Outstanding Oracle of Omaha...

Warren Buffett gives away his fortune: FORTUNE EXCLUSIVE: The world's second richest man - who's now worth $44 billion - tells editor-at-large Carol Loomis he will start giving away 85% of his wealth in July - most of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

So says Carol J. Loomis, FORTUNE editor-at-large commenting on the moment Warren Buffett became one of the world's biggest philanthropists: NEW YORK (FORTUNE Magazine) - "We were sitting in a Manhattan living room on a spring afternoon, and Warren Buffett had a Cherry Coke in his hand as usual. But this unremarkable scene was about to take a surprising turn. 'Brace yourself,' Buffett warned with a grin. He then described a momentous change in his thinking. Within months, he said, he would begin to give away his Berkshire Hathaway fortune, then and now worth well over $40 billion." The rest of Carol's article here.

Investopedia.com says: Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in the world. He built his fortune using a simple yet powerful investment strategy. His investments are long-term positions, accomplished by the purchase of strong companies that are trading well below their intrinsic value. Some of his most well-known investments include Coca-Cola and Gillette.

He told us some of how he's become such a success in the Online Original 'Oracle of Omaha' in Business Week Online...



Although it's from 1999, parts of the article are very surprising:
"Success in investing doesn't correlate with I.Q. once you're above the level of 25. Once you have ordinary intelligence, what you need is the temperament to control the urges that get other people into trouble in investing."
"The Internet as a phenomenon is just huge. That much I understand. I just don't know how to make money at it... I don't try to profit from the Internet. But I do want to understand the damage it can do to an established business. Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it's the lack of change that appeals to me. I don't think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That's the kind of business I like."
"With Coke I can come up with a very rational figure for the cash it will generate in the future. But with the top 10 Internet companies, how much cash will they produce over the next 25 years? If you say you don't know, then you don't know what it is worth and you are speculating, not investing. All I know is that I don't know, and if I don't know, I don't invest."
Technology: "I do admire the management of Intel and Microsoft, but I don't have a fix on where they will be in 10 years. I think it is harder to get a fix on those kinds of businesses. I don't know how to value them. And if I started playing around without knowing how to value a company, I might as well buy lottery tickets."…he has eschewed the huge money of the Internet and Technology and STILL made billions by keeping it simple.

S.O.

Outstanding Oracle of Omaha...

Warren Buffett gives away his fortune: FORTUNE EXCLUSIVE: The world's second richest man - who's now worth $44 billion - tells editor-at-large Carol Loomis he will start giving away 85% of his wealth in July - most of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

So says Carol J. Loomis, FORTUNE editor-at-large commenting on the moment Warren Buffett became one of the world's biggest philanthropists: NEW YORK (FORTUNE Magazine) - "We were sitting in a Manhattan living room on a spring afternoon, and Warren Buffett had a Cherry Coke in his hand as usual. But this unremarkable scene was about to take a surprising turn. 'Brace yourself,' Buffett warned with a grin. He then described a momentous change in his thinking. Within months, he said, he would begin to give away his Berkshire Hathaway fortune, then and now worth well over $40 billion." The rest of Carol's article here.

Investopedia.com says: Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in the world. He built his fortune using a simple yet powerful investment strategy. His investments are long-term positions, accomplished by the purchase of strong companies that are trading well below their intrinsic value. Some of his most well-known investments include Coca-Cola and Gillette.

He told us some of how he's become such a success in the Online Original 'Oracle of Omaha' in Business Week Online...



Although it's from 1999, parts of the article are very surprising:
"Success in investing doesn't correlate with I.Q. once you're above the level of 25. Once you have ordinary intelligence, what you need is the temperament to control the urges that get other people into trouble in investing."
"The Internet as a phenomenon is just huge. That much I understand. I just don't know how to make money at it... I don't try to profit from the Internet. But I do want to understand the damage it can do to an established business. Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it's the lack of change that appeals to me. I don't think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That's the kind of business I like."
"With Coke I can come up with a very rational figure for the cash it will generate in the future. But with the top 10 Internet companies, how much cash will they produce over the next 25 years? If you say you don't know, then you don't know what it is worth and you are speculating, not investing. All I know is that I don't know, and if I don't know, I don't invest."
Technology: "I do admire the management of Intel and Microsoft, but I don't have a fix on where they will be in 10 years. I think it is harder to get a fix on those kinds of businesses. I don't know how to value them. And if I started playing around without knowing how to value a company, I might as well buy lottery tickets."…he has eschewed the huge money of the Internet and Technology and STILL made billions by keeping it simple.

S.O.

Owen out; octavos over...

Pheeeew!!! It's over and we have a few days rest before the next session: England passed the test in 'los octavos de final' to reach the quarter finals; yet again England reach the last eight (ocho). I really though when Michael Owen went out we would be lost but Rooney proved that he can play; he certainly has the passionate, warrior spirit epitomised in the Nike ad, covered by Gavin Corder and others.

Once again the other Owen in der Nationalmannschaft played a vital role but should learn to fall down injured on the pitch next time!...nice effort trying to get him back on the pitch though! :-) I think there are too many doubts that really will not do against stronger (European, in the next round...Portugal; see edit below) opposition. Beckham after a great goal and several crucial defending tackles is sick, repeatedly, on the pitch...Sven sees this and does nothing for over 20 minutes! The feeling, or part of it, is summed up nicely by el gato enterrado whom tells us: "Sin embargo, ni siquiera la cerveza ha de nublar la vista a los 'hooligans', que deben sentirse más que escépticos ante el futuro. Fundamentalemente porque su entrenador ya ha dado sobradas muestras de no estar a la altura."...which translated means more or less:
"However, not even the beer can cloud the vision of the hooligans [thanks!!], who should feel more than sceptical about the future; fundamentally because the coach [Sven] has given ample proof that he is not good enough/ out of his depth/ can't cope at this level."

Thanks also to Six Years Late who, from his post on June 15th, led me to Owen Hargreave's blog (ahem) maybe not...but he sounds Canadian with good use of English expletives. I was getting increasingly nervous as the game went on...why don't these people realise that one goal just isn't enough to justify sitting back to soak up pressure; another bugbear with Sven, with Owen gone doesn't he think Walcott, who was 25% of our striker force and is now 33% of it, deserves to come on if only for a few minutes?...am I wrong about this ...if Sven doesn't play him, even to get a bit of match experience in minute 89, WHY did he take him in the squad in the first place!!! Don't get me wrong: I WANT him to come on...he could do a Pele on us. "In 1958, he played in his first FIFA World Cup™ at the tender age of 17. The world was amazed as this slight teenager emerged from nowhere to light up the tournament with his dazzling skills"...but at least let him play. Saying the games are too important is no excuse because now all games are 'to the death'...so before they were???..and you didn't play him because??? RANT over.

Ows edit, Sunday 25th June, 23:15 pm: England will meet Portugal who reached the quarter finals after beating Holland in a card-fest reminiscent of the Italy v USA game; tonight both teams finished the game with nine men in a game that equalled the World Cup record for bookings (16 ) and broke the record for red cards (new record = 4!!).

My apologies to those who have had enough football to last a few years...but now it get's to the hurdle that England usually falls at...

S.O.

Owen out; octavos over...

Pheeeew!!! It's over and we have a few days rest before the next session: England passed the test in 'los octavos de final' to reach the quarter finals; yet again England reach the last eight (ocho). I really though when Michael Owen went out we would be lost but Rooney proved that he can play; he certainly has the passionate, warrior spirit epitomised in the Nike ad, covered by Gavin Corder and others.

Once again the other Owen in der Nationalmannschaft played a vital role but should learn to fall down injured on the pitch next time!...nice effort trying to get him back on the pitch though! :-) I think there are too many doubts that really will not do against stronger (European, in the next round...Portugal; see edit below) opposition. Beckham after a great goal and several crucial defending tackles is sick, repeatedly, on the pitch...Sven sees this and does nothing for over 20 minutes! The feeling, or part of it, is summed up nicely by el gato enterrado whom tells us: "Sin embargo, ni siquiera la cerveza ha de nublar la vista a los 'hooligans', que deben sentirse más que escépticos ante el futuro. Fundamentalemente porque su entrenador ya ha dado sobradas muestras de no estar a la altura."...which translated means more or less:
"However, not even the beer can cloud the vision of the hooligans [thanks!!], who should feel more than sceptical about the future; fundamentally because the coach [Sven] has given ample proof that he is not good enough/ out of his depth/ can't cope at this level."

Thanks also to Six Years Late who, from his post on June 15th, led me to Owen Hargreave's blog (ahem) maybe not...but he sounds Canadian with good use of English expletives. I was getting increasingly nervous as the game went on...why don't these people realise that one goal just isn't enough to justify sitting back to soak up pressure; another bugbear with Sven, with Owen gone doesn't he think Walcott, who was 25% of our striker force and is now 33% of it, deserves to come on if only for a few minutes?...am I wrong about this ...if Sven doesn't play him, even to get a bit of match experience in minute 89, WHY did he take him in the squad in the first place!!! Don't get me wrong: I WANT him to come on...he could do a Pele on us. "In 1958, he played in his first FIFA World Cup™ at the tender age of 17. The world was amazed as this slight teenager emerged from nowhere to light up the tournament with his dazzling skills"...but at least let him play. Saying the games are too important is no excuse because now all games are 'to the death'...so before they were???..and you didn't play him because??? RANT over.

Ows edit, Sunday 25th June, 23:15 pm: England will meet Portugal who reached the quarter finals after beating Holland in a card-fest reminiscent of the Italy v USA game; tonight both teams finished the game with nine men in a game that equalled the World Cup record for bookings (16 ) and broke the record for red cards (new record = 4!!).

My apologies to those who have had enough football to last a few years...but now it get's to the hurdle that England usually falls at...

S.O.

Occasion of overt oblectation...

Midsummer’s Eve in Spain is called the "La Noche de San Juan" (fun, fire and magic) or "La Noche de Verbena" "Night of the Verbena (Vervain)"; The Verbena (fair) of San Juan is one of the most important feasts in Catalonia, ...more on that and the herb later... June 24, Midsummer Day, the feast of St John the Baptist, and is celebrated in all Spanish speaking countries (and Brazil) as well as many parts of Europe; it is one of the quarter days in England (and in Wales); the others being Lady Day (March 25) Michaelmas (September 29) and Christmas (December 25). In British and Irish tradition, the quarter days were the four dates in each year on which servants were hired, and rents and rates were due. They fell on four religious festivals roughly three months apart...John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus to tell of the Messiah’s arrival... Midwinter/ Midsummer both pagan festivals with Easter (really Ostara) in between...those Christian date-picking leaders weren’t silly were they! It was believed that on Midsummer Night that the fairies and witches held their festival; to dream about Midsummer Night was to conjure up images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and supernatural events. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)...
In England (in fact all of Great Britain) from the 13th century Midsummer was celebrated on Midsummer Eve (St. John's Eve, June 23) with the lighting of bonfires, feasting and merrymaking but this tradition waned after the Reformation; in some rural/distant parts it continued up until the nineteenth century along with other Midsummer festivities continued - although frowned upon by the 'Reformed' establishment. Traditional Midsummer bonfires are still lit on Cornwall tors where they also celebrate Golowan, which normally starts on the Friday nearest St John's Day and is a revival of the Feast of St John (Gol-Jowan) with fireworks and bonfires.
Other customs on St. John’s Eve are many and varied, here in Spain it is when many young people plan to stay up all night (shortest night), there are a plethora of events and beach parties, skinny-dipping is becoming popular (no, I didn’t start it!) although St. John’s wort (St. John’s...get it?) was popular with the girlies who hoped to attract/ divine a future lover.
Older customs included decking the house or the entrance with lilies and St. John’s wort and other plants/herbs, all thought to have magical healing properties, including vervain and trefoil; rather confusingly despite St. John’s night being called verbena (Vervain) the herb is an entirely different one to St John's Wort although they are connected as both are gentle nerve tonics, boosting the nervous system and restoring energy levels to normal.

The magical powers often associated with verbena/vervain were thought to derive from the belief that it was used to staunch Jesus's wounds after being taken down from the cross. This is possible but it was used long before and has a long history of use in purification: King Solomon cleansed the Temple with vervain, and the Romans placed it on altars in honor of Venus and Diana; Roman soldiers also carried vervain with them into battle, and homes were sprinkled with an infusion of verbena to keep out evil. The name Verbena was in fact the Old Romad name for all their 'altar plants' although there were actually several differnet plants used. Vervain/verbena was used for various infections but especially of the bladder (calculus etc...) and appropriately the name in Celtic ferfaen, from fer (to drive away/get rid of) and faen (stone). Another ancient derivation given by some is Herba veneris, because of its apparent aphrodisiac qualities (hmmmm) and priests used it for sacrifices, hence the name Herba Sacra. The druids, magicians and sorcerers have always used in various concoctions rites and incantations; pagan people held vervain over fires to protect their livestock and would spread it over their fields at Summer Solstice to make sure they would be fertile, this continues today apparently, as Pagans strew it over their gardens. All the following herbs/plants are associated with Midsummer (amongst other things): Basil, Dogwood, Elder, Fennel, Fern, Hemp, Larkspur, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Verbena (not the same family), Mistletoe, Oak, Pine, Rose, Thyme, Wisteria (and several others).

Nowadays there are bonfires, fireworks, parties etc plus attractions/sideshows of all sorts...as with many traditional 'days', it’s becoming a bit diluted and more of a hyped funfair type celebration…however, anyone care to join me?...

S.O.

Occasion of overt oblectation...

Midsummer’s Eve in Spain is called the "La Noche de San Juan" (fun, fire and magic) or "La Noche de Verbena" "Night of the Verbena (Vervain)"; The Verbena (fair) of San Juan is one of the most important feasts in Catalonia, ...more on that and the herb later... June 24, Midsummer Day, the feast of St John the Baptist, and is celebrated in all Spanish speaking countries (and Brazil) as well as many parts of Europe; it is one of the quarter days in England (and in Wales); the others being Lady Day (March 25) Michaelmas (September 29) and Christmas (December 25). In British and Irish tradition, the quarter days were the four dates in each year on which servants were hired, and rents and rates were due. They fell on four religious festivals roughly three months apart...John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus to tell of the Messiah’s arrival... Midwinter/ Midsummer both pagan festivals with Easter (really Ostara) in between...those Christian date-picking leaders weren’t silly were they! It was believed that on Midsummer Night that the fairies and witches held their festival; to dream about Midsummer Night was to conjure up images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and supernatural events. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)...
In England (in fact all of Great Britain) from the 13th century Midsummer was celebrated on Midsummer Eve (St. John's Eve, June 23) with the lighting of bonfires, feasting and merrymaking but this tradition waned after the Reformation; in some rural/distant parts it continued up until the nineteenth century along with other Midsummer festivities continued - although frowned upon by the 'Reformed' establishment. Traditional Midsummer bonfires are still lit on Cornwall tors where they also celebrate Golowan, which normally starts on the Friday nearest St John's Day and is a revival of the Feast of St John (Gol-Jowan) with fireworks and bonfires.
Other customs on St. John’s Eve are many and varied, here in Spain it is when many young people plan to stay up all night (shortest night), there are a plethora of events and beach parties, skinny-dipping is becoming popular (no, I didn’t start it!) although St. John’s wort (St. John’s...get it?) was popular with the girlies who hoped to attract/ divine a future lover.
Older customs included decking the house or the entrance with lilies and St. John’s wort and other plants/herbs, all thought to have magical healing properties, including vervain and trefoil; rather confusingly despite St. John’s night being called verbena (Vervain) the herb is an entirely different one to St John's Wort although they are connected as both are gentle nerve tonics, boosting the nervous system and restoring energy levels to normal.

The magical powers often associated with verbena/vervain were thought to derive from the belief that it was used to staunch Jesus's wounds after being taken down from the cross. This is possible but it was used long before and has a long history of use in purification: King Solomon cleansed the Temple with vervain, and the Romans placed it on altars in honor of Venus and Diana; Roman soldiers also carried vervain with them into battle, and homes were sprinkled with an infusion of verbena to keep out evil. The name Verbena was in fact the Old Romad name for all their 'altar plants' although there were actually several differnet plants used. Vervain/verbena was used for various infections but especially of the bladder (calculus etc...) and appropriately the name in Celtic ferfaen, from fer (to drive away/get rid of) and faen (stone). Another ancient derivation given by some is Herba veneris, because of its apparent aphrodisiac qualities (hmmmm) and priests used it for sacrifices, hence the name Herba Sacra. The druids, magicians and sorcerers have always used in various concoctions rites and incantations; pagan people held vervain over fires to protect their livestock and would spread it over their fields at Summer Solstice to make sure they would be fertile, this continues today apparently, as Pagans strew it over their gardens. All the following herbs/plants are associated with Midsummer (amongst other things): Basil, Dogwood, Elder, Fennel, Fern, Hemp, Larkspur, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Verbena (not the same family), Mistletoe, Oak, Pine, Rose, Thyme, Wisteria (and several others).

Nowadays there are bonfires, fireworks, parties etc plus attractions/sideshows of all sorts...as with many traditional 'days', it’s becoming a bit diluted and more of a hyped funfair type celebration…however, anyone care to join me?...

S.O.

Optimising older ova...

Ova, but not the ones for eating...for that you should read an earlier post on owsblog that deals with the delicious and nutritious wonder that is the egg. This title refers to a new egg-freezing technique; one that according to scientists "could give women a better chance of having a baby when they are older". We know that sperm can be successfully frozen because is the simplest cell in the body; it is easy to collect (from those simple organic containers...of which I am one), thawed, and used in fertility treatment...BUT...the human egg is the most complex cell and naturally is produced within the complicated organic containers – women, and they only produce one egg per ‘cycle’. Basically, the new technique will make it possible to achieve good rates of success with 10-20 frozen-thawed eggs (let’s say a round dozen) whereas before women would need to have hundreds of eggs frozen to ensure a reasonable chance of producing a child....

This new research coincides with the first study to show that IVF single embryo transfer is just as successful as double transfer in older women and apparently safer. It also coincides with this news report: PRAGUE (Reuters) June 21 2006, "More than 3 million babies have been born following fertility treatment since the birth of the first IVF child nearly three decades ago,..."

All this seems overly concerned with women who can’t conceive, or women who want babies later in life when perhaps their body clock is starting to suggest they shouldn’t, is this right do you think? ...It surprised me to learn that an estimated one in seven couples has difficulty conceiving, a statistic that sounds incredible even though I know fertility can be affected in both men and women. Sometimes, the exact cause is never established; in the UK around one baby in 80 is born as a result of IVF treatment.

"Stress really can be a cause of infertility, in men and in women, and it can be managed," Berga [Professor Sarah Berga] said at a fertility conference. "But by managing it you improve your fertility."

To counteract all the bad press that some of the multiple births that have occurred using IVF treatment paid for by the taxpayer, UK researchers have calculated that each child will contribute £147,000 in taxes and insurance to the UK economy compared to £13,000 that it costs to create a baby in the first place; this is why it is argued that the NHS should fund, in part, IVF treatment – funding 3 cycles would "result in 10,000 more IVF babies over two to three years."

Also from Reuters today: "A vasectomy can be reversed and men have fathered children afterwards. But Professor Nares Sukcharoen, of the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, said men who have had a reversal may have an increased risk of damaged sperm.

In a small study of men who had a vasectomy reversal, Sukcharoen and his team found a higher number of chromosome abnormalities in sperm than in men who had not had the surgery.

"The conclusion of the study is that the vasectomy seemed to be the cause of the abnormal sperm," he told a press conference at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

I have considered freezing my sperm, a friend had the snip and 3 months later they had a car crash and their baby son died – I was horrified and convinced myself it was a good enough reason not to get 'done': this was several years ago when a ‘snipping’ was very much under discussion and a bit silly really because the guy in question had the op reversed and now they have another child; also I considered donating sperm as I seemed quite fertile or at least had a few active little tadpoles that seemed very able to attain their role in life but never got round to that either (!!!) then, in April 2005, the law surrounding donating sperm, eggs or embryos was changed and those donating nowadays cannot remain anonymous...ah well, all the practicing I did was enjoyable.

S.O.

Optimising older ova...

Ova, but not the ones for eating...for that you should read an earlier post on owsblog that deals with the delicious and nutritious wonder that is the egg. This title refers to a new egg-freezing technique; one that according to scientists "could give women a better chance of having a baby when they are older". We know that sperm can be successfully frozen because is the simplest cell in the body; it is easy to collect (from those simple organic containers...of which I am one), thawed, and used in fertility treatment...BUT...the human egg is the most complex cell and naturally is produced within the complicated organic containers – women, and they only produce one egg per ‘cycle’. Basically, the new technique will make it possible to achieve good rates of success with 10-20 frozen-thawed eggs (let’s say a round dozen) whereas before women would need to have hundreds of eggs frozen to ensure a reasonable chance of producing a child....

This new research coincides with the first study to show that IVF single embryo transfer is just as successful as double transfer in older women and apparently safer. It also coincides with this news report: PRAGUE (Reuters) June 21 2006, "More than 3 million babies have been born following fertility treatment since the birth of the first IVF child nearly three decades ago,..."

All this seems overly concerned with women who can’t conceive, or women who want babies later in life when perhaps their body clock is starting to suggest they shouldn’t, is this right do you think? ...It surprised me to learn that an estimated one in seven couples has difficulty conceiving, a statistic that sounds incredible even though I know fertility can be affected in both men and women. Sometimes, the exact cause is never established; in the UK around one baby in 80 is born as a result of IVF treatment.

"Stress really can be a cause of infertility, in men and in women, and it can be managed," Berga [Professor Sarah Berga] said at a fertility conference. "But by managing it you improve your fertility."

To counteract all the bad press that some of the multiple births that have occurred using IVF treatment paid for by the taxpayer, UK researchers have calculated that each child will contribute £147,000 in taxes and insurance to the UK economy compared to £13,000 that it costs to create a baby in the first place; this is why it is argued that the NHS should fund, in part, IVF treatment – funding 3 cycles would "result in 10,000 more IVF babies over two to three years."

Also from Reuters today: "A vasectomy can be reversed and men have fathered children afterwards. But Professor Nares Sukcharoen, of the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, said men who have had a reversal may have an increased risk of damaged sperm.

In a small study of men who had a vasectomy reversal, Sukcharoen and his team found a higher number of chromosome abnormalities in sperm than in men who had not had the surgery.

"The conclusion of the study is that the vasectomy seemed to be the cause of the abnormal sperm," he told a press conference at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

I have considered freezing my sperm, a friend had the snip and 3 months later they had a car crash and their baby son died – I was horrified and convinced myself it was a good enough reason not to get 'done': this was several years ago when a ‘snipping’ was very much under discussion and a bit silly really because the guy in question had the op reversed and now they have another child; also I considered donating sperm as I seemed quite fertile or at least had a few active little tadpoles that seemed very able to attain their role in life but never got round to that either (!!!) then, in April 2005, the law surrounding donating sperm, eggs or embryos was changed and those donating nowadays cannot remain anonymous...ah well, all the practicing I did was enjoyable.

S.O.

Opinion or 'obiter dictum'...

It's not often I post twice in a day...This weekend there has been an important development in the possible increased autonomy of Catalonia. This said, NOBODY has said a word...I have spoken (since Friday last) with about 100 Catalans...give or take a half dozen, and not one [NOT ONE!!!] has breathed a single word about today's (just!) vote; everyone knew it was going on but it was a non event; obviously lots of news though:

El País: "el país ha ganado" y en Cataluña "se ha acabado el victimismo". En su declaración, Maragall se ha dirigido "al resto de España" y ha dicho que a partir de ahora se abre una etapa de autogobierno "larga, positiva y más cómoda" para Cataluña dentro del Estado.

...and in a related article: Con el 97% de los votos escrutados, el sí obtiene el 73,91% de los sufragios y el no el 20,75%. Así, la proporción sería de cuatro votos a favor de la reforma por uno en contra. Los partidos contrarios al texto, PP y ERC, no han conseguido aunar un 28% de noes, que es la suma de las dos formaciones en las últimas autonómicas. La participación, que está siendo discreta pero es mayor de lo que parecía en un principio, ronda en estos momentos el 50% de los electores....numbers are in English too (!!) ...basically 97% votes counted on a +/- 50% turnout; 74% 'yes' (we want the Statute) and 21% said 'no' (nearly 8% less than last time)...although not strictly the same situation, this is comparable to a 21% Conservative Party plus Plaid Cymru combined vote against an accepted draft for a statute of autonomy for Wales.

AP: Sunday June 18, 2006, By DANIEL WOOLLS, Associated Press Writer:
"BARCELONA, Spain (AP) The wealthy, semiautonomous Catalonia region gained sweeping new powers Sunday to run its own affairs, according to preliminary results of a historic referendum that some fear could leave Spain's government cash-strapped and powerless. With nearly 45 percent of the votes counted, 74 percent of voters approved the blueprint and just under 21 percent rejected it, the Catalan government said. Turnout was about 48 percent. The region considers itself a nation within a nation. At stake in the referendum are a bigger slice of tax revenues collected in Catalonia, a say in the appointment of judges and prosecutors to courts run from Madrid and an indirect proclamation of Catalonia as a "nation". [line breaks removed]
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Or..."Catalonia statute has been the subject of bitter dispute between regional and national political parties for more than a year, centring on a phrase that says Catalonia perceives itself as "a nation"...Compromise on that phrase in the final statute was eventually rejected by both ends of the political spectrum - the right-leaning Popular Party (PP), which says it is a threat to Spanish unity, and the Catalan nationalist party Esquerra Republicana (ERC), which says it does not go far enough."...from Al Jazeera. ...and finally from the beeb.

Of course there are many reasons for the low 50% turnout, the sun is out, the sky is blue; the beaches beckon and the World Cup is getting exciting...plus of course apart from De Rossi seeing red, the unrelated Rossi saw checkered...and 100,000 plus plus saw him do it - and probably half a million (me included) heard him - in what was a veritable, old fashoined crash-o-thon.!...all things considered no wonder hardly anyone went to vote! My opinion...only bad will come of further seperation; Catalan 'nationalism' is growing, not fading.

S.O.

Opinion or 'obiter dictum'...

It's not often I post twice in a day...This weekend there has been an important development in the possible increased autonomy of Catalonia. This said, NOBODY has said a word...I have spoken (since Friday last) with about 100 Catalans...give or take a half dozen, and not one [NOT ONE!!!] has breathed a single word about today's (just!) vote; everyone knew it was going on but it was a non event; obviously lots of news though:

El País: "el país ha ganado" y en Cataluña "se ha acabado el victimismo". En su declaración, Maragall se ha dirigido "al resto de España" y ha dicho que a partir de ahora se abre una etapa de autogobierno "larga, positiva y más cómoda" para Cataluña dentro del Estado.

...and in a related article: Con el 97% de los votos escrutados, el sí obtiene el 73,91% de los sufragios y el no el 20,75%. Así, la proporción sería de cuatro votos a favor de la reforma por uno en contra. Los partidos contrarios al texto, PP y ERC, no han conseguido aunar un 28% de noes, que es la suma de las dos formaciones en las últimas autonómicas. La participación, que está siendo discreta pero es mayor de lo que parecía en un principio, ronda en estos momentos el 50% de los electores....numbers are in English too (!!) ...basically 97% votes counted on a +/- 50% turnout; 74% 'yes' (we want the Statute) and 21% said 'no' (nearly 8% less than last time)...although not strictly the same situation, this is comparable to a 21% Conservative Party plus Plaid Cymru combined vote against an accepted draft for a statute of autonomy for Wales.

AP: Sunday June 18, 2006, By DANIEL WOOLLS, Associated Press Writer:
"BARCELONA, Spain (AP) The wealthy, semiautonomous Catalonia region gained sweeping new powers Sunday to run its own affairs, according to preliminary results of a historic referendum that some fear could leave Spain's government cash-strapped and powerless. With nearly 45 percent of the votes counted, 74 percent of voters approved the blueprint and just under 21 percent rejected it, the Catalan government said. Turnout was about 48 percent. The region considers itself a nation within a nation. At stake in the referendum are a bigger slice of tax revenues collected in Catalonia, a say in the appointment of judges and prosecutors to courts run from Madrid and an indirect proclamation of Catalonia as a "nation". [line breaks removed]
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Or..."Catalonia statute has been the subject of bitter dispute between regional and national political parties for more than a year, centring on a phrase that says Catalonia perceives itself as "a nation"...Compromise on that phrase in the final statute was eventually rejected by both ends of the political spectrum - the right-leaning Popular Party (PP), which says it is a threat to Spanish unity, and the Catalan nationalist party Esquerra Republicana (ERC), which says it does not go far enough."...from Al Jazeera. ...and finally from the beeb.

Of course there are many reasons for the low 50% turnout, the sun is out, the sky is blue; the beaches beckon and the World Cup is getting exciting...plus of course apart from De Rossi seeing red, the unrelated Rossi saw checkered...and 100,000 plus plus saw him do it - and probably half a million (me included) heard him - in what was a veritable, old fashoined crash-o-thon.!...all things considered no wonder hardly anyone went to vote! My opinion...only bad will come of further seperation; Catalan 'nationalism' is growing, not fading.

S.O.

Online obstacles...ongoing

Yes, as you can see I've been fiddling with my bits again. It's been a busy and exhausting weekend - 2 marathons...TWO!!! The first involved 3 rugby matches, which dove-tailed nicely into the evening's World Cup entertainment and it was extremely tiring; however I managed to pull through, despite getting quite near to breaking point shouting at the Italians (and laughing at them too) during the Italy v USA as "The beautiful game turned ugly" last night.

Clearly, after such exertion I have stayed inside all day today and have completed the other marathon - I think I've been sat here all day fiddling and doing bits and bobs and moving things on my blog; it takes a lot of concentration and nail-biting moments when I actually lost everything: NOTE!!! I'm not joking, I made a major boo-boo and lost the whole lot but luckily a while ago I'd made a copy of the whole template; if you value your blog and don't want to lose anything I advise you do the same NOW!!! It's fairly simple: just right click the screen when viewing your blog, on the list of options click 'source' or 'view source'; this will bring up the apparent hieroglyphic/Arabic/Chinese list but is in fact the html text of your template. Highlight the whole thing, copy and paste to another file (Notepad/ Word/Text Doc...)

Anyway, all I've done is adjusted the template to have 3 columns instead of 2 and the header banner now crosses the whole screen. This of course was not me doing it all, I visited the very helpful Blogger Tips and Tricks blog and also got the whole template clone from Thur's site. He has done a Minima clone with 3 columns and all I did was adjust the widths a bit and change all the colours etc (He had the 'normal' Minima template cloned). The central column should float so if you have different screens/browsers it should fill the gap between the two fixed sidebars.

I've been looking at a few other hacks/shortcuts as well and can show one below from this page of Blogger Tips. Basically putting images side by side...also these are titled and linked...in fact they sum up my weekend as well!!! Soon I'm going to attempt the 'trick' that we all see in the profressional blogs where they post a paragraph and then you click a link to 'The full Article' or '+/- to expand/close' the article...both these options are in Blogger Help but today I have failed miserably to succeed.

Plenty to eat and drink: OK...too much to drink and not much to eat and none of the other! S.O.

Online obstacles...ongoing

Yes, as you can see I've been fiddling with my bits again. It's been a busy and exhausting weekend - 2 marathons...TWO!!! The first involved 3 rugby matches, which dove-tailed nicely into the evening's World Cup entertainment and it was extremely tiring; however I managed to pull through, despite getting quite near to breaking point shouting at the Italians (and laughing at them too) during the Italy v USA as "The beautiful game turned ugly" last night.

Clearly, after such exertion I have stayed inside all day today and have completed the other marathon - I think I've been sat here all day fiddling and doing bits and bobs and moving things on my blog; it takes a lot of concentration and nail-biting moments when I actually lost everything: NOTE!!! I'm not joking, I made a major boo-boo and lost the whole lot but luckily a while ago I'd made a copy of the whole template; if you value your blog and don't want to lose anything I advise you do the same NOW!!! It's fairly simple: just right click the screen when viewing your blog, on the list of options click 'source' or 'view source'; this will bring up the apparent hieroglyphic/Arabic/Chinese list but is in fact the html text of your template. Highlight the whole thing, copy and paste to another file (Notepad/ Word/Text Doc...)

Anyway, all I've done is adjusted the template to have 3 columns instead of 2 and the header banner now crosses the whole screen. This of course was not me doing it all, I visited the very helpful Blogger Tips and Tricks blog and also got the whole template clone from Thur's site. He has done a Minima clone with 3 columns and all I did was adjust the widths a bit and change all the colours etc (He had the 'normal' Minima template cloned). The central column should float so if you have different screens/browsers it should fill the gap between the two fixed sidebars.

I've been looking at a few other hacks/shortcuts as well and can show one below from this page of Blogger Tips. Basically putting images side by side...also these are titled and linked...in fact they sum up my weekend as well!!! Soon I'm going to attempt the 'trick' that we all see in the profressional blogs where they post a paragraph and then you click a link to 'The full Article' or '+/- to expand/close' the article...both these options are in Blogger Help but today I have failed miserably to succeed.

Plenty to eat and drink: OK...too much to drink and not much to eat and none of the other! S.O.

Overriding outfit outlay...

...overdressed they were not!MADRID (Reuters) - Hundreds of nude cyclists pedalled around Spanish cities on Saturday to protest against car-clogged streets and demand greater respect for pollution-free transport.

With slogans like "one car less" and "bio methanol" painted on their backs, the naked cyclists staged Spain's third annual Ciclonudista or "Nudecycle" in Madrid, Barcelona and Pamplona."Barcelona has the most bike paths of any Spanish city, according to cycling activists."...they got the pics up quick! Website and photo links added by Span and are not from the Reuters article. The Independent tells us "Britain is in the grip of a cycling revolution as clogged roads, concern at global warming caused by air pollution and the quest for improved fitness persuade millions to opt for pedal power." Thanks to Londonist for leading me to that article.Now it does sound like it could be painful on certain organs or orifices (o's!) but not according to Bike for All - Nude cycling: no seams to rub makes it more comfy than you'd think...

That's according to the organiser of Brighton's World Naked Bike Ride on 10th June. The bohemian Brighton ride will take place in the morning, allowing participants to also take part in the London event in the afternoon if they travel (clothed...) by train or car.

'isn't riding naked uncomfortable?' Surprisingly, for both women and men, riding naked isn't really less comfortable than riding clothed. When riding with clothes, you're often rubbing against seams, so in some ways naked cycling is comfier."

...and finally, from the beeb (but the usual spin in the headline!) - Cyclists go naked in oil protest

"London rider Melissa Evans, 33, said: "The ride is fun, but has a serious side as well. By going naked, we show our vulnerability as cyclists in the traffic.

I'd like to see London become a city for cyclists and not cars. Most of my friends would love to ride bikes here in London, but they're afraid of the motor traffic."

Lots of London riders (Six, David, Lucy et al...were you there?) If you missed it DON'T WORRY: you can go next weekend! Solsice Cycling dot org would love to hear from you - June 17, 2006 will mark the 18th Annual Summer Solstice Parade & Pageant, and the fifteenth year that naked cyclists have participated in the parade....the link is to a Canadian ride but don't let that stop you! Just get ya kit OFF and get ON ya bike.

Overriding outfit outlay...

...overdressed they were not!MADRID (Reuters) - Hundreds of nude cyclists pedalled around Spanish cities on Saturday to protest against car-clogged streets and demand greater respect for pollution-free transport.

With slogans like "one car less" and "bio methanol" painted on their backs, the naked cyclists staged Spain's third annual Ciclonudista or "Nudecycle" in Madrid, Barcelona and Pamplona."Barcelona has the most bike paths of any Spanish city, according to cycling activists."...they got the pics up quick! Website and photo links added by Span and are not from the Reuters article. The Independent tells us "Britain is in the grip of a cycling revolution as clogged roads, concern at global warming caused by air pollution and the quest for improved fitness persuade millions to opt for pedal power." Thanks to Londonist for leading me to that article.Now it does sound like it could be painful on certain organs or orifices (o's!) but not according to Bike for All - Nude cycling: no seams to rub makes it more comfy than you'd think...

That's according to the organiser of Brighton's World Naked Bike Ride on 10th June. The bohemian Brighton ride will take place in the morning, allowing participants to also take part in the London event in the afternoon if they travel (clothed...) by train or car.

'isn't riding naked uncomfortable?' Surprisingly, for both women and men, riding naked isn't really less comfortable than riding clothed. When riding with clothes, you're often rubbing against seams, so in some ways naked cycling is comfier."

...and finally, from the beeb (but the usual spin in the headline!) - Cyclists go naked in oil protest

"London rider Melissa Evans, 33, said: "The ride is fun, but has a serious side as well. By going naked, we show our vulnerability as cyclists in the traffic.

I'd like to see London become a city for cyclists and not cars. Most of my friends would love to ride bikes here in London, but they're afraid of the motor traffic."

Lots of London riders (Six, David, Lucy et al...were you there?) If you missed it DON'T WORRY: you can go next weekend! Solsice Cycling dot org would love to hear from you - June 17, 2006 will mark the 18th Annual Summer Solstice Parade & Pageant, and the fifteenth year that naked cyclists have participated in the parade....the link is to a Canadian ride but don't let that stop you! Just get ya kit OFF and get ON ya bike.

¡Ojo! Ows opens out...

Ojo... O... Ow... Eau...

(nice drop but it's a pronunciation thing...)...and nothing to do with this post!

Oh!! Ooerr! Oh well...I think we're reaching a watershed in the knowledge stakes...

I've posted many details of my life and what I get up to...I've even posted pictures of my children...

...but now, for some strange reason, (was it you Mags?) I feel compelled to post a picture of Ows, maybe it's all this talk of health and...errr...non-health...and... errr...failing health...two posters have seen this picture before; only two and no one else...strangely enough, not even family or friends...in the picture...Span (on the left) and Igor, who is my friend and our distributor in Latvia and the other Baltic States, on a beach on the Baltic coast near Riga...yes, that’s the sea in the background and yes, it IS frozen solid!...his brother owns a Russian oil company…(off on a tangent)... my brother was in Moscow 2 weeks ago; with the company that Roman a la Chelski has just bought!!! ...nuff said!

S.O.

P.S...I was thinking of starting an OWS website; I've changed my mind and only part of the reason is listed below!:
In Europe...strategic media..I like it.
The Germans...(vitamins for your car?)!!!
The Poles... spring rings!!!
In Chinese...what's new? See the flashing 'new' signs, yeah we understand the rest too!
dot org...open window...that's fine.
or what else..."Oder Was Sonst"...yeah.
and...don't ask me!!!
err...Office of Workplace Services...Zzzzzzz
one...at least it's in Spain, and it looks cool!
two...doh! At least it's organic!
three...for FUCK 's sake!
four...Right, that's it!
one way street!...I give up!!!

¡Ojo! Ows opens out...

Ojo... O... Ow... Eau...

(nice drop but it's a pronunciation thing...)...and nothing to do with this post!

Oh!! Ooerr! Oh well...I think we're reaching a watershed in the knowledge stakes...

I've posted many details of my life and what I get up to...I've even posted pictures of my children...

...but now, for some strange reason, (was it you Mags?) I feel compelled to post a picture of Ows, maybe it's all this talk of health and...errr...non-health...and... errr...failing health...two posters have seen this picture before; only two and no one else...strangely enough, not even family or friends...in the picture...Span (on the left) and Igor, who is my friend and our distributor in Latvia and the other Baltic States, on a beach on the Baltic coast near Riga...yes, that’s the sea in the background and yes, it IS frozen solid!...his brother owns a Russian oil company…(off on a tangent)... my brother was in Moscow 2 weeks ago; with the company that Roman a la Chelski has just bought!!! ...nuff said!

S.O.

P.S...I was thinking of starting an OWS website; I've changed my mind and only part of the reason is listed below!:
In Europe...strategic media..I like it.
The Germans...(vitamins for your car?)!!!
The Poles... spring rings!!!
In Chinese...what's new? See the flashing 'new' signs, yeah we understand the rest too!
dot org...open window...that's fine.
or what else..."Oder Was Sonst"...yeah.
and...don't ask me!!!
err...Office of Workplace Services...Zzzzzzz
one...at least it's in Spain, and it looks cool!
two...doh! At least it's organic!
three...for FUCK 's sake!
four...Right, that's it!
one way street!...I give up!!!

Our Ocean obligation...

June 8th is World Oceans Day; The Ocean Conservancy "encourages everyone to explore, enjoy and protect our oceans"...a noble cause!

If you are lucky enough to be an orarian (coastal dweller) I hope you appreciate your circumstances; if you are lucky or rich enough to ever get into outer-space and you look down at The Earth, most of what you see will be the blue of water: over 70% of the planet's surface is covered by ocean and it is because of this that the Earth is sometimes called "the water planet" - less than three-tenths (maths was always a strong point) of our globe is covered with land.

To me, the ocean (any of them...or the sea!) has always been awe-inspring; just thinking about it evokes images of infinite beauty, a hidden strength both majestic, fierce and at times cruel; this fascination came about, I think, due to annual holidays on the Scilly Isles - the islands, or more accurately, The Bishop Rock Lighthouse, (first photo in the link, coincidentally taken on my birthday - click the arrow for a slideshow of the Scillies - btw they're not my pictures, thank you Lavaurs.com) is the last bit of land (or solid rock!) before reaching the American shore. The vast oceans have influenced mankind for time immemorial... no, even before that!... but imagine being among the first explorers who ventured out into the endless expanse of what must have been the 'dark' unknown. Apart from the majesty and mystery the ocean causes physical changes in our lives: it exchanges vast amounts of gases and aerosol particles with the atmosphere as well as heat and energy; because of these air-sea interactions a profound influence is exerted on the Earth's weather and climate patterns.

Did you know that more than 90% of the planet's living biomass is found in the ocean, or that the water, which the oceans contain, is 97% of the total water on earth...so, erm... that makes just 3% landlocked or river-bourne freshwater; these are amazing statistics. The World Ocean Network members have acknowledged as much by classing a new global 'country': the World Ocean; as I mentioned above every human being should be concerned by the Ocean and the W.O.N., as well as many other organisations worldwide, are consolidating commitment to the welfare of the Blue Planet...our future depends on it and so should mean wanting to ensure a viable future for subsequent generations. The W.O.N. Ocean passport:

Of course it’s all the same water, circulating around the globe – funnily enough there once WAS a 'World Ocean', named Panthalassa surrounding Pangaea… ,which was the rock and earth on the rock called Earth. See the eventual break-up in this animated image from USGS.

Greenpeace tell us that "fundamental changes need to be made in the way our oceans are managed. This means that we must act to make sure that human activities are sustainable, in other words that they meet human needs of current and future generations without causing harm to the environment. Accordingly, governments must set aside 40 percent of our oceans as marine reserves. Marine reserves can be defined as areas of the ocean in which the exploitation of all living resources is prevented, together with the exploitation of non-living resources such as sand and gravel and other minerals."...well, err... I agree with this too, although 40% seems fairly low.

Even the Spanish government seem to be on the right track and doing their bit, or at least in the Mediterranean.

The Ocean Channel, here, provides an interesting 'real-time' look at how the oceans are behaving, what they are doing.

[...Span's pervy sidetrack; I can see this becoming a regular feature. Needless to say, under the oceans' surface lies beauty, temptation and the unknown, the latter being called a Hula-Skirt Siphonophore; does that mean they suck?...]

S.O.

P.S. Thanks to Six for partly inspiring this post with his Freak Waves (23/05) and Four Boys (01/06) posts...oh, and to Jessica Alba in 'Into the Blue' although in this pic she seems to have lost "that" bikini...Ok, OK!..., I'd seen all the other films, that was the only reason I rented it!

Our Ocean obligation...

June 8th is World Oceans Day; The Ocean Conservancy "encourages everyone to explore, enjoy and protect our oceans"...a noble cause!

If you are lucky enough to be an orarian (coastal dweller) I hope you appreciate your circumstances; if you are lucky or rich enough to ever get into outer-space and you look down at The Earth, most of what you see will be the blue of water: over 70% of the planet's surface is covered by ocean and it is because of this that the Earth is sometimes called "the water planet" - less than three-tenths (maths was always a strong point) of our globe is covered with land.

To me, the ocean (any of them...or the sea!) has always been awe-inspring; just thinking about it evokes images of infinite beauty, a hidden strength both majestic, fierce and at times cruel; this fascination came about, I think, due to annual holidays on the Scilly Isles - the islands, or more accurately, The Bishop Rock Lighthouse, (first photo in the link, coincidentally taken on my birthday - click the arrow for a slideshow of the Scillies - btw they're not my pictures, thank you Lavaurs.com) is the last bit of land (or solid rock!) before reaching the American shore. The vast oceans have influenced mankind for time immemorial... no, even before that!... but imagine being among the first explorers who ventured out into the endless expanse of what must have been the 'dark' unknown. Apart from the majesty and mystery the ocean causes physical changes in our lives: it exchanges vast amounts of gases and aerosol particles with the atmosphere as well as heat and energy; because of these air-sea interactions a profound influence is exerted on the Earth's weather and climate patterns.

Did you know that more than 90% of the planet's living biomass is found in the ocean, or that the water, which the oceans contain, is 97% of the total water on earth...so, erm... that makes just 3% landlocked or river-bourne freshwater; these are amazing statistics. The World Ocean Network members have acknowledged as much by classing a new global 'country': the World Ocean; as I mentioned above every human being should be concerned by the Ocean and the W.O.N., as well as many other organisations worldwide, are consolidating commitment to the welfare of the Blue Planet...our future depends on it and so should mean wanting to ensure a viable future for subsequent generations. The W.O.N. Ocean passport:

Of course it’s all the same water, circulating around the globe – funnily enough there once WAS a 'World Ocean', named Panthalassa surrounding Pangaea… ,which was the rock and earth on the rock called Earth. See the eventual break-up in this animated image from USGS.

Greenpeace tell us that "fundamental changes need to be made in the way our oceans are managed. This means that we must act to make sure that human activities are sustainable, in other words that they meet human needs of current and future generations without causing harm to the environment. Accordingly, governments must set aside 40 percent of our oceans as marine reserves. Marine reserves can be defined as areas of the ocean in which the exploitation of all living resources is prevented, together with the exploitation of non-living resources such as sand and gravel and other minerals."...well, err... I agree with this too, although 40% seems fairly low.

Even the Spanish government seem to be on the right track and doing their bit, or at least in the Mediterranean.

The Ocean Channel, here, provides an interesting 'real-time' look at how the oceans are behaving, what they are doing.

[...Span's pervy sidetrack; I can see this becoming a regular feature. Needless to say, under the oceans' surface lies beauty, temptation and the unknown, the latter being called a Hula-Skirt Siphonophore; does that mean they suck?...]

S.O.

P.S. Thanks to Six for partly inspiring this post with his Freak Waves (23/05) and Four Boys (01/06) posts...oh, and to Jessica Alba in 'Into the Blue' although in this pic she seems to have lost "that" bikini...Ok, OK!..., I'd seen all the other films, that was the only reason I rented it!