Let's hear it for Simon Ricketts ...

In February Simon Ricketts, a Hastings graduates of 1993 and now a senior Guardian journalist, dropped a bombshell on Twitter. He was off for an operation. This was no simple affair - one that involved sawing his breastbone in half, opening his ribcage, lowering his body temperature so that his heart stopped and then – through an artery – they had to take blood clots/scar tissue out of his lungs. Late one Sunday evening last month Simon made a little announcement on Twitter. Here it is - an amazing read - and then he disappeared. The best thing that happened today was that he returned. His first Tweet back was 'Sorry I haven't tweeted for a while. I've been queueing for petrol.' His second told the story of what he has been up to since that last Tweet. A fantastic read and fantastic news. Welcome back.

You can follow Simon on @SimonNRicketts

Fit To Be Tied

Over the past decades, the bow tie, has progressively reestablished itself as mens fashion statement. Sure, naysayers will still voice an opposing viewpoint. However, the well-dressed will always appreciate the classic aesthetics that a bow tie affords. Because, the necktie came precariously close to fashion extinction just as the bow tie once did, but it managed to survive. The bow tie never went out of style, gentlemen just stopped being stylish. Luckily, you are not that guy. 


Here's one of the our favorite bow ties of the season. A vibrant pa Paul Stuart  with an understated paisley motif that exudes character without making you out to be one. ($69.50)

Swimming pool view

This is the beautiful view overlooking Humewood Beach you have relaxing in the Town Lodge's swimming pool

Blackberry maker to pullout of consumer market

 Faced with declining sales and forth quarter losses of $125 million, Blackberry phone make Research In Motion (RIM) has announced that it is pulling out of the consumer market and focusing more on a corporate only strategy.  From the news report:

Victor Basta, director of Magister Advisors said, "RIM has already lost the consumer battle and its main asset is its enterprise customer base, so retrenching to a corporate-only focus makes sense." 

Building sand castles

After our swim at the Pollok Beach rock pool the kidz did what kids do best on the beach.  Build a sand castle.  This coming weekend looks like its going to be a cool and wet one so no sand castle building on the cards.

LA CIUTAT

Dimecres vermell. El metro arribant a Pompeu Fabra. Carrers que et donen la benvinguda. Els cotxes. Les ambulàncies La Pau. Treballadors socials. Treballadors de tota mena. La gent. La vida. Els esdeveniments. Les converses. El jove que reparteix els diaris. Els debats i els acords. Badalona Bella. Romana. Gent desconeguda transitant per les voreres. Aquesta ciutat marinera navega en la meva retina. Els desafavorits, els que criden a la plaça davant les injustícies i els enganys. Fràgils els ésser humans. Fràgils i sols. Tots. La recerca de sentit mostra una direcció: l’esquerra. El socialisme. La dansa més bella, de totes les ideologies que es fan i es desfan. La lluita. Tots lluitant. La vaga. La reforma laboral. Les dones de la plaça aclamant els seus drets. A prop la banca i els que manen. Silenci indiferent. Mudesa capitalista.

Making the headlines sing ...

Tabloid headline writers have always used song lyrics as part of their toolkit - sometimes to stunning effect. Today's Daily Mirror splash, taken from Carl Douglas's Kung Fu Fighting, is a fine effort. As veteran editor Mike Lowe @cotslifeeditor observes on Twitter it is an obvious example of the back bench coming up with a splash head and then telling the newsdesk to stand it up. I don't have a problem with that though. Writing the headline first is an old tabloid trick - although the story does have to stand-up of course.

I am in the sticks today so didn't see Metro but @LewisWiltshire reports it has a feature on Greggs with the heading We built this city on sausage rolls. Nice touch. It was a song by Starship in 1985. I wonder, though, how many young London urbanites will have got it. And there's the first tip ... use songs that the vast majority of your readers know.

I remember a headline in an Irish paper above a picture of a defendant leaving court and shielding his face which read: It's been a bad day please don't take my picture.  It's by REM and isn't even the song title so may just have gone over some people's heads. The second tip is try to make the headline understandable, even if people don't know the song. 

The Sun's excellent  How do you solve a problem like Korea? makes sense even if you have never heard of The Sound of Music. 

The third tip is don't overdo it. When I was working at the Mirror in 1997 we counted 13 song titles in headlines in one issue. We even had a debate over whether Who's Sorry Now? was a song title or had become a phrase ingrained in the language. Anyway, we decided there were too many Frank Sinatra headlines for a paper that was aiming at a young market.  

Some other notables are Mourn on the Fourth of July, a bit of  anti-war poignancy from the Mirror via Springsteen, and the Mail's Diamonds are for weather, when Dame Shirley Bassey donned diamond encrusted wellies in a rainstorm.

The most famous headlines from song lyrics are, of course, from the Sun ... Zip me up before you go go and Super Caley go ballistic Celtic are atrocious. Tabloid genius. If you have any others let me have them. My email is petersands@mistral.co.uk.     

Conciliar

Sona el telèfon. Isc del llit i, incapaç de contestar, amolle un gruny.

— ¿Letrado de guardia?

Conteste amb un altre gruny i veig que encara és de nit.

— Tenemos dos detenidos.

Ara sí, conteste:

— ¿Qué hora es, agente?

— Son las siete.

Bufe.

— Verá, yo no entro de guardia hasta las nueve. Estos detenidos son para el abogado que todavía está de guardia.

— Ya lo sé, letrado, pero hemos llamado a su compañera y nos ha dicho que no podía venir y que le avisáramos a usted.

(...)

Cinc hores després, ja al jutjat, em trobe amb l'advocada que estava de guàrdia quan em van avisar:

— Disculpa, però estaves tu de guàrdia anit?

— Sí, ¿por?

— Por? Perquè m'han telefonat a les set perquè tu no podies anar.

— Es que tenía que llevar a mi hija al colegio y mi marido ya se había llevado el coche.

Em van entrar de ganes de dir-li que els seus problemes no eren cosa meua, però vaig decidir ser més diplomàtic:

— I a mi què? Jo estava dormint!

Pollok Beach rock pool

One of my favorite places as a child was the rock pool below the old Something Good roadhouse next to Pollok Beach.  At high tide the waves wash down the cannel, through the gap between the rocks and over the wall.  Last Sunday we took the kidz down on a gloriously warm autumn afternoon and I relived the good old days by bobbing about in the pool and dodging the waves coming over.  The kidz didn't venture in very deep but on this one occasion Drama Princess didn't see the wave coming and I caught her on camera just as she started to make a hasty retreat. 

There are only three definite things in life for a pilot... ...

There are only three definite things in life for a pilot, death, taxes and check rides. I usually get three of the latter every year and at least three medicals to confirm I am not suffering a case of the foremost!  However I get a bonus every other year when I have to renew my FAA (American) Instructors certificate, yes I know I am a Brit but it is an International world out there folks. I have to sit through 16 presentations on the Internet and pass a short exam at the end of each. To be fair it is a very good way to learn and revise and quite enjoyable, one of todays units was on single pilot resource management - SRM for short!
Actually with a couple of exceptions all of our operations in MAF are carried out, when away from the main base by a team of one - I carry the pilots bags, unload and load 'his' aircraft, refuel it, serve 'him' hot tea,, give out the post and freight, round up the passengers as well as issue the tickets; yup team of one; so single crew resource management is vital! On the ground though there are usually plenty of onlookers and sometimes they can be a great help or an interesting hindrance. On one occasion when landing literally in front of a huge storm, the dark black clouds tumbling over each other as they raced  towards me, I had to beach and anchor my aircraft (it was amphibious) in double quick time. I  waved 7 or 8 Bangladeshi farmers to come and join me, they were only to happy to be given a chance to hide in such an unusual shelter and I was more than happy to have them welcomed on board, a stack of potential very helpful resources, should the aircraft break free from my anchor points.

Crew of one

We need to carry out the SRM skills on all our flights there are 5 of them, they work together, not only at 10,000ft but also in day to day life and I often run through the SRM areas as I get ready for the day whether I am at home or away. Thought you might find them interesting, perhaps even helpful.
Communication - may I hear what people say to me today and if I am not sure what is being said may I clarify it.
Decision Making - as a Christian I have been given brains and common sense, just pray for wisdom to use them!
Situational Awareness - No matter where I am today may I be aware of where I am and with whom.
Resource Mangement - May I use all the amazing things you have given me for your glory.

Working with the resources around can be fun

Workload management - May I learn to keep a balance in my life between work, family, keeping fit, sleeping and being a disciple of Jesus. Yet the latter pervades all the SRM areas.

The definition of SRM is the art and science of a pilot managing all available resources to ensure the successful outcome of the flight is never in doubt. 


... may that be a prayer for me and hopefully for you today, as you use all the available resources to get you through the events of the day.

Why not write a comment to some of these bloggs or sign up for a regular twice monthly dose!

Tres consideracions superficials sobre el diputat 'clau' d'UPyD a Astúries

El recompte dels vots dels residents a l'estranger per la circumscripció occidental d'Astúries ha fet que els socialistes hagen guanyat un altre escó a costa del Foro de Cascos, de forma que ara ens trobem amb un empat a 22 diputats entre l'esquerra (PSOE i IU) i la dreta (PP i Foro).

Molts, alegrement, s'han afanyat a considerar que l'únic diputat obtingut per UPyD guanya així un paper clau en poder trencar l'empat i determinar el futur govern, però caldria fer algunes consideracions:

PRIMERA.- Passe el que passe, el més probable és que UPyD no entre en cap govern (del signe que siga), però això no els evitarà haver de retratar-se: en qualsevol cas el seu vot suposarà un posicionament. De moment, ja sabem que Díez es comporta com els nacionalistes que tant ha criticat: a canvi d'un hipotètic pacte a Astúries (on han obtingut el 3,75% dels vots) exigirà contrapartides a Madrid. Brava.

SEGONA.- Hem de tindre en compte un altre factor: si UPyD té grup parlamentari al Congrés és perquè el diputat del Foro es vaprestar de crossa per poder trampejar la llei amb el beneplàcit del PP, fet que ens podria indicar quin és el camí que pretén recórrer el diputat upeidià per tornar els favors a uns i a altres.

TERCERA.- L'escó obtingut a última hora pels socialistes, de moment, només ha aconseguit acabar amb la majoria absoluta de què disposaven PP i Foro. Una majoria, però, que en la pràctica resultava prou més relativa que absoluta, ja que ningú ha donat per fet en cap moment que els dos partits de dreta siguen capaços de posar-se d'acord ni en l'hora: podria passar, per exemple, que PP i Foro arriben al ple d'investidura sense cap tipus de pacte i opten per votar el propi candidat. En eixe cas, si PSOE i IU tenen un acord, el diputat d'UPyD esdevindrà inútil.

AROMES MUSICALS

Thobeka

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum consist of two buildings flanking the main entrance into St Georges Park.  In the foyer of the right hand building the figure of Thobeka welcomes visitors to the gallery.  Thobeka is a work of art by artist Willie Bester and consist of welded recycled metal.  She was purchased by the museum in 2002 and has been on permanent display in the foyer.

Cadastre

La casa on visc ha estat tota la vida propietat de la família de ma mare. Imagine, fins i tot, que un dinosaure amb una càrrega genètica idèntica a la meua va posar ous al mateix lloc que ara ocupa la cadira Wassily del meu menjador.

La qüestió és que ara que ha passat al meu nom he hagut de posar al dia la situació de l'immoble i la cosa no ha resultat massa fàcil. A dia de hui encara no tinc la llicència de primera ocupació perquè el Cadastre encara no ha resolt la instància que vaig presentar en 2008 (!) detallant les diferents agregacions i segregacions que havia patit este tros de terra en els últims cinquanta anys (i dels qual ningú havia informat l'administració) i, també, les obres que s'havien fet, de forma que ma casa (ma casa!) encara consta com si fóra una vaqueria.

La setmana passada, però, el Cadastre va actualitzar algunes de les dades de l'immoble amb la informació que hi vaig aportar fa quatre anys i ara, finalment, he aconseguit que la superfície real siga la mateixa que consta als registres públics, però no han dit ni pruna sobre l'obra que vull declarar, així que em vaig personar a les oficines del Cadastre on em va atendre un amable funcionari.

— Vull inscriure el canvi de titularitat de ma casa al Registre de Propietat, però necessite que prèviament al Cadastre les dades siguen correctes —vaig resumir la història al funcionari.

— Molt bé, dóna'm la referència cadastral

Li la vaig donar.

— Bé, ací consta que este immoble és un magatzem i una vaqueria...

— Sí, és això el que vull actualitzar.

— I també que l'última obra que es declarà fou en 1890.

— Perdona?

— Sí, en 1890 —repetí el funcionari, abans de preguntar: Heu fet alguna obra des d'aleshores?

Vaig callar, per prudència, però em van entrar ganes de dir "Sí, clar: en 1960 vam posar parquet a les vaques".

Redéu, mai acabaré amb açò.

The Saguaro Palm Springs

Hip but not hipster, the new Saguaro Palm Springs hotel brings a riot of vibrancy to the muted desert landscape. Opened in February, this former Holiday Inn has undergone a total renovation and shows no hint of its previous incarnation.  

The 245 rooms come in 14 sunny color schemes. You can match your room’s color scheme to your mood or the view of your choice, as every guestroom has a balcony looking out over the mountains, town or the Olympic-size pool lined by cabanas. After dark the Saguaro’s scene stays scorching, with restaurants and bars by Iron Chef America’s Jose Garces elevating the local dining scene to hot, tequila-fueled heights.

Donkin River memorial art piece

A different view of the giant South African flag on the Donkin Reserve.  This time seen through the Donkin River memorial piece.

Avantatges

El festeig amb el fidanzato italiano m'ha fet recordar els avantatges de tindre parella: no has d'obsessionar-te a l'hora de trobar sexe; no has preocupar-te quan vols fer plans per al cap de setmana; hi ha una persona que te telefona cada nit i et pregunta com t'ha anat el dia; pots esperar algun regal de tant en tant; pots assajar nous menús; pots obligar algú a fer coses que no li vénen de gust només perquè a tu sí... La llista, en definitiva, és ben llarga.

Per això, encara estic pensant per quin motiu dissabte vaig entrar amb el fidanzato i un amic a una cambra fosca.

Per què?

Escenaris postelectorals

ASTÚRIES

En primer lloc, a l'antic Regne de Pelai han fet falta dues eleccions per aconseguir que el PP i l'invent de Cascos es posen d'acord en la necessitat de configurar un govern conjunt de dreta. De molta dreta.

Astúries, tot i ser una comunitat atòmica uniprovincial, té tres circumscripcions electorals: Orient, Occident i Centre. La primera aporta només 5 escons; la segona 6; i la tercera, que inclou les tres grans capitals asturianes (Gijón, Oviedo i Avilés), la resta: 34 escons. Esta divisió electoral, a banda de sobrerepresentar la població rural, fa que només els partits més votats obtinguen representació per Orient i Occident i permet que, per exemple, el 9,31% dels vots que obtingué IU a Occident no li reporten cap diputat. Així, tots els diputats d'IU (5) i el que ha obtingut UPyD (amb un 4,2% del vots) han eixit de la circumscripció central.

Amb els resultats de diumenge, com dèiem, només existeix una possibilitat viable de govern de dreta, ja que l'esquerra (PSOE i IU) unida al diputat d'UPyD no suma majoria absoluta. El PP, per tant, haurà de negociar amb Cascos, la qual cosa resulta de tot tret d'atractiva per al partit de Rajoy. Els socialistes, però, esperen que el vot dels emigrats els done un escó extra a costa del Foro, la qual cosa permetria un tripartit amb IU i UPyD.

ANDALUSIA

És, però, a l'Al-Àndalus on el resultat ha estat més sorprenent, ja que totes les enquestes asseguraven que Arenas es faria, finalment, amb una majoria absoluta que permetria que per primera vegada governara la dreta a esta nacionalitat histèrica.

Al remat, però, les enquestes han tornat a enganyar-se i el PP s'ha fet només amb 50 escons dels 55 que necessitava per poder governar.

Els resultats tornen a evidenciar quin paper juguen les circumscripcions en les eleccions autonòmiques: el PP ha tret al conjunt d'Al-Àndalus poc més de 40.000 vots més que el PSOE (un 1'1%) i això, en canvi, s'ha traduït en tres escons de diferència (50 popularsdavant els 47 socialistes) i UPyD, amb vora 130.000 vots, es queda fora del parlament andalusí.

Siga com siga, perquè l'aritmètica electoral és divertida però inútil, Arenas torna a fracassar en no aconseguir la majoria absoluta i, si tot va com sembla que anirà, l'esquerra mantindrà la Junta una legislatura més a pesar dels escàndols de corrupció, la crisi i un atur del 30%.

En contra d'Arenas ha jugat la seua imatge de señorito andaluz, la política que Rajoy ha portat endavant durant estos primers 100 dies de govern i l'intent d'amagar els pressupostos fins que passaren les eleccions i, en canvi, Griñán no només manté per als socialistes Al-Ándalus, sinó que ix reforçat davant el partit en evitar no només la majoria popular si suma amb IU, sinó que refrega el seu triomf davant Rubalcaba, Guerra i González.

Les incògnites, a banda de les conseqüències que tindrà al si del PSOE la derrota-victòria de Griñán, passen per saber què farà IU i, també, per saber què serà de Javier Arenas.

Sardinia Bay beach scene

Summer may be packing her bags to head up north but the days are still nice and warm and people are still going to beach for a swim.

Bullying geriàtric

Fa una setmana que els meus pares marxaren de viatge i encara no han tornat. Sé que estan a algun lloc dels EUA però tampoc tinc molta més informació perquè quan m'han telefonat mon pare s'ha limitat a preguntar "Com està Matt?".Abans de marxar, però, em van encomanar que vigilara de prop la iaia, que porta una temporada lleugerament desbaratada, així que dissabte em vaig deixar caure per sa casa per vore com anava i me la vaig trobar amb les germanes cara la tele apagada.

— Veges, fill, si pots posar en marxar el televisor, que la teua iaia no sap —m'amollà Menci, la germana menuda.
— Com que no sap? I qui encén la tele quan no estic jo?
— No sé qui l'haurà tocat, —m'ignorà la iaia— però volem vore el Cinci només ixen ninots.
— No són ninots: és Jorge Javier —vaig contestar intuïtivament.
— No és Jorge Javier, —em va corregir la iaia— que hui és dissabte.

Vaig encendre la tele i vaig comprovar que, efectivament, Telecinco i el canal infantil Boing havien intercanviat les freqüències.

— L'haurà tocat el teu cosí —apuntà la iaia.
— No es faça il·lusions: el meu cosí fa setmanes que no es deixa caure per ací...
— Potser ton pare...
— Iaia, mon pare està de viatge...

La iaia ja no pogué trobar més culpables, però una cosa tenia clara:

— Jo no he sigut.
— Bé, és igual. L'únic que ha de fer és posar el 31 quan vulga vore el Cinc.
— Mira, ja està el Cinc—apuntà la tia Conxeta.
— Sí, tia. L'acabe de posar.
— I com fem per donar-li més veu? —preguntà, novament, la tia Menci.
— Redéu, tenen esta tele des de fa un any. Què passa, que entre les tres no en fan una?
— Mira, el Cinc—tornà Conxeta.
— Que sí, que ja està el Cinc.
— Posa-li un poc més de veu que ara no ho sentim.
— Però com que no ho senten? Està fortíssim...
— Això és el Cinc—retornà Conxeta.
— Fes una cosa: ara dóna-li més veu, però després ho poses perquè de nit estiga més baixet.
— Iaia, això no es pot fer. I ja li he explicat mil voltes com funciona el mando.

La iaia aclucà els ulls:

— Bé, si no saps fer-ho ja li ho diré al teu germà, que ell té més manya que tu.

The penguin gang

Is it just me or does this look like a couple of 1950's gang members trying to look very inconspicuous

Five Fat Loss Tips To Get Ready for Summer Now

With spring here and summer approaching fast, the LAST thing you want to do is wait till the last minute to get in shape for the warm weather! Here are 5 Fat Loss Tips to help you Get Ready For Summer NOW.


1. Eliminate Junk Food (Most Of The Time)

You may think this is a no-brainer, but you’ll be surprised at how those few chips, sodas and cookies on a regular basis add up (we just saw a cookie package, and each cookie, about two bites, were packed with 125 calories! Eat 8 and that’s about half your daily calorie intake, 1,000 calories).

Notice that we said to eliminate junk “most of the time.” That’s because allowing it once or twice a week will prevent over-the-top binges. And besides, a loose-eating day, with a higher-calorie jolt, prevents your metabolism from slowing down, so it’s a good thing.

2. Tone Down Alcohol Consumption:

A few beers or stiff drinks every so often won’t hurt, but if you do it regularly, you turn off fat burning. The reason is that your body burns off alcohol first, it becomes your primary energy substrate. 

So as you’re burning off the alcohol, what happens to the food you eat? It’s merely surplus calories going directly to fat cells. Not good. That means when you do choose to drink, don’t eat a lot while you indulge.

3. Slow Down The Negative Part Of Your Reps:

On at least one set of your big compound exercises, use a 1 1/2-seconds-up, 4-to-6-seconds-down tempo. In other words, slow down the negative on every rep. For example, on bench presses, fire it up, then lower it slowly on every rep. Emphasizing the negative creates more muscle trauma, and that’s a good thing for fat burning.

That’s because it takes energy to repair muscle damage. Your metabolism kicks into gear for the entire recovery process, usually about two days or more after your workout. So you’re burning fat 24/7, yes, even while you sleep!

4. Workout 1st Thing In The Morning On An Empty Stomach

Studies show that you will burn A LOT more fat  when you workout during a fasted state, but I don’t suggest starving yourself to get into that fasted state. Thats whay its best to do your workout as soon as you wake up! Plus you get it out of the way before your day gets started!

I wake up at 5 or 6 am six days a week and workout befor I do anything else! This is great for everyone that “claims” to not have enuff time to work out

5. Do A Short Cardio Session After Each Weight Workout:

You burn off all the sugar in your bloodstream with 30 minutes to an hour of weight training. That means any activity right after immediately taps into body fat.  We STRONGLY suggest you do H.I.I.T. cardio because its by far the most effective for burning fat!

In other words, right after your weight training is prime fat-burning time. All it takes is 15 minutes of HIIT Cardio to make a serious dent in your fat stores. It’s the most efficient fat-burning cardio you can do.

Try these five tips and you'll be well on your way to getting that summer body you want.

Fisher's Gallery

The old Fisher's building in the Port Elizabeth city centre may have close links to Fischer's Jewellers in the city, but isn't used as a jewellery shop anymore.  The old jewellery showroom has been revamped by the owners and is used as a gallery and shop for art, ceramics and glass ware.

Fisher's building

Fischer's Jewellers in Port Elizabeth are one of those businesses that has been around for just about forever.  In 1858 Edward Preiss from London advertised in the "Eastern Province Herald" that he has taken premises next door to the newspaper's office in Main Street and started business as a watchmaker and jeweller.  In 1859 Alwin Fischer and his brother Theodore, both watchmakers, came to the Cape Colony from Saxony.  Theodore opened a business in Cradock while Alwin came to Port Elizabeth and started to work for Preiss as his assistant.  In 1861 Preiss' shop moved "six doors higher up where a clock hangs over the window".  Preiss announced his retirement four years later and Fischer took over the running of the business.  Fischer retired in 1891 but the new owner kept the name "Fischer's".  The old building was demolished in 1910 with the current building completed the next year.  With only a few buildings constructed around Port Elizabeth in the Art Nouveau style, the old Fischer's building in the city centre must be one of the best examples still standing.

Mimosín&Cocolino

— ¿Sabes chi he encontrado hoy nel gym?

Tot i que només porta des de setembre a València, el meu fidanzatoparla un castellà més que acceptable, però com sap que l'entenc es relaxa i de tant en tant se'm despista i em regala estes frases en itañol.

— Dimmi pure!

El fidanzato va somriure i amollà:

— ¡Riccardo Costa!

Em vaig quedar mort, sobretot perquè en escoltar Riccardo, alla italiana, vaig sentir una nova admiració pel meu Ric.

— ¡Oh! Me encanta Mimosín...

El fidanzato es va estranyar:

— ¿Qué es Mimosín?

Li vaig explicar que Mimosín és l'apel·latiu amb el qual era conegut Ric pels empresaris vinculats a la trama Brugali, també, que és el nom d'una marca de suavitzant representada per un osset de peluix.

— Allora é come il Cocolino italiano!

Flipant: Mimosín a Itàlia és Cocolino.

— Bueno, y dime, ¿qué hacía Cocolino en el gimnasio? ¿Qué llevaba puesto? ¿Por qué no le hiciste una foto?

— Pues me he quedado un poco parado, porque no estaba seguro de si era él y, entonces, ha aprovechado y me ha robado (!) la máquina de abdominales que iba a utilizar yo.

I, davant d'això, no em va quedar una altra opció:

— ¡Eso es tan típico de Ric!

Groendal reflection

The residents of Nelson Mandela Bay is very fortunate to have a place like the Groendal Wilderness Area right outside our "back door".  (Hopefully I don't insult any of Uitenhage's residents by saying it that way)  The 30 000 hectare Groendal Wilderness Area protects the water catchment area of the Swartkops River with the Groendal Dam in its centre.  All of this falls within the Groot Winterhoek Mountain range and these days form part of the Greater Baviaanskloof Wilderness area.  Groendal's rugged terrain is incised by numerous streams and ravines with the vegetation being predominantly fynbos.  There are also isolated pockets of indigenous forest occurring in the ravines as well as elements of Subtropical Thicket (Valley Bushveld).

Igual per a tots (i II)

Però és, com resulta fàcil imaginar, en l'aplicació pràctica de les Lleis quan és fàcil assistir a un tractament diferenciat depenent de qui és el subjecte passiu d'un procediment i quan es fa palés que, efectivament, la Justícia no és igual per a tots.

I podríem començar per una qüestió òbvia: els diners. Saul Goodman, l'advocat de la sèrie Breaking bad, es presenta a la segona temporada amb una frase lapidària: “Tindreu la millor defensa que els diners puguen pagar”. O millor dit: amb diners, torrons.

Açò no significa, ni de bon tros, que només amb diners un ricpuga eixir-se'n net d'una acusació, però tindre molts euros per a gastar suposa, en primer lloc, tal com féu Camps al cas dels vestits, recórrer qualsevol interlocutòria, diligència i providència que dictava el jutjat, de forma que va aconseguir que la instrucció del cas s'allargara durant tres anys, temps més que suficient per, en este cas concret, aconseguir el seu propòsit: fer-se de nou amb l'acta de diputat i gaudir així de les particularitats que atorga l'aforament de diputat autonòmic.

Un altre exemple: Carlos Fabra, ecs!president de la Diputació de Castelló, sembla que al remat serà jutjat enguany després de més de huit anys pegant bacs i d'haver estat a punt d'eixir-se'n com si res gràcies a la prescripció de part dels delictes pels quals està acusat i que el Suprem va corregir. La prescripció determina que després d'un temps concret sense que s'haja produït cap actuació judicial o de part, el cas ha d'arxivar-se per garantir la seguretat jurídica del justiciable.

En el cas de Fabra hi jugava a favor la prescripció i, també, que el jutjat de Nules encarregat de la instrucció no té un jutge titular, circumstància que ha allargat el cas fins a l'extrem. Per sort per a Fabra, el jutjarà el mateix òrgan que considerà en el seu dia que cinc delictes estaven prescrits: l'Audiència Provincial de Castelló.

A Camps, en canvi, li beneficià que el president del Tribunal Superior del País Valencià, Juan Luis de la Rúa, fóra “més que amic” seu, ja que es va permetre el luxe de votar a favor de l'arxiu de la causa contra l'ecs!President, fet que allargà el procediment un any més fins que el Suprem el tornà a reobrir.

La vinculació amb el poder, doncs, també juga a favor dels ricsa l'hora de fer front a la Justícia: ja siga evitant que es convoquen les places de jutge necessàries per possibilitar la prescripció de les causes o bé per fer que voten allò que més et convinga.

Però no tot està perdut quan ni els diners, ni la prescripció, ni la capacitat de col·locar jutges amics (o de, directament, no col·locar-los) ajuden a obtindre una sentència absolutòria, perquè sempre existeix una última oportunitat per evitar una condemna: l'indult.

Este dret de 'gràcia' permet al Govern beneficiar aquells que per diferents raons consideren que no han de complir les penes que els ha imposat la Justícia i a Espanya sol aplicar-se, per exemple i entre altres, a ecs!ministres socialistes acusats de segrest, a jutges condemnats per prevaricació, a mossos d'esquadra condemnats per tortures, a empresaris acusats de frau, a consellers del Banco Santander o a càrrecs memocristians d'Unió Democràtica de Catalunya.

Així doncs, i donat que personatges com Garzón, Matas o Urdangarín encaixen a la perfecció en el perfil d'indultablecosta creure que algun dia posaran un peu a presó.

Tributes to two regional newspaper giants

Like many people in regional newspapers I was saddened by the deaths of two of the industry's big hitters in the last week. Edwin Boorman was, at different times, managing director, chief executive, chairman and president of the Kent Messenger Group. He died last Wednesday after a short illness. He was 76. Richard Wooldridge was editor and MD of the Yorkshire Evening Press and editorial director of Westminster Press before becoming chief operating officer and president of the International Herald Tribune in Paris. He died, age 69, of a heart attack on Sunday while on a family holiday in Morocco. I worked closely with Richard in the old WP Group and met Edwin many times, I had great respect for both men. However I have asked two former editors and colleagues, who knew Edwin and Richard much better than I did, to pay their own personal tributes. Allan Prosser, my predecessor at The Northern Echo, left the North-East in 1989 to become editorial director at the KM and Martin King worked as Richard's right-hand man at York in the late 80s. Here are their memories of two of the regional Press's giants.

Edwin Boorman 
Champion of Press freedom
 

Edwin Boorman: committed local publisher

By Allan Prosser
Edwin Boorman, the colourful leader of the Kent Messenger Group, who died last week, was one of the few remaining representatives of the dwindling number of dynastic families who shaped and characterised the local press for more than a century.
In Edwin's case he passed the torch to his daughter, Geraldine, and maintained the staunch and sturdy independence of his newspaper group while rivals and contemporaries signed a Faustian pact and saw their once proud titles fall into the void in the accounting columns of large groups semi-detached from the communities they profess to serve.
I had the pleasure of working with Edwin for four years in the early 90s as his editorial director. It was a period for which the phrase "never a dull moment" might have been coined. A new press was installed; a fascinating joint project established with trans-Manche publishers La Voix du Nord; a successful chain of county-wide free papers further strengthened and a bold attempt made to extend his Medway Towns-based daily newspaper to cover the rest of Kent.
While that ultimately failed, the victim both of the dedication in the South-East of newspaper readers to London-based nationals, and the problems of financing such an ambitious plan, it did deliver the valuable by-product of instilling the rhythms of daily publishing across his whole group, ahead of the expansion into the Internet age, and added momentum to the process of unifying all his titles under the over-arching KM brand.
Edwin was a highly-committed local publisher who didn't shy away from tough decisions. The KM came close to disaster during a punishing dispute with the print unions over the introduction of new technology - a cause he always espoused - in the 1980s and has remained influential and progressive despite successive recessions and now a grim slump. It is typical of the company that he guided for so many years that even at the depth of the economic downturn it was seeking growth last winter by endeavouring to purchase seven Northcliffe titles in Kent, a sensible rationalisation thwarted by the Office of Fair Trading's referral to the Competitions Commission.
Some memories can stand to tell the story of the man.
During the early 1990s it was proving almost impossible to recruit and retain sub-editors for the KM's titles. From London's back garden there was no shortage of available shifts and better-remunerated opportunities. The company, heavily encouraged by Edwin, established its own excellent training scheme, in the teeth of considerable industry scepticism, to retrain people from non-traditional backgrounds. It was a success, and one more example of the KM's can-do mentality engendered by him.
Edwin was a proprietor who enjoyed the status offered by his position, but did not allow his privileges to impede what he viewed as his duty to uphold the freedom of the press. He didn't much enjoy the occasion when his daily paper editor took the decision to publish a transcript of what has gone down in history as the "Camillagate Tape" which brought obloquy down on the chairman's head from the great and good of the county and may even, it's been suggested more than once, have cost him his "K". But Edwin supported the decision, albeit through gritted teeth. And was to be much admired for doing so.
And his sense of good natured mischief was something to be treasured. With the opening of the Channel Tunnel Edwin was keen to establish a cross-border partnership with the Nord Pas de Calais morning paper La Voix du Nord and insisted that his executives were hothoused through a course in French. On the way to an important business meeting in Lille with our Gallic allies I warned the chairman not to rely on my grasp of franglais to make any substantive commercial points. Hours later, high in their boardroom overlooking the Place du General de Gaulle, after proposing a toast with excellent champagne and in his fluent French Edwin called for silence and announced that I would now spell out to the assembled throng the KM's vision of the new "grande entente." My baleful stare was returned by his amused smile and a gracious incline of the head in my direction.
On one of the last occasions I worked with him we spent a summer evening in the sylvan surroundings of Leeds Castle listening to a concert by Luciano Pavarotti. Edwin, handsome, smiling, champagne flute in hand, wandered around spending time with as many people as he could. And that's how I will remember him on that golden evening, at ease among his own, the men of Kent and the Kentish men. And not forgetting the maids.
Allan Prosser was editorial director of the Kent Messenger Group 1990-1994.
A memorial service will be held for the life of Edwin Boorman at 3pm on April 4 at All Saints Church in Mill Street, Maidstone.

Richard Wooldridge 
A newspaper visionary
 

Richard Wooldridge: Campaigning editor

By Martin King
Two major facets of Richard’s nature were clear to me just days after I joined The Yorkshire Evening Press, where he had the unusual joint role of Managing Director and Editor.
It started with something like: “We are going to run a campaign to challenge the Nestlé takeover bid for Rowntree.  And we are going to take about 1,200 staff and other folk from York to lobby Parliament. We’re trying for the day after tomorrow. Can you sort that?”
And thus the Hands Off Rowntree campaign was launched (Richard’s instant name for it). And sure enough, every spare coach in North Yorkshire headed off to Westminster just two days later.
The first facet was that he was a campaigning editor brave enough to take on a battle he knew he was unlikely to win. But he wanted to give York the pride of at least having its protest and, for a while at least, hopefully improving the terms of the deal for the city.
The second facet was the demonstration of how much he challenged his journalists – and how they surprised themselves by raising their game in response.
His campaigning was not just restricted to the popular. The call for the closure to traffic of Deangate beside York Minster was met with some scepticism in a traffic-bound city. Richard was right, of course, that the Minster needed more dignified surroundings and that the motorists would soon adapt.
He also excelled in his Managing Director role, overseeing the YEP’s move from its decrepit Coney Street offices, where the press often came within inches of flooding, to a new building in Walmgate – with a new colour press that also worked nights to produce The Northern Echo. The YEP circulation reached well over 60,000 - with a household penetration in its heartland that was second to none. (Never let it be said, though, that his MD’s role diminished his editorial influence. He had the unnerving knack of appearing in the newsroom at the exact moment decisions were needed. Believe me: I was his Deputy Editor for more than four years.)
All this happened in the late 1980s. Many newspaper executives were still sceptical about the Internet, but not Richard. With a growing role that eventually saw him becoming Editorial Director of the Westminster Press group, he pushed and backed online and group initiatives that were way ahead of its competitors.
Richard was also notable for early demands to his staff for greater adherence to the best practices called for by the Press Complaints Commission’s precursors. None of his journalists can have been in doubt of his response to any lapse in standards.
After WP was sold to Newsquest in the mid-1990s, Richard became Chief Executive Officer of the International Herald Tribune.
The move to Paris was little surprise for those who knew his love of France, where he stayed after his retirement.
Richard died on Sunday aged 69 while holidaying in Morocco with his wife Lynda, a former head teacher at Dunnington primary school near York, and daughter Henrietta and son Christopher.
Martin King was deputy editor of the Yorkshire Evening Press and editor of the Evening Echo, Basildon.
A funeral service will be held in France and a memorial service, details of which are to be arranged, will take place in York later this year.