect the eyesight of those suffering from age-related macular degeneration - which causes blurred and fuzzy vision.

Expert says: If possible, check the salt content of your smoked salmon - different brands will use different techniques. 

Salt content goes from 3g upwards - shop around if you have blood pressure concerns. Be aware that gravadlax is cured in salt which makes it extra high. 

What’s a portion? Four slices (around 85g) will contain about twenty per cent of your daily sodium. 

When to avoid: It’s all about balance, but treat with caution if you have high blood pressure.

 

Crab

Crab

What’s in it? This ten-legged crustacean is high in protein and Omega-3. Has trace elements of selenium and chromium as well as calcium, copper and excellent levels of zinc. 

Expert says: The high Omega-3 is really the best thing about crab. 

This fatty acid has anti-inflammatory properties so may be good for those with such conditions as arthritis, It also reduces blood pressure. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant and trace mineral. 

It is found in all shellfish. Most crustaceans are high in cholesterol - bear in mind it’s necessary in order to produce sex hormones and to process Vitamin D in the body. Small amounts are beneficial. Crab is low in calories - only 128 calories in 100g and saturated fat - which makes it good for the heart.

What’s a portion? Protein should constitute a quarter of your meal portion. Restaurant portions - which tend to come in a little pot - are spot on. Eat alongside wholemeal bread and salad for a perfect balance.

When to avoid: Only have as a occasional treat if you know you suffer from high cholesterol. 

Squid

Squid

What’s in it? A good source of protein. Also contains Omega-3, copper, zinc, B vitamins and iodine.

Expert says: Some foods contain copper and it is vital for the absorption, storage and metabolism of iron and the formation of red blood cells. 

The high levels of B2 may help ease migraines and phosphorus helps calcium build bones and teeth.

Squid is a great option as a starter - especially if you’re choosing it over deep-fried camembert. But avoid fried or battered versions. 

Squid is only around 70 calories per 100g, but add batter and you’re almost tripling the calorie count and adding transfats. These are very bad for you and believed to increase the risk of some cancers.

What’s a portion? A fist sized amount of squid. 

When to avoid: Avoid squid if you’re sensitive to seafood, and ensure it’s fresh - ask at the fish counter or in the restaurant. 

Oysters

Oysters

What’s in them? High in protein, zinc and Omega-3. Low in cholesterol.

Expert says: Oyster contain large amounts of the amino acid tyrosine, which is also made in the body. 

This helps improve mood and regulate stress levels - hence the well documented aphrodisiac qualities. 

They have more zinc than most other foods - which supports reproductive and sexual function - especially in men. Also a great source of vitamins A, C and B12 - good levels of which are vital for energy.

Oysters also have good levels of calcium - great for bone-building. With any kind of seafood be careful about provenance. If it is farmed there are potential issues about infection. If it is fresh consider high mercury levels.

Mercury poisoning causes damage to the brain, kidneys and lungs, though worrying amounts tend to be found in larger fish such as tuna. Consumption of whale and dolphin meat in Japan is a source of high levels of mercury poisoning.

What’s a portion?

Half a dozen oysters will provide over twice your daily zinc needs. Excess zinc is usually excreted through urine or bile.

When to avoid

If you’ve had a reaction to oysters be cautious - a bad oyster will cause food poisoning, but if you suffered an allergic reaction then avoid them. 

Mussels

Mussels

What’s in them: Selenium, iron, folic acid, Vitamin A, B vitamins, iodine and zinc.

Expert says: High levels of the chemical element iodine means that mussels are perfect for those with sub-optimal thyroid function. 

Iodine helps an underactive thyroid to produce tyrosine - the hormone which makes it effective. It is a problem for most of the women I see in their thirties and forties who complain about feeling tired.

Mussels also have the highest level of Omega-3 out of the shellfish and are rich in folic acid and vitamin B12 - a lack of which may cause tiredness, confusion and even nerve damage. 

What’s a portion: 3oz of mussels - a bowlful - will provide well over your daily B12 needs and over half the iodine - the RDA is 140mcg and 100g of mussels contains around 130mcg. 

When to avoid: Although the official recommendation suggests that you can eat cooked shellfish in pregnancy, there is nonetheless the risk that toxins causing food poisoning won’t be totally removed. Probably best avoided. 


Scallops

Scallops

What’s in them: These are molluscs which grow in shells with a scalloped edge. Like all shellfish they’re a great source of protein and Omega-3. Virtually no saturated fat. A good source of B vitamins, magnesium and potassium. Low in calories.

Expert says: Omega-3 reduces the risk of blood clots which may lead to stroke or heart attack. 

A raft of clinical studies have proved its efficacy in aiding heart health and that those who consume fish tend to experience less dementia and memory problems as they age.

Magnesium is good for muscle and nerve function and potassium helps regulate muscle contractions - including the heart and also fluid balance. 

What’s a portion: 50g is just over fifty calories and  contains less than a gram of fat - ideal if you’re watching your weight.

When to avoid: Those with a known sensitivity to shellfish should be careful. 

 

Shrimp, crayfish and prawns

Prawns

What’s in them? Prawns have slightly longer legs than shrimps and their gills are different, but they are very similar. 

Crayfish are bigger. Although they contain zinc, iodine and selenium, they are also high in cholesterol. Very low in fat and calories - around 100 calories per 100g. 

Expert says: Fresh prawns are super high in Vitamin B12 - which is necessary for cell division and the lack of which is a problem in the UK - with many of us suffering from low levels.

B12 has to be obtained from the diet and is only available from animal sources, such as meat or fish, so can be an issue for vegetarians. 

Beware of the creamy sauces accompanying these - which are high in fact and salt. Frozen prawns as they are often high in salt. the freezing process often uses sodium as part of storage process.

Selenium has highly protective properties and supports immune system function as well as being vital for optimal thyroid function. 

What’s a portion? A large handful is a good sized amount and there are only about 76 calories in 100g.

When to avoid: If you have high cholesterol, eat only as an occasional treat



Whelks and cockles

Cockles

What’s in them? 100g of cockles contain 53 calories. Whelks contains 19.5g of protein per 100g compared to 15.4g per 100g in lamb. High in Vitamin A and zinc.

Expert says: An exceptionally good source of protein. 

These are a much overlooked food - but they are also extremely high in zinc - excellent for skin and hair health, as well as immune function - and contain Vitamin A in the form of retinol, which is easily absorbed into the body and helps boost night vision. 

What’s a portion? Buy in small containers at the seaside or by the jar from supermarkets such as Waitrose.

When to avoid: Try to ascertain their origins - in an area with heavily polluted beaches, buying from seaside stalls may increase chances of poisoning. High levels of retinol may be associated with birth defects - give whelks a miss in pregnancy. 

Lobster

Lobster

What’s in it? Lobster contains iodine, selenium,  and B vitamins. Contains less cholesterol, calories, and saturated fats than lean beef, pork, shrimp.

Expert says: The vitamin E in lobster helps to protect cells from damage. It’s seen as a luxury food, but lobster is also a healthy and lean protein. 

Just avoid the high fat and calorie options such as Thermidor - a cooked dish containing cream, cheese and eggs. 

What’s a portion? 150g of lobster (out of the shell) will provide you with around 33 grams of protein. 

When to avoid: Sufferers from high cholesterol should only consume sometimes.

Octopus

Octopus

What’s in it? The most commonly eaten part of the octopus is the arms, and sometimes the mantle (head area). 

Small octopuses are eaten whole. Contains plenty of B vitamins, potassium and selenium. Also high in taurine and iron. 

Expert says: Taurine is an amino acid made in the body. It helps reduce cholesterol from blood vessels and may help with the prevention of heart disease - although there are no conclusive studies backing this up.

It also has a calming effect on the nervous system so octopus could be a good way of de-stressing at the start of a holiday. 

Around one in 20 of us may be suffering from iron deficient anaemia - and octopus flesh is a good source of iron. 

What’s a portion? An 85g serving contains 140 calories and no saturated fat at all. 

When to avoid: Older and larger octopuses are tough to eat if not prepared properly. 

 




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