This joke has gone too far... I read in the newspaper : "Pay us 2m pounds more or tower misses the big party. Portsmouth City Council has been told by builders Mowlem that there is a 'significant delay' to the Spinnaker tower project. But the May 25 completion date could be met – if the council pays a further 2m pounds. The council is desperate to have the tower open by June as the eyes of the world will focus on the city for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations and the International Festival of the Sea".

As I said, this stupid joke has gone too far. This tower should have been built for the Millennium celebrations. That's five years ago. Now, after many problems and delays, we are told the tower will only be ready if the City Council (meaning the citizens purses, of course!) cough up more money to the builders. What a shame! That sounds like blackmail to me!!
And please, 'the world will focus on the city for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations'?? The world? Really! I bet the world has many other things to focus its eyes on than in a battle fought 200 years ago between the French and the English!


La 'bromita' ya ha ido demasiado lejos...Leo en el periodico : " Pagadnos 2 millones mas o la torre no se acaba para la fiesta. La empresa constructora Mowlem ha comunicado al Ayuntamiento de Portsmouth que habra un 'retraso de importancia' en el proyecto de la Spinnaker Tower. Pero la fecha de finalizacion se podria cumplir - si el Ayuntamiento paga 2 millones de libras mas. El Ayuntamiento desea inaugurar la torre en Junio, ya que la ciudad sera el centro de atencion mundial durante las celebraciones del 200 aniversario de la Batalla de Trafalgar y el Festival Internacional del Mar".

Ya digo, la bromita ha ido demasiado lejos. Esta torre tenia que haber estado construida para las celebraciones del Milenio. De eso hace ya 5 anios. Ahora, despues de multiples problemas e interrupciones, resulta que solo estara lista si el Ayuntamiento (es decir, los impuestos del ciudadano de a pie, al fin y al cabo) paga mas a los constructores. Que verguenza! Puro chantaje!!
Y eso de que la ciudad estara en el punto de mira del mundo entero por el aniversario de la Batalla de Trafalgar...a ver...permitanme que lo ponga en duda! El mundo tiene otras preocupaciones mas importantes que celebrar una batalla naval de hace 200 anios entre ingleses y franceses!


The weather today:

Mostly Cloudy
3C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the North at 20 mph
Dew Point:-3C
Humidity:61%
Visibility:Unlimited
Barometer:1,013.2 mb

It snows today. It's a snow that makes you laugh, it's so bland and mild.It melts in seconds when touching the ground. I was walking down in Commercial Road and suddenly it started snowing. I felt like a character in an old Hollywood movie, with fake paper snowflakes flying everywhere. I imagined a couple of men with buckets full of fake snowflakes, pouring them from the top of a building. I turned to the next street...and hey! it was sunny and it had stopped snowing. Obviously I was in the studio set for another movie.


Hoy nieva. Es nieve que da risa, de lo poquita cosa que es. Se funde nada mas tocar el suelo. Iba andando en Commercial Road y de pronto, empezo a nevar. Me senti como un personaje de pelicula antigua de Hollywood, con nieve falsa de papel volando por todas partes. Imagine a un par de hombres con cubos llenos de nieve de papel, subidos a un edificio, tirando nieve falsa a la calle del estudio. Gire a la proxima calle y...ey! hacia sol y ya no nevaba. Era como entrar en el decorado de otra pelicula.


The weather today:
Haze
4C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind:From the Northeast at 23 mph
Dew Point:-2C
Humidity: 61%
Visibility:6 miles
Barometer:1,013.5 mb

One month to go for Easter...but we can stuff ourselves with eggs right now! The same applies to Xmas, starting on the 1st November, the winter sales, on the 26th December, St Valentine on the 1st January, Halloween the 1st of October and summer, starting just after Easter! Confusing? No! It's just the UK for you.

Falta aun un mes para Semana Santa...pero ya podemos hartarnos a huevos de Pascua! Lo mismo pasa en Navidad, que aqui empieza el 1 de Noviembre; y las rebajas de invierno, el 26 de Diciembre; San Valentin, el 1 de Enero; Halloween el 1 de Octubre y el verano, que empieza justo despues de Semana Santa! Que causa confusion? No! Esto es, a fin de cuentas, el Reino Unido.

The weather today:
Partly Cloudy
6C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the North at 8 mph
Dew Point: -1C
Humidity: 64%
Visibility: 9 miles
Barometer: 1,008.8 mb

As it can be seen here there are new gigs for The Tears in spring in the UK. SD sent me an email with the link and the question : "Do we want to go?". I immediately replied using font 40 and capital red letters : "YES!!!". Now it is done. We have bought our tickets and we will be going to the gig.

All this enthousiasm may surprise you. Who are these 'The Tears' then? Well, once upon a time there was a British band named Suede .
They were damned good. When I discovered them I really really liked them. And it was a long time since I had been enthousiastic for any band. The years and albums went by...And then they flopped and disappeared. I was happy as their last album had been terrible. I was ashamed, really. That was not the Suede I knew. But now Suede's singer Brett Anderson and guitar Bernard Butler (BB in Suede only until 1992) are back together, under the name The Tears. They have new songs to offer. Some more information about their last gig can be read here : The Morning News .

With this plus the Finn Brothers (ex-Crowded House) gig, we'll be having a very entertaining spring!


Como se puede ver aqui se han anunciado nuevos conciertos de The Tears en primavera en el Reino Unido.SD me envio un email con el link, diciendo :"Vamos?" y yo inmediatamente conteste (con fuente 40, mayusculas y en rojo) : "Si!!!". Hecho. Ya hemos comprado nuestras entradas online y vamos al concierto.

Todo este entusiasmo y excitacion quiza os sorprenda. Quien son estos 'The Tears', pues? Os cuento. Erase una vez una banda britanica llamada Suede .
En mi modesta opinion eran geniales. Cuando los descubri, hacia anios que no me entusiasmaba tanto por una banda. Pasaron los anios y pasaron los albums...Pero llego un punto en que no daban mas de si y desaparecieron. Francamente, me senti feliz cuando esto ocurrio. Su ultimo album habia sido terrible. Sentia verguenza ajena solo de escucharlo. Pero ahora, el cantante de Suede, Brett Anderson, y su guitarrista (hasta 1992), Bernard Butler, tienen algo nuevo que ofrecer. Han vuelto juntos y se llaman 'The Tears'. Mas informacion (en ingles) sobre el ultimo concierto en Londres, en el The Morning News .

Entre estos y los hermanos Finn (ex de Crowded House)vamos a tener una primavera bien entretenida!


The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
8C
UV Index:0 Low
Wind: From the West at 17 mph
Dew Point: 4C
Humidity: 76%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer: 1,017.9 mb

These are the books I was refering to on Monday. And let me insist... don't know what to do with those books you keep in your shelves and will never read again? Be generous! Be daring! Go to
Bookcrossing and set them free!


PS: Although I accept Nfer's remark that this system may or may not work depending on the country. It is quite successful in the United Kingdom, USA, Australia and New Zealand. The number of Bookcrossers in Spain is increasing too. And your country?



Estos son los libros a los que me referia el lunes. Y dejadme que insista... no sabeis que hacer con esos libros que se os acumulan en la estanteria y que sabeis que nunca-nunca volvereis a leer? Sed generosos! Sed valientes! Visitad Bookcrossing y liberad vuestros libros!


PS: Aunque como bien me apunto Nfer, este sistema puede o no funcionar dependiendo del pais. Hasta ahora, ha tenido exito en paises como el Reino Unido, Estados Unidos, Australia y Nueva Zelanda. En Espania los bookcrossers aumentan dia a dia. Y en tu pais?

The weather today:
Haze
4C
UV Index: 0 Low
Wind: From the Southwest at 1 mph
Dew Point: 1C
Humidity:79%
Visibility:5 miles
Barometer:1,026.1 mb

A curiosity, a website with a tool you can use to generate anagrams . You can check it here. People who are really into this and have become 'experts' in this 'non-'official' sciences affirm answers to people's personalities, our past and our future can be found in anagrams. Of course you need a bit of imagination and have the time and patiente to pore through a long list of probably meaningless anagrams. For instance, I tried with my name in Spanish. One of the results was 'Astronave cruz he' (Starship, cross, I have). It might indicate my interest for science-fiction? And how about the cross? Does it represent the Christian symbol? Does the anagram mean I believe in science instead of in religion? And how about the most famous anagram for Elvis (Presley?) Did you know it is...yes! 'Lives'! Elvis Lives!! See... with a bit of imagination...

I surfed a bit more looking for this topic and found a forum where 'anagrams' where called 'lexigrams'. A forum member created anagrams using Osama Bin Laden's name. Another forum member added his contribution : anagrams using Bin Laden's name in Arabic. The results were surprisingly accurate :
DISHONORED THE NATION (DANNAS AL OMMA)
NOW OSAMA HAS NO NATION (AL ANN LA OMMA L OSAMA)
NO PEACE WITH OSAMA (LA SALAM MEN OSAMA)
BLOOD FLOOD (DAMM SAL)
OSAMA SHALL NOT REMAIN (MA DAM OSAMA)

How bizarre!....


Curioso : una pagina web a la que proporcionas una frase y te crea todos los posibles anagramas (en espaniol). Lo podeis comprobar aqui . Segun entendidos en estos temas de las ciencias 'no oficiales', los anagramas pueden darnos respuestas a todo. Digamos que escribo mi nombre y apellidos y el generador crea todos los posibles anagramas. Los entendidos aseguran que en esos anagramas encontrare respuestas a mi personalidad, mi pasado y mi futuro. Claro que hay que tener cierto grado de imaginacion y entresacar el oro de la paja..dicen. Por ejemplo, uno de los muchos resultados de mi nombre es 'Astronave cruz he". Indica quizas mi aficion por la ciencia-ficcion? Pero y lo de la cruz? Representa al cristianismo? Y entonces...me esta diciendo el anagrama que antepongo la ciencia a la religion? Y el mas famoso anagrama de 'Elvis' (Presley)? Es 'Lives'. Elvis vive. Ya veis, con un poquito de imaginacion...

Investigando un poquillo el tema, me encontre un foro en ingles donde llamaban 'lexigramas' a los anagramas. Un forero creaba anagramas con el nombre de Osama Bin Laden. Otro forero aniadia que era mejor hacer los lexigramas usando el nombre en arabe. Los lexigramas que aparecian entonces eran :
DISHONORED THE NATION (DANNAS AL OMMA)- Deshonro a la nacion
NOW OSAMA HAS NO NATION (AL ANN LA OMMA L OSAMA)- Ahora Osama no tiene nacion
NO PEACE WITH OSAMA (LA SALAM MEN OSAMA) - No hay paz con Osama
BLOOD FLOOD (DAMM SAL)- Inundacion de sangre
OSAMA SHALL NOT REMAIN (MA DAM OSAMA) - Osama no permanecera

Ya digo, curioso, muy curioso....


The weather today:
Cloudy
4C
UV Index:0 Low
Wind:From the North Northeast at 8 mph
Dew Point: -3°C
Humidity:61%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer:1,028.1 mb

After several inactive months, I have today released three books. I refer of course to the Bookcrossing system. Read a book. Register it in Bookcrossing. Stick a Bookcrossing label with explanation on the book. Leave the book in a public place (anywhere you like). The idea is that somebody else will pick the book, read the label and realise they have just a free book in their hands. The book it's theirs to read and enjoy. The only thing the ex-owner asks is for the new owner to go to the Bookcrossing website and make a note saying the book is now safe. The new owner can then keep the book or release it again. I have to say in the majority of the cases, the new owner doesn't bother to continue the chain. A shame, after all it doesn't cost any money and there is no committment at all.
I think Bookcrossing is a great idea. If I have some spare books which I don't want to keep, I always release them. I never have many books at home as I normally borrow them from the Library. But this system it sure makes me value the few books I have!


Update: I retract my words! One of the books I released was caught 15 minutes later and the new owner has already left a note in Bookcrossing. It happens this person had seen a tv programme about the book and wanted to read it. What a coincidence!

Despues de unos largos meses de inactividad, hoy he vuelto a 'liberar'tres libros. Me refiero, por supuesto, al sistema internacional de 'intercambio' Bookcrossing (pagina web en ingles, aunque tiene tambien versiones en otros idiomas como espaniol). El sistema es bien sencillo. La idea es compartir libros sin animo de lucro. Lees un libro. Lo registras en Bookcrossing. Le pegas una etiqueta explicativa de Bookcrossing. Dejas el libro en un lugar publico (donde te de la gana!). La idea es que alguien recogera el libro, leera la etiqueta y se dara cuenta de que ese libro es para ellos/as...gratis! Lo unico que el ex-propietario/a pide es que se deje una nota en la pagina web de Bookcrossing, diciendo que el libro esta en buenas manos. El nuevo propietario/a puede hacer lo que quiera con el libro. Quedarselo o bien 'liberarlo', para que otros/as tengan tambien la oportunidad de leerlo. Hay que decir que, en la mayoria de los casos, los nuevos propietarios/as no se molestan en postear la nota en Bookcrossing. Una lastima, la verdad, porque no cuesta nada, es gratis, y no hay ninguna obligacion posterior.
Creo que Bookcrossing es una gran idea. Si tengo algunos libros que no quiero conservar, siempre los 'libero'. Nunca tengo muchos libros en casa porque acostumbro a tomarlos prestados de la biblioteca. Y tengo que decir que Bookcrossing me hace apreciar los poquitos libros que compro y me quedo!


Update: Retiro lo que dije! Hoy ha habido exito con los libros! Uno de los que 'libere' fue encontrado 15 minutos despues y el nuevo propietario ya ha dejado una nota en Bookcrossing. Parece ser que estaba interesado/a en leer el libro despues de ver un programa de tv sobre el tema. Que coincidencia!

The weather today:
Partly Cloudy
7C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind:From the North Northeast at 16 mph
Dew Point:-5C
Humidity: 43%
Visibility:6 miles
Barometer: 1,024.0 mb

Bread and Ham

bread and ham1
Originally uploaded by chipmonk.

The photo above shows our meal on Saturday night at MacSteve 's birthday party in Germany(photo courtesy of Chipmonk ). MacSteve had this extraordinary idea for a meal when he heard that it was possible to bake a York ham inside a huge loaf of bread, all at the same time. I can now confirm it is delicious!



La foto de arriba es nuestra cena del sabado cuando celebramos el cumpleanios de MacSteve en Alemania (la foto es cortesia de Chipmonk ). MacSteve tuvo esta extraordinaria idea para la cena cuando se entero de que era posible hornear al mismo tiempo una pata de jamon York dentro de una enorme hogaza de pan. Y puedo confirmar que es delicioso!

The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy
6C
UV Index: 0 Low
Wind: From the North Northwest at 13 mph
Dew Point: -3C
Humidity: 53%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer: 1,017.9 mb

I heard voices. The voices told me to do it. They put pressure on me, they made me do it!....

I guess now you think I've become like Norman Bates in Psycho . With Bates' multiple personalities, the horrid mum on his head telling him to kill the motel's pretty client. Its' not the case, though. My craziness has reached higher levels than poor Norman, but as I was saying, this is not the case. The voices were real. I had to do it.... We are going to Barcelona on the 15th-17th April. "They" made me do it!!!


Oi voces. Las voces me dijeron que lo hiciera. Me presionaron, yo no queria hacerlo, pero las voces me obligaron...

Ahora me imagino que veis como a Norman Bates en Psicosis . Con doble personalidad, oyendo la voz de la madre ordenandole que asesinara a la guapa clienta del motel. No es el caso. Norman Bates se quedaba corto, con dos personalidades, a mi lado. Pero ya digo, no es el caso. Las voces que me presionaron son bien reales. Asi que tuve que hacerlo! Y si... vamos a Barcelona del 15 al 17 de Abril. Las 'voces' me obligaron!!!


The weather today:
Fog
9C
UV Index: 0 Low
Wind: From the South at 7 mph
Dew Point: 8C
Humidity: 93%
Visibility:2 miles

I read in the newspaper (and think what a bunch of brutes those were): "Several people were hurt in the crush as thousands flocked to the midnight opening of Ikea's newest store. The shop stayed open for just 30 minutes because of safety fears at the store in Edmonton, north London. Five people were taken to hospital, one with chest pains, and up to 20 suffered from heat exhaustion.Police said the stabbing of a man, in his 20s, near the store at about 0130 GMT was unrelated. He was also taken to hospital where his condition is stable.
Ikea said its flagship store, the biggest in England, had to close because of an "unforeseen volume of customers". People became agitated and eventually they started trying to charge the doors Eye-witness Patrick Passley. An Ikea spokeswoman said the company was "deeply shocked, upset and concerned" and blamed a queue "surge" for the crush. Bargain-hunters even abandoned their cars on the A406 north circular causing severe traffic problems, the Met said. Advertising announcing cut price offers over 24 hours attracted between 4,000 and 6,000 people to the store, according to the London Ambulance Service".

Just as well that we go to the Ikea in Bristol...not closer than London but about the same.



Leo en el periodico (y pienso...'pero que bruta es la gente...'): "Londres. -- Varias personas han resultado heridas en una marea humana que ha invadido esta madrugada un nuevo hipermercado de muebles IKEA, el mayor de Inglaterra, en un barrio de Londres. Entre 4.000 y 6.000 personas habian acudido al centro comercial atraidas por una publicidad de la empresa sueca en la que anunciaba grandes rebajas durante 24 horas desde la pasada medianoche. A consecuencia de la aglomeracion de publico, cinco personas resultaron heridas, una de ellas con un amago de infarto, y tuvieron que ser trasladadas al hospital, mientras que otras 20 sufrieron malestar provocado por el calor asfixiante del interior del establecimiento. Algunos consumidores que acudian atraidos por las grandes ofertas anunciadas llegaron a dejar sus coches abandonados en las carreteras de acceso al hipermercado, lo que provocó grandes problemas en el trafico. La estampida se produjo de manera inesperada apenas media hora antes de las 00.00 horas de hoy, momento en que estaba prevista la apertura de los grandes almacenes".

Yo, por eso, me voy al Ikea de Bristol. Total, nos queda igual de lejos..

The weather today:
Cloudy and Windy
9C
UV Index: 0 Low
Wind: From the West Southwest at 32 mph
Dew Point: 8C
Humidity: 90%
Visibility:4 miles