Diving lessons

I'm a qualified scuba diver but I haven't "blown bubbles" as they say for probably 10 years.  So I was very excited when Ocean Divers International (ODI) invited a couple of us from the office for an educational.  Two of us had dived before while the other four were all virgin divers.  It was such an amazing experience getting back in the pool with the full kit on again and brushing up on the skills.  The next day we headed out to sea and unfortunately the conditions weren't ideal (I can tell you about the baritone Louw brothers but I will spare them - and them - that), but it was exhilarating to be under water again.  We really are fortunate here in Port Elizabeth.  Our coastline both inside Algoa Bay as well as on the Wildside has the most beautiful reefs, colourful soft coral and is teeming with life with everything from small fish to ragged tooth sharks. 

Pillars in the water

The old Humewood Slipway basking in late afternoon sun as seen from the deck of the Town Lodge hotel

Festeig a la italiana

Una icona del neorealisme italià: Gli italiani si voltano, 
del fotògraf Mario De Biasi, amb Moira Orfei de cul/esquena. 

Fa un parell de setmanes que festege amb un ragazzo italià. I el terme exacte és eixe: festejar, ja que durant la primera cita ens vam prendre un parell de cerveses al Rialto de València; durant la segona vam sopar junts; la tercera la vam passar al Carme: en plena onada de fred vam dinar a El Refugio i després ens vam intoxicar lleugerament i ens vam acomiadar ja de nit davant l'Estació del Nord amb un bes ben llarg al mig del carrer.

De pel·lícula, però de pel·lícula de cap de setmana i de després de dinar.

A la quarta cita ja vam tindre sexe, i no vaig poder evitar sentir-me com un adolescent del Partit Republicà. O per fer-ho més proper: com un adolescent de les joventuts d'Unió Democràtica de Catalunya després d'una trobada del partit a Montserrat.

La pregunta és: I ara?

 

Checking for sharks

Watching the penguins in the pool enclosure at SAMREC (South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre) at Cape Recife can be very interesting and often makes for great photos.  This youngster was sitting in the sun on the rocks and decided to dive into the water.  As he got to the edge of the rock he leaned forward for a look before taking the plunge.  I noticed that they all did it before diving.  Perhaps just making sure there aren't any sharks lurking in the deep. 

BOUNTY HUNTER Eye Glasses

BOUNTY HUNTER has just introduced an original ‘made in Japan’ optical frame into their 2012 lineup. The horn-rimmed frames are made of high-quality Japan-sourced acetate, and feature a subtle keyhole nose bridge with an opening tailored for the nose shapes and facial profiles of the Japanese. The retro design is available in three colors, from select BOUNTY HUNTER stockists.

Venut

No sóc dels que s'abstenen a l'hora de donar la seua opinió encara que no se'ls haja preguntat.

Òbric parèntesi. I fins ací les obvietats. Tanque parèntesi.

Sí que hi ha, però, un tipus del persones davant les quals tinc per costum pegar-me un puntet a la boca i, senzillament, callar davant una afirmació amb la qual no hi estic d'acord: els bonsclients.

Els bons clients, en contra del que puga semblar, no són els que tenen raó en les seues pretensions i faciliten la feina d'un advocat, sinó aquells que, sense ser exageradament pesats, generen expedients i paguen puntualment. Sobretot, i en la situació de crisi que patim, això últim.

Ahir no es plantà al despatx un bon client, sinó l'home d'una bona clienta amb la intenció de dir-me com resoldre el parell d'expedients que la seua senyora manté oberts. I això, en principi, és intolerable:

— No em sent molt còmode amb açò, la veritat, perquè la meua clienta és la teua dona i és ella la que, en tot cas, hauria de donar-me instruccions.

— No patisques per això, vinc també a encarregar-te que m'assessores perquè vull fer testament.

Silenci.

— Bé, igualment són coses i casos diferents...

— Mira, Martí, te diré una cosa: l'altre dia estava esmorzant amb un amic que sap molt, perquè és graduat social (!), i em va dir que la majoria dels problemes d'este món és culpa de les dones.

Silenci indignat.

— Home... no sé jo si, per exemple, la Segona Guerra Mundial la provocà una dona...

— He dit “la majoria”, però, a banda, sóc jo el que paga les teues minutes.

Silenci, finalment, venut.

— Bé, la Segona Guerra Mundial potser no... però coneixes la història de la Guerra de Troia?

Shop not open till later - shock

Here is a cracking non-story from the Mid Sussex Times to add to our growing list. Apparently early morning shoppers who turned up at Boots in Hayward Heath today found the shop hadn't opened. There was a note on the door saying there was no pharmacist available and the store would open as soon as a locum arrived. What we really want to know, of course, is what misfortune has befallen the chemist. Meanwhile I have just realised the shop in my village had a note on the door today saying 'Gone for lunch, back in 30 minutes'. What a missed opportunity. I'm just off to take a picture and call the newsdesk ...  

Other fabulous non-stories can be found here and here.

Hat-tip to Daily Mail City reporter @Petercampbell1 for this.

Since I posted this, former Telegraph crime correspondent @richdjedwards has sent me this picture. He says he popped into his bank at Clifton and spotted this sign. He is now awaiting a commission from the Bristol Evening Post ... 

2013 BMW M6 Coupe

Lusting after an M5 but simply don't want or need those extra two doors? Say hello to the 2013 BMW M6 Coupe ($TBA). This third-generation supercar-turned-daily driver is powered by a high-revving 4.4L V8 with M TwinPower Turbo Technology, which produces 560 hp and a 0-62 mph time of 4.2 seconds, a 7-speed M Double Clutch Transmission, an M specific chassis that's more rigid and robust than that of the standard 6-series, optional M Carbon-Ceramic brakes, standard 19-inch light-alloy wheels, available Adaptive LED headlights, a carbon fiber composite roof, a head-up display, and an agressive body that's sure to make sweaty the palms of anyone fortunate enough to spot one in their rearview mirror.

CARTA AL PRESIDENT DE LA COMUNITAT DE VEÏNS

A l’atenció del Sr. López,
President de la Comunitat de Veïns
C/ De la Felicitat n.15
08912-Badalona

La presenta carta és per a compartir algunes reflexions a les que he arribat darrera les seves actuacions com a President de la comunicat de veïns de la finca situada al carrer Felicitat n.15:
1.- Visc en el món i si visc en el món també visc a la meva comunitat de veïns, i tot allò que passi a la meva escala em preocupa per la responsabilitat que tinc de viure en comunitat i en convivència amb els meus veïns.
2.- Voldria que m’aclareixi alguns dubtes que tinc foscos com la boca d’un llop. Per què ha decidit tot sol canviar d’administrador sense convocar una reunió amb la que pogués estar present l’administradora actual?
3.- Per què ha anat veí per veí, casa per casa, intentant manipulant-nos en hores reservades per a la intimitat conjugal?
4.- En cap moment voldria que pensés que em queixo de les seves gestions, però em preocupa que la comunitat no disposi de més pressupostos per valorar quin seria el gestor o gestora que sigui més adequat per a la nostra finca.
5.- Com vostè sap Sr. López som una finca antiga, les vostres canes floregen com les nostres canonades, i els nostres veïns més grans tenen les antenes alterades de tant xivarri veïnal.
6.- Per anar acabant li agrairia que quan em vegi al vestíbul de la finca no sortí corrent com si fos un conill en plena cacera i, jo fos un franctirador doncs no crec que sigui aquest el meu estil de negociació veïnal.
7.- I per últim només dir-li que li agriré mot que no llanci més propaganda a la meva bústia perquè amb la que rep personalment, i la que vostè em fica podria muntar una deixalleria.
Resto a l’espera de la seva contesta.

Ben cordialment,
La veïna de l’àtic segona

Anna Saine

Badalona, 27 de febrer de 2012

Perfect evening on the Town Lodge deck

The movers and shakers in the tourism industry in Port Elizabeth were invited to a function at the Town Lodge on the beachfront last week for the introduction of the new ceo of Ectour.  But that's not what the post is about.  The function took place on the Town Lodge's deck overlooking Humewood Beach in absolutely perfect weather.  Port Elizabeth is often called the Windy City.  The reason for that is that we do get a fair amount of wind during the summer and unfortunately for us that is when most visitors come to the city.  Hence they think we have wind all year around.  That isn't true though.  This time of year the wind starts to pack its bags for a holiday elsewhere and from now until about late June we actually have stunning weather.  The best time to visit the city me thinks.  But I am digressing.  Sitting out on the deck enjoying the view and good company, we all just realised again why we love Port Elizabeth so much.

El misteri de Nóos

A propòsit del cas Urdangarin (sense accent) que investiga el jutge Castro a Palma per un bon grapat de delictes i que, com no podia ser d'una altra forma, sembla que tindrà la connexió valencianaque qualsevol trama corrupta de determinada entitat necessita, la primera pregunta que li ve a tot el món al cap és “per què?”. O per ser una miqueta més explícit: quina necessitat tenia el gendre del rei d'Espanya de fotre's en un merder com el que ara s'investiga?

Si partim de la base que la monarquia espanyola no té un problema de finançament i que tots els membres de la cada vegada més llarga família reial poden arribar a final de mes sense haver de vendre a pes les joies dels avantpassats, és lògic que la gent es pregunte com és possible que el duc de Palma, en lloc de dedicar-se a no fer absolutament res i a parar la mà (o el que ve a ser el mateix: a ocupar un càrrec a Telefonica), constituïra un entrapat d'empreses dedicades a emportar-se a cabassos diners públics i a buscar fórmules per pagar impostos a un estat/casino tan ridícul com Belize.

El més raonable és pensar que es tracta d'una qüestió d'avarícia, perquè de diners mai se'n tenen prou; potser, també, la vanitat hi tinguera alguna cosa a vore i la intenció d'Urdangarin era demostrar que no només era un gendre ideal, sinó també un emprenedor i una persona capaç de fer negocis (encara que, després del que hem vist en altres casos, fer negocis amb les administracions de Camps i Matasés qualsevol cosa tret de reputada); i pot donar-se el cas, clar que sí, que el duc considere que no ha fet res censurable i que, simplement, estava treballant com qualsevol altre súbdit del seu sogre.

Independentment de quin siga el resultat de tot el procés (encara que és fàcil intuir que el gendre del rei no posarà un peu a presó), al remat acabarem per conéixer els detalls de totes les operacions, els noms de totes les empreses i administracions implicades, la quantitat exacta que es malversà i també la que s'evadí del fisc, però estic segur que mai arribarem a saber les causes exactes que van motivar que qui no tenia cap necessitat de complicar-se l'existència en lloc de passar un tranquil cap de setmana a Palma, amb el veler i prenent el sol, haja hagut de passar-lo declarant durant tantes hores als jutjats de la ciutat.

Ten thoughts about the Sun on Sunday

There really are no big surprises. The Sun on Sunday is just the same as the Sun on Saturday (and not too different from every other day). The typography, design, tone and masthead are all instantly recognisable. Even Dear Deidre has had to give up her day off. Fabulous magazine is so much a direct lift that it still carries yesterday's dateline. There are subtle differences though. I doubt a weekday Sun would devote five early pages to the Amanda Holden interview ... and there isn't a single nipple in sight. This is definitely not a resurrected News of The World, this is The Sun. It's a safe post-Leveson tabloid newspaper, that will do its job of filling a gap in the popular Sunday market. I was hoping for something newsier, something that had a meaningful investigation, that set the agenda for the week. But the Murdoch strategy is clear. If you have the market leader six days a week, why not seven? It will no doubt sell ... and as journalists we should applaud any newspaper launch. Anyway, for those of you with nothing better to do, here are my ten random thoughts on today's first issue.

i) There isn't a F*** Me Doris or Cor F*** Me story - or even a truly classic Sun headline. The cleverest is 'HERE COM&S THE SUN' about the Beatles' song being chosen for an M&S advert. After that, 'Piggy Beck ride,' above a picture of Harper Seven on her dad's shoulders, is about as good as it gets. 

ii) The most graphic headline of the day is without doubt 'I heard splash ... it was Amanda's blood hitting floor'. Woah. Good headlines should build pictures ... but I wasn't quite ready for this one.

iii) Katie Price may have many attributes, and written many books, but maintaining a compelling column is one of the hardest things to do - even for accomplished journalists. Employing celebrities, sports people and politicians as columnists is usually to provide an insight into their exclusive world. But do Sun readers really care that Ms Price doesn't like Rachel Johnston, that she would like to have met Marie Colvin and that her name doesn't guarantee a table reservation in some restaurants? Needs to step up the game. 

iv) There may be no Page 3 girl, indeed there are no nipples at all, but there is still a semi naked Kelly Rowland on Page 3 and plenty of glamour shots, not least Holly Willoughby in a leather studded catsuit.    

v) There is one small surprise - the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, joining the ranks of the Sun's columnists. He quotes Alexander Pope and rages against unemployment. He also provides the non-sequitur of the week. His penultimate paragraph of his main piece reads: "Ours is a God of second opportunities. With that in mind, live in hope, free from fear and embrace every day that God puts before you with confidence." This sage advice is then followed by: "And if you can buy The Sun seven days a week, even better." Well, it made me laugh.

vi) As usual, one of the biggest reasons to buy the Sun is the sport or, to be more precise, the football. The Goals Plus supplement is 28-pages with every league game covered. The graphics and stats are just what you need for a bit of Sunday morning analysis. I trust Roy Keane will shake off his leash once in a while.

vii) Putting seven-day TV listings in the main paper is far from ideal. TV watchers may hang on to a mag throughout the week but Sunday's newsprint will be  pretty dog-eared by Tuesday.

viii) For typographical geeks the Sun persists with Tempo for news display, which is not only clean with impact but gives a good headline count. Far more interesting though is the Cooper Black fest in the features section. It used to be the Sun's news font - so a little bit of heritage continues. The white serif text on red on Page 15 of Fabulous is asking an awful lot.

ix) There is plenty of mainstream advertising ... so any worries about companies wanting to disassociate themselves from the paper will have evaporated. Looks like the Sun on Sunday is here to stay

x) Finally a woman's perspective ... a quick conversation with my female colleagues indicates that Fabulous is one of the best newspaper magazines around and well suited to a Sunday. They particularly like the two pages of shoes (sigh). They are also impressed with the depth of the main paper, with plenty going on for women after the centre spread. Best quote: "Nancy Dell'Olio on style ... do me a favour."

Alexandria Dunefield

The Alexandria Coastal Dunefield to the east of Port Elizabeth was formed over the past 6 500 years when the sea level returned to its present level after the last Ice Age.  The dunes can rise up to 140 metres, with the average dune height being 30 metres above sea level. The Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, of which the Colchester section of the dune field falls within the metro, is the largest coastal dunefield in the Southern Hemisphere one of the most impressive in the world. The dunefield has formed as a result of the interaction between the local wind climate, ready sand supply on the 40 km long beach, and the configuration of the bay shoreline. Only in desert areas, are bigger and more extensive dunes found.  It is currently on the Tentative list as a potential future UNESCO World Heritage Site.

How the Sunday tabloids line up

 

So after a week of frenzied anticipation ... this is what we will have at the popular end of the news-stands. The much awaited Sun on Sunday is definitely The Sun and not a resurrected News of the World. It is the same titlepiece, with the word Sunday downplayed, typography, design and tone. Tomorrow's paper splashes with an Amanda Holden interview. I had hoped for an earth-shattering newsy exclusive but showbiz is the frontline for the tabloids these days. Is it really a new story though? The 'I almost died' headlines were kicking around two weeks ago. I appreciate the whole interview will be fresh but that's more of a blurb than a splash. I did wonder whether this was a decoy, and the real splash would be unleashed after first edition, but the second edition is unchanged. Football and popular celebrity is the SoS's chosen route. It's a safe and well-trodden path - and it will sell. Maybe newsier, hard-edged investigations will emerge in the next few weeks, but it seems clear that this is to be a seven-day newspaper and not a radically different Sunday title.   

The Mirror has the same showbiz/football mix ... and I am told by those who know that the reconstructed Kerry Katona is as much of a draw as Amanda Holden these days. Good teasers. Harry is a bit of a coup and the Si Cowell question is a classic blurb. You have to buy the paper to find out the answer. The Mirror has reduced its cover price to 50p - but only in some regions which is a fascinating marketing strategy. In Newcastle you can get the real Sunday Sun, the regional newspaper for the North-East, and Sunday Mirror for a £1.30 deal.

The Daily Star Sunday, not a paper I would normally pick up, has made a good fist of squaring up to the new Sun. It's selling on the fact that it's 50p. Add a free pint for every reader, a mega football magazine, a girl in a bikini and what, on the face of it, is a fairly decent Royal exclusive and you have a popular mix. That said, the Mail ran a similar tale back in 2010. We're No 1 For All The News Of Your World is a cheeky little slogan. They have also signed up Guido Fawkes as a columnist ...

The Mail on Sunday has the first interview with MP Stuart Andrew telling of his alleged headbutting in the Commons by Eric Joyce. This was a cracking tale when it broke ... but I'm not sure about its legs. Still, it has a newsy element and those who fancy a break from blonde female celebrities sharing the coughs and splutters of their private lives may find it more appealing. If not, £5 off at Tesco is always a winner and my youngsters might go for the Frozen Planet poster.  

The Express has a non-showbiz exclusive but this one won't be around when we do the news review of the year. Maybe it's just me but I just don't feel very outraged at all. I am even less bothered that Beatrice and Eugene are getting Range Rovers. The big 30p blurb is a bit of a cheek. It means the Express is 30p cheaper than the Mail. I have long banged on about how 'Free Inside' isn't the best of blurbs. Free? Well we are hardly going to make you pay extra once you have bought the paper. Inside? Where else is it going to be? In our rival's publication? But then there is the free gardening knee mat ...

The People also pushes the price - 50p. It leads on Jimmy Greaves having a stroke, interesting to the likes of me but there can't be many under 30s who even know who he is. Across the top are the bikini pictures of Tulisa, from the same shoot as the Star's. Interesting that they should plug veteran columnist Carole Malone on Page 1. They obviously think she is a better draw that the Sun's Katie Price.  

Thanks to the skymedia-gallery and @hendopolis.

For those of you with nothing better to do with your Sunday, I will post my thoughts on the SoS when it arrives tomorrow.

Dockers Camo Alpha Khaki

Take the ruggedness of jeans, a khaki-like design, and a dash of camouflage, and you've got the Dockers Camo Alpha Khaki ($75). The Alpha is built with jean-like construction techniques like over-lock stitched seaming and heavier weight fabric, but maintains a polished khaki cut. And thanks to that fabric, they wear, wrinkle, and age like great denim, meaning they'll look even better a year from now than they do when you first put them on.

Catastrophe with the apostrophe

This one has been upsetting subs everywhere this week so thought it was worth recording for posterity. @AlexiMostrous, who first drew attention to it, says if you call your business Apostrophe then you probably shouldn't do this. Fair point.

Nine inspirational female journalists

If you are in need of inspiration and a reminder of why we are in this game,  this picture tribute to nine great female journalists in today's Irish Independent should do it.

Western Mail prepares for battle

Of all today's front pages, it is this stunning illustration from the Western Mail that catches the eye. As the Welsh line up against England at Twickenham today the paper captures the tone with a cover by illustrator Patrick Goddard. It's original and brilliantly executed ... probably irresistible on the news-stands and definitely a collector's item. Fantastic stuff. Goddard is an illustrator on the Judge Dredd comic strip. You can read more here. Hat tip to @Steffan_Rhys.

Andza's Tavern

Andza's Tavern in Motherwell is one of the more popular taverns in the city and are frequented by both locals as well as tourists.  During a recent media visit that I got to accompany we went to Andza's for a... wait for it, snoek braai.  Township folk (just like us white Afrikaners) love their meat and usually they have lamb, steak or chicken braaiing over the coals when you get there, so going to a tavern and being served fish was really something different.

Ferralla

Dijous als jutjats, mentre esperava que els meus clients, uns germans marroquins, declararen per haver furtat ferralla (!) d'un motor de la marjal d'El Palmar (!!) (els meus casos són així) departia amb un tercer germà, al qual porte un altre parell de casos igual o més interessants:

— ¿Qué significa esto? —va preguntar mentre assenyalava un cartell pegat amb cel·lo a la porta de l'ascensor.
— Pone “Ascensor averiado”. Significa que no funciona.

Em va mirar com si m'haguera cagat en Mahoma.

— Eso ya lo sé. Me refiero a lo que han puesto debajo.

Sembla que algun funcionari, fart d'apujar i d'abaixar per les escales ja que l'ascensor porta dues setmanes espatllat, havia escrit baix de la paraula “averiado”: “QUÉ ADMÓN DE JUSTICIA”.

— Eso significa “qué administración de Justicia” y lo han puesto porque no hay dinero para arreglar el ascensor.

El xic em va mirar incrèdul:

— ¿Cómo que no hay dinero para arreglar el ascensor?
— No, no lo hay.

El xic va mirar de nou el cartell i va somriure:

— ¡Estáis peor que en mi país!

Coastal City art exhibition

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum (previously the King George VI Art Gallery) currently has a very interesting exhibition going called Coastal City.  The majority of the pieces on display are historic and fairly old, but that is what I loved about it.  My favorite painting on display is one done by Thomas Baines in 1853 called "The British Settlers of 1820 Landing in Algoa Bay".

Mother and children

Yesterday's post I did about the Port Elizabeth Cenotaph wasn't the first featuring this great memorial.  A little while ago I received a comment on a previous post featuring the Cenotaph from Andy Gardner in Durban.  Andy's father was James Gardner who designed the memorial and also did the sculptures which are part of it.  On two sides of the memorial are sculptures, one representing a mother and child and the other St George, placed so for the purpose of symmetry.  The woman symbolises the warrior's wife protecting the home while St George represents those who have done their duty by crushing the evil threatening our homes.  The mother is seated and has gathered the child in her arms for protection, whilst on her face the expression is of the calm.

In his comment Andy said that that the woman was his Grandmother, Doris Gardner, while the boy is his father Frank (the artists himself) and the baby girl his Aunt Bubbles. There is no way I would have known something like that if it wasn't for this blog and the readers sending me this kind of information. 

Ridícules

Ridícula número 1: Paula Sánchez de León

L'ecs!consellera de Presidència i vicepresidenta de la Generalitat Valenciana caigué en desgràcia gairebé el mateix dia que Camps renunciava al seu càrrec i era substituït per Alberto (aka Amador Mohedano) Fabra per ordre de Madrid. Aleshores li van buscar un lloc on no haguera de tindre massa responsabilitats i res millor que la Delegació del Govern espanyol al País Valencià per provar a fer-la invisible.

Potser en aquell mes de desembre de 2011 semblava una bona idea, però no han passat ni dos mesos i Sánchez de León no només s'ha demostrat com una política incapaç de gestionar una primera manifestació d'estudiants de l'IES Lluís Vives capitalí sinó que amb les directrius donades ha aconseguit escampar el que ja es coneix com "primavera valenciana" per mitja Confederació Ibèrica de Nacions com a conseqüència dels abusos policials.

Hem passat en menys de 48 hores del centenar de joves que dilluns tallaven un carrer per protestar per les retallades en l'ensanyament públic a la gran manifestació de milers de valencians que ahir demanàvem que el cap (polític) de Sánchez de León rodara pel carrer Colom. I tot per obra i gràcia d'una dona que en qualsevol país civilitzat estaria planificant el seu exili.

Ridícula 2: Rosa Díez

La líder d'UPyD s'ha superat: presenta una moció per instar al Govern a il·legalitzar Bildu i Amaiur i la resta de partits pacten una esmena transaccional que buida de contingut el text original i als espanyolistes no els queda un altre remei que vetar la votació (!) i retirar la moció per evitar que s'aprovara el que ja havien pactat 324 diputats.

De pandereta.

Per sort, UPyD no deixa de donar-nos bones notícies i dimarts va presentar una proposició no de llei per, atenció, "instar al Govern a recuperar per llei (!) les denominacions en castellà de les províncies, ciutats, municipis i accidents geogràfics de les comunitats on no només es parla espanyol".

El millor de tot és que este destrellat el defensarà al Congrés el diputat més borderline d'UPyD: Carlos Martínez Gorriarán. 

Cenotaph and art gallery

One of the prominent memorials in Port Elizabeth is the Cenotaph standing in front of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Gallery.  The city's war memorial was unveiled by former mayoress Mrs WF Savage on 10 November 1929.  The memorial was the work of James Gardner of the Art School and was originally erected to the memory of the men from Port Elizabeth that fell during the Great War.  After the Second World War memorial panels were added to the walls behind the Cenotaph.

If you would like to read more about the memorial and what everything on it represents, pop into the St Georges Park History website.

MUSICA AMB AROMA: DISCO DANCER

Eating oysters

It is claimed that oysters act as an aphrodisiac and perhaps it does, but I'm not a big oyster fan so I can't claim that it has affected me in any... romantic way. I have observed some other mannerisms with people eating oysters though. I recently accompanied a group visiting Port Elizabeth for a couple of days and we went to Barnacles Restaurant in Seaview for a lunch. Two of the ladies ordered oysters as a starter and both ate the first oyster in the serving at the same time. Those of us on the other side of the table all burst out laughing as the two of them acted in exactly the same manner as the ate it. Oyster in one hand while the other hand's little finger stood up (ala fancy ladies drinking tea). As the oyster slipped into their mouths they both did what can only be described as a slight levitation followed by a very satisfying mmmmmm....... Makes one think that there could be something behind the whole aphrodisiac claim.

Joseph Abboud F/W 2012

The label's designer, Bernardo Rojo, looked to the classic 1930s style of the movie "The Sting" for inspiration for the  label's Fall/Winter 2012 collection.


Rojo's detail work showed, with elbow pads on jackets, large buckles on the belts of coats and large scarfs draped close to the neck. His runway show ended with a dozen models wearing different tuxedos, punctuating Rojo's message that formal is back.

"I think it's time to dress up, dressing down, we have had it for a long time," Rojo said. "But it has to be in a contemporary way. I don't want to make it old."


Rojo also showed an array of perfectly slim (but not skinny) suit trousers.

  

Joseph Abboud: The Outerwear

Even for the most swaggerous among us, Rojo showed a fur-lined coat. It was perfectly executed, with some swing to it, and pretty damn impressive for the newly-energized brand. 

 

Crush

Tot i que fa unes setmanes que porte escabussat a un rapporto que té totes les paperetes per acabar amb un fidanzato italiano del bracet, divendres passat no vaig poder evitar patir el que els americans han batejat com un crush (i que els nostres acadèmics qualificarien d'enamoriscament) que s'ha allargat durant tot el cap de setmana.

Òbric parèntesi. No m'agrada gens que la traducció de la graciosa expressió ianqui to have a crush siga “enamoriscar”, però encara menys el significat que El Diccionari ha donat al mot en qüestió (“mig enamorar”), perquè jo, quan m'enamore (encara que siga durant una estona i d'un desconegut), ho faig amb totes les conseqüències. Tanque parèntesi.

Reòbric parèntesi. Ja sé que en alguna ocasió he fet ús de la paraula fletxasso per fer referència a un enamoriscament anterior, però Pompeu Fabra se'm va aparéixer una nit i em va marmolar. Retanque parèntesi.

Tornem al tema: divendres tenia un judici llarguíssim que vam haver de suspendre durant quasi una hora perquè la videoconferència que el jutge havia acordat per contactar amb els serveis de criminalística de Madrid no funcionava. Mentre un tècnic provava a apanyar la transmissió, i sense traure'm la toga de damunt, em vaig apropar a un jove estudiant de Dret en pràctiques que estava entre el públic i amb el qual havia intercanviat mirades gens discretes ni dissimulades durant la part del judici que sí que havíem pogut realitzar. Ens vam separar del reduït grup i vam començar a xarrar.

Amb la seguretat que atorga una corbata estreta i roja i un parell de sabates cares li vaig preguntar què li semblava el que havia vist, quin pronòstic feia per a resolució del cas i un grapat de coses més sobre les quals no m'interessava gens el parer del jove. Vaig decidir donar-li una targeta i dir-li que em tenia a la seua disposició per si algun dia volia conéixer de primera mà com funcionava un despatx d'advocats però en eixe moment vam recuperar el senyal de la videoconferència i el jutge em va fer tornar al meu lloc.

Vaig reprendre el judici, amb un ull a la pantalla, on els agents dels laboratoris de la policia judicial explicaven els resultats d'una anàlisi d'ADN, i l'altre ull al jove que continuava entre el públic, fins que, passades les dos del migdia, el xic es posà dret, em mirà i alçà les celles d'una forma graciosíssima i marxà.

Redéu, he perdut tanta pràctica...

FELIÇ ANIVERSARI

Un pastís de nata, maduixes i xocolata. Encenem les espelmes, i la seva llum es reflecteix a la teva dolça mirada. Al costat una caixa petita, sembla un regal, treus els fardells i dins et trobes amb un paper doblegat, l’obres i els teus atents ulls, llegeixen:
“Pel camí dels somnis, el teu cor és una delicada caixa de cristall que s’ha de saber escoltar. En aquest dia especial, el dia del teu aniversari, els amics i les amigues es desitgem molta felicitat. Avui és un dia per a la felicitat, per a olorar la bellesa dels bons moments, per tocar una estrella, per fer voltar il•lusions, per tastar en els llavis petons de mel i caramel, i per escoltar amb alegria la melodia de sempre:

Township vegetable garden

It’s so easy for us to go to the local supermarket or fruit and vegetable shop to buy some fresh veg for dinner, but what do you do when you don't have money to just go and buy left and right? Vegetable gardens are a fairly common sight in the townships and some people put a lot of effort into theirs. This little vegetable garden stands behind a shack in Ramaphosa Village and at first glance you can see spinach, pumpkin (or butternut) and corn.

Un Camps indigest

Fa un parell de setmanes s'estengué el rumor que Camps podria ocupar l'ambaixada espanyola al Vaticà; la setmana passada tots els mitjans es feien ressò del paripé organitzat a la Universitat Miguel Hernández quan l'ecs!Molt ecs!Honorable acudí a llegir la seua tesi sobre un improbable nou sistema electoral; esta setmana El País publicava que Camps fa més de set mesos que no es deixa caure per Les Corts encara que siga per traure la pols a l'escó de diputat que manté; en la mateixa línia, el Levante titulava que la bossa de Sonia Castedo (no sabem si pagada o no per l'empresari Ortiz) havia substituït l'ecs!President al parlament valencià; i, finalment, durant este cap de setmana molts es preguntaven sobre l'absència de Camps al congrés-bukkake que el PP ha celebrat a Sevilla.

Òbric parèntesi. En relació a este últim punt, ha resultat molt penós escoltar Javier Arenas dir que ha estat en contacte amb Camps durant tot el procés que l'ha fet seure tants dies a la banqueta dels acusats, però que no parlaven “de política”. Tanque parèntesi.

Tot açò constata un fet que es veia vindre: la declaració de no-culpable que el jurat popular signà sobre les peces de roba del cas Gürtel no ha posat fi, ni molt menys, al “problema Camps”, sinó que l'ha enquistat al fetge del PPCV.

I així, d'una part, l'oposició interna al fabrisme (encapçalada per Barberà i Rus i seguida per les deixalles-morralla del campsisme, amb Trini Miró (!) com a estrella més brillant) s'ha fet forta i l'oposició parlamentària es nega a abandonar una peça que dóna molt de joc. En eixe sentit, convé recordar que esta última setmana Esquerra Unida volia plantejar a Les Corts una reprovació a l'ecs!President, la qual, però, no s'arribà a votar en abandonar tots els partits de l'oposició la cambra autonòmica arran l'expulsió d'Oltra per part de Cotino.

No és d'estranyar, per tant, que alguns es pregunten si una condemna a l'ecs!president i a Ric Costa no haguera vingut millor al Partit Popular, perquè la veritat és que l'absolució de Camps està fent més mal que un porc solt.

I ara només hem d'esperar que es digne a posar un peu a Les Corts perquè continue l'espectacle.

The best designed newspapers in the world

The annual awards for the world's best designed newspapers have just finished. The top prizes in the Society of News Design's 33rd annual competition went to the Excelsior (Mexico), the National Post and The Grid (both Canada), Politiken (Denmark) and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (Germany). There are some innovative pages as always so it's certainly worth a look around the SND site.

Meanwhile, here are a few of my thoughts and observations:

i) The winners are all expansive, graphic, fond of white space, not obsessed with story count ... and there isn't a single advert in sight (honestly, not one).

ii) All are worth a look but the National Post from Toronto (above) really catches the eye - bold and original work here.   

iii) There were 10,131 entries from 39 countries.

iv) The US had the most category winners with 338.

v) It's the fifth year in a row that UK newspapers have failed to really impress. We had eight category winners out of 717, which made us 12th in the countries' league table, but none made it to the last 24 in the top category. The Independent on Sunday was awarded two Awards of Excellence in the breaking news category for its pages on the Japanese Earthquake and the Norwegian massacre, the FT won a clutch of awards for its magazine pages and the Sunday Herald in Glasgow also picked up an Award of Excellence.

vi) The last UK newspaper to be named as one of the world's best was The Guardian in 2007. Previous UK newspapers named in the category include The Guardian (2005, 2007), Independent on Sunday (2001, 2002, 2003), the Glasgow Herald (2003), The European (1997), The Scotsman (1994, 1996, 1997) and The Daily Telegraph (1994, 1995).

vii) Arab newspaper design has made great strides this year with Oman (49) and UAE (35) coming in as the third and fourth countries behind America and Canada. I worked with some young journalist at the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan last year and the increasing importance they put on design is evident. Mario Garcia takes a particular look at the pages from the Times of Oman here and there is a neat slide show here.

 

viii) Garcia also highlights the excellent infographics of Simon Scarr of the South China Morning Post which received nine awards.

xi) Finally, I was surprised, when looking through the SND site to find an American judge leading the discussion on the Washington Post's business page which won a Gold Medal in the business page design category. Here is the video.

What had me perplexed was the fact is he is wearing a Newcastle United shirt from the 2006-2007 season. A bit of digging and I found out he is Steve Cavendish @scavendish, editor of the City Paper in Nashville and a committed Newcastle United fanatic. We made contact on Twitter and he says he was captivated by "the Entertainers" in the Keegan years and has been a fan ever since. Steve joins an illustrious band of Toon Army hacks including myself, David Bourn, Paul Robertson, Chris Rushton, Tim Williams, Richard Bowyer, Laurie Allsopp, Neil Hacking, Ged Clarke, Mark Duell ... but so far he is the only international one I have heard of. If you know of any others, please let me know.

Footnote: Astonishingly, since I originally wrote this, South China Morning Post graphic artist Simon Scarr has been in touch (see comment below) to say he too is a Newcastle supporter. Any more?

Informal shack

Although the government has built a couple of million new houses over the last 18 years since democracy, there are still many people in the townships living in informal settlements in shacks made of corrugated iron and wood.  These shacks stand in Ramaphosa Village, an informal settlement close to New Brighton.

A New Way to Keep Shirts Fresh While Traveling

Keeping dress shirts looking crisp while traveling is hard. The Shirt Shuttle (about $50) makes it easy. This simple travel helper features a curved-edge folding board to ensure that your shirt remains uncreased, and a lightweight, water-resistant case that's specially formed to keep your collar looking great, and includes inner pads to help minimize creases and an integrated hanging hook. Keeping the rest of your wardrobe looking nice is up to you.

Township view

One of the best spots to have a bird's eye view of Port Elizabeth's townships are the view point at the top of the suburb of Kwamagxaki.  Kwamagxaki first developed as a middle class black suburb and most of the people who lived there during the apartheid years were civil servants like nurses, policemen and municipal employees.  The lookout spot was used by the apartheid police to keep an eye over the townships to identify areas of unrest.

Bull elephant

One of Addo Elephant National Park's bulls eying the guy behind the camera aiming at him

Quatre dits

— A eixa dona li falta un dit de la mà!
— No, iaia; tots en tenen quatre.

La iaia obri la mà i compta en silenci.

— Totes les persones tenen quatre dits?
— No, les persones tenim cinc dits; els que en tenen quatre són els ninots dels Simpsons.

La iaia torna la mirada a la tele i renega:

— Ja no saben què inventar... 

Doll room

The No 7 Castle Hill historical museum has a fantastic collection of old dolls and toys dating back to the Victorian era and which are on display in two of the museum's rooms.  Just off the courtyard is the doll display while the rest of the toys can be seen upstairs in the play room.

Qüestió d'etiqueta

Anem a començar per enunciar una obvietat: no es pot fer oposició només amb camisetes amb eslògans més o menys ocurrents, ja que per plantejar una oposició seriosa a qualsevol govern cal començar per denunciar allò que és denunciable, especialment quan fa referència a temes de corrupció i al balafiament de diners públics, realitzar propostes serioses, servir de corretja de transmissió entre el carrer i les institucions, demostrar que existeix alternativa al fum que ens venen i, en definitiva, oferir-se a la societat com una veritable opció de govern.

I des del meu punt de vista és això, tot això, el que fa Compromís.

Al ple de les Corts Valencianes d'ahir el president Cotino va considerar que podia expulsar la diputada Mònica Oltra perquè portava una samarreta que no respectava allò que segons ell exigeix la cambra autonòmica i, segurament, posar-se samarretes polloses no és fer alta política, però quan la reprovació ve de part de qui, quan era diputat, insultà esta mateixa diputada dient-li que “possiblement no coneix son pare” o es permet el luxe de fer del parlament valencià una capella/caverna particular portant un crucifix el dia de la seua constitució, cal replantejar-se qui respecta les institucions i qui no ho fa. 

I sí, repetisc, una samarreta amb el lema “No nos falta dinero, nos sobran chorizos” no és probablement la peça de roba més elegant amb la qual Mònica Oltra podria defensar, com féu ahir, la ILP de Compromís d'escolarització de 0 a 3 anys, però, clar, quan resulta que a Les Corts es qüestiona la llibertat d'una diputada per portar una samarreta Fruit of the Loom de quatre euros i en canvi són benvinguts els Louis Vuitton de Rita Barberà, els rellotges de Milagrosa Martínez (altrament coneguda com 'la hija puta de la perla') o les caçadores de Carolina Herrera de Sonia Castedo, tots ells pagats per les trames Gürtel i Brugal, la qüestió és que cal replantejar-se moltes més coses sobre les nostres institucions.

Començant, això sí, pel dress code de les Corts Valencianes.