Harry Reid

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Administrator

It is a day of Cornish Haar once again and there could be a bit of rain about. I´ll check the forecast in due course. I am overjoyed right now as I have just received official confirmation that my eldest son, Richard, has accepted me as a friend on Facebook. This i9s the equivalent to getting a letter from Tom Champagne telling you that you have won the Reader´s Digest Prize Draw. My goodness how I relished those missives. With money in mi9nd, BBC North were looking this morning at the billions of pounds their major football clubs owe. The chairman of Wigan was explaining that it´s due to the mismanagement of foreign investors. Who´s to say it´s not part of a wider plot to undermine the UK economy via football. Stranger things have happened. I think the time has come to ban foreign takeovers of national institutions like the football clubs. The debt could also be managed better by not paying lottery winnings every week to men doing what others would do for a fraction of the cost. Incidentally, Rio erdinand as replacement England captain? Wasn´t this the guy who missed his drugs test? Who is Capello kidding? This is just compounding the problem!

Please be aware that, chuffed as I might be to see England beat Wales in the Six Nations, I am not gloating. I felt their game was littered with schoolboy errors and left lots of room for improvement. However, Sheenagh has sprung to the defence of her beloved homeland with this fond memory…

This is one that all Welsh folk appreciate. We do have our own language, difficult to pronounce as it is- but it is SO rare for English tourists to show any interest in

any language other than their own, hence the response; LOVE IT.

On a beautiful summer’s day, two English tourists were driving through Wales ..

at the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch, which has about 500 letters in its name, they stopped for lunch and one of the tourists asked the waitress,

“Before we order, I wonder if you could settle an argument for us, would you pronounce where we are, very, very, very slowly?”

The girl looked at the women very confused, leaned over and said, “Burrr…. Gurrr…. King…”

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Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
16° C \| 6° C	17° C \| 2° C	15° C \| 2° C	13° C \| 1° C	10° C \| 4° C

This EFT thing is getting weirder by the minute. I have seriously not given EFT a second thought until by chance on Saturday and now I am reading about a world event. This is spooky! Talk about all roads leading to Rome….I might as well be standing in the middle of the Colosseum!

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The New York nanny-staters are at it again — and this time, your taste buds are coming under assault.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has declared war on sodium…but he may as well declare war on skyscrapers, money and the New York Yankees, because none of those things are as essential to his citizens as plain old salt.

And yet he wants the government to dictate how much of it you should eat.

Luckily, Mayor Nanny Warbucks is already getting some resistance — especially from his city’s chefs (the ones who really cook, not the minimum-wage workers who flip frozen slime patties).

Their message is clear: Keep your hands out of my spice rack. But salt isn’t just a tasty addition to your meal — it’s a scientific fact that a low-sodium diet can actually RAISE blood pressure in some people.

The so-called experts can’t even tell you WHY blood pressure rises in the first place…so you shouldn’t trust them to tell you how to lower it, either.

If you’re generally healthy and stick to a low-carb, high- protein diet, you have no reason to lose the saltshaker. Shake it ’til your wrist gets sore and you’ll be just fine.

Just stick with pure sea salt — untreated and unadulterated, it’s actually gray. I don’t care what fancy- schmancy name is on the label — if it’s snowy white, it’s been treated. Toss it out and get the right stuff.

And if you eat a steady diet of processed foods and other crapola, you’ve got much bigger problems than sodium…and nothing the nanny state does will save you.

By the way, I hear Mayor Bloomberg is known for always keeping his own saltshaker nearby — he’s been seen adding salt to just about everything he eats, including pizza. He even adds salt to his saltine crackers.

Typical nanny-stater: Do as I say…

Always worth my salt,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

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Leapy Lee sent me the following……

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California , was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid’s great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:

On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: ‘Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.’

So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle. Believe it or not, Harry Reid’s staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

“Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.”

NOW THAT’s how it’s done, Folks! That’s real POLITICAL SPIN

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Shhhh!

On a visit to the library I happened to notice a man and a woman, both deaf, signing with intense gestures, apparently in a heated debate. The man said something; and the woman seemed upset. She started signing her reply very fast, to the point where the man couldn’t understand a word; she also signed in big, wide gestures, which is the equivalent of volume.

Finally, looking strained, her companion took her hands, “silencing” her. Then he signed, very small and slowly: “You don’t have to shout, I’m not blind.”

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New Policeman

A salesman, tired of his job, gave it up to become a policeman. Several months later, a friend asked him how he liked his new role. “Well,” he replied, “the pay is good and the hours aren’t bad, but what I like best is that the customer is always wrong.”

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Word of the Day

el juicio hwee’-syoh (noun)

judgement, discernment; sense, opinion; trial, lawsuit

EXAMPLES

A mi juicio, nuestra decisión fue equivocada. – In my opinion, our decision was wrong.

El acusado no dijo nada para defenderse durante el juicio. – The defendant didn’t say anything in his defense at the trial.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for el juicio.

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February 8th: On this Day

1958, The Quarry Men appeared at the Wilson Hall in Garston. After the show Paul McCartney introduced George Harrison to John Lennon1964, On their first full day in New York, The Beatles (minus George who had a sore throat), went for a photo-opportunity walk around Central Park.1964, John Leyton, Mike Berry, The Innocents, Jet Harris, Don Spencer, The Leroys and The Rolling Stones appeared at the Regal, Edmonton, on the first night of a UK tour.1965 – The Supremes’ “Stop in the Name Of Love” was released.

1967 – Peter & Gordon split up. 1973, Max Yasgur died of a heart attack aged 53. He was the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York at which the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held

1969 – George Harrison’s tonsils were removed at London’s University College Hospital. The tonsils were destroyed so they could not be sold.

1975, Engelbert Humperdinck started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with his ‘Greatest Hits Collection.’

1975 – Queen’s single “Killer Queen” was released. It was their first hit single.1975 – Queen’s single “Killer Queen” was released. It was their first hit single. 1975, The Ohio Players went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Fire’.

1980, the divorce became final between David and Angie Bowie.

1983, winners at the second annual Brit Awards held in London included Paul McCartney who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Kim Wilde won Best British Female Solo Artist, Dire Straits won British Group, British Breakthrough Act went to Yazoo, International Act was Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Best Selling Single Dexy’s Midnight Runners “Come On Eileen” and the Life Achievement Award went to Pete Townshend.

1986, Billy Ocean started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going’

1990, Suffering from depression American singer songwriter Del Shannon died of self inflicted gunshot wounds.

1992, UK act Right Said Fred at US No.1 with ‘I’m Too Sexy’, a No.2 hit in the UK.

1994, Oasis were forced to cancel their first foreign tour after they were deported from Holland. The band were involved in a drunken brawl on a cross-channel ferry

1998, winners at this years Brit Awards included British Breakthrough Act was Stereophonics, Best Selling British Album Act was The Spice Girls, International Male, Jon Bon Jovi, International Female, Bjork, International Group, U2 and Outstanding Contribution went to Fleetwood Mac.

2002, Bob Wooler died aged 76. He was the resident DJ and booker at The Cavern Club in Liverpool during the early 1960′s. He was also a personal friend.

2005, Keith Knudson drummer with The Doobie Brothers died of pneumonia aged 56.

2005, Pete Doherty was released from jail on bail after four nights when his manager paid the remaining £100,000 bail to Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, London. The ex-Libertines star had been charged with robbery and blackmail after a fracas at a London hotel.

2005, Kylie Minogue was voted the world’s sexiest woman in her 30’s by UK magazine Good Housekeeping. Sade was No.4 in the over 40’s, Madonna No.7 and Jerry Hall No.8.

February 8th: Birthdays

Lana Turner 1921

Jack Lemmon 1925

James Dean 1931

Brian Bennett (The Shadows) 1940

Latest Podcast

EFT

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Administrator

I´m just back from sunny Benidorm where I enjoyed presenting my show. Neil Colbourne joined me in the studio and Iris and Rob Daniells joined me on the telephone.

Yesterday, I just happened to be re-reading some notes on EFT then I revisited the techniques to see whether I still believe in the processes and techniques. I was surprised at how much I remembered and how good the outcomes were. Imagine my surprise when the following arrived inn my mailbox……

Perhaps the most effective technique that I’ve ever experienced when it comes to results is called EFT or Meridian Tapping. It’s a combination of ancient Chinese Acupressure and Modern Psychology that is providing hundreds of thousands of people around the world startling results, in all aspects of their lives. http://www.selfgrowth.com/products/tryitoneverything4.html

Tapping has been shown to provide relief from chronic pain, emotional problems, disorders, addictions, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical diseases along with clearing limiting beliefs and blocks to abundance and success.

It works so well on so many things, so quickly, that it falls in the, “Could this be too good to be true” category. It’s not! It’s real and the best part is you can experience it yourself, in just a matter of minutes.

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Iris´s Challenge

(1) They are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock. And were first formed in 1985

(2) In 1986 Bono from the band U2, saw the band performing on television and offered his support. They released their first single, “Love Don’t Work This Way”, on U2′s Mother Records label, which quickly led to a deal with the PolyGram subsidiary London Records.

(3) Their first album People was released in early 1988 and was the most successful debut album in Irish history. It reached the number one slot in Ireland within a week and eventually reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart

(4) In 1992 they joined Def Leppard—the combined group going by the name The Acoustic Hippies From Hell—to record three songs (“From the Inside”, a cover of the Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, and a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” that were included as B-sides on Def Leppard’s single “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”, from their album Adrenalize.

(5) In the early 1990s, the band had a cameo appearance in Ian McShane’s ‘Lovejoy’ series, but their success has been mostly confined to Ireland and Australia . Down Under they even had the rock honour of supporting Dire Straits in concert.

(6) Their single’ Don’t Go’ was number 11 in the UK charts the response securing a number 2 position for their debut album ‘People’.

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A total of 15 of the secondary roads remain closed to traffic because of rain, snow and landslides, according to the General Traffic Directorate (DGT).

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the province most affected due to these landslides, with three roadblocks: TF-136 TF-21 and TF-436, linking the city with the towns of Afure, Canadas del Teide and Masco respectively. In Lugo, the road LU-P-6502 is blocked for the same reason at kilometre 45 in both directions.

Meanwhile, rain has forced the closure of three secondary road networks in the Cadiz province linking Jerez de la Frontera and Jimena de la Frontera. Other closures are in place in the provinces of Ciudad Real, Granada and Las Palmas.

As for the mountain areas, a total of four ports are closed: Lunada, Estacas de Trueba and Fuente del Chivo in Cantabria, as well as Puerto Lunada in Burgos. It is obligatory to use strings in other ports of the regions of Asturias, León and Cantabria.

The Cantabrian coast and the Galician coast are both on on orange alert

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Word of the Day

El mantel mahn’-tel (noun)

tablecloth; altar cloth; placemat

EXAMPLES

Mi madre me compró un mantel bordado en punto de cruz para mi cumpleaños. – My mother bought me a tablecloth embroidered with cross-stitch for my birthday.

Usualmente usamos manteles individuales en vez de un mantel grande. – We usually use placemats instead of a tablecloth.

IDIOMS

Levantar los manteles. – To clear the table.

Poner los manteles. – To lay the table.

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Grim Reaper ends cancer drug study

If you think approved drugs are bad, you should see the junk that never makes it to the pharmacy.

In the latest outrage, Pfizer was forced to cut short a clinical trial on a lung cancer drug called figitumumab. Officially, it’s because they decided the med wouldn’t improve survival among lung cancer patients.

Unofficially, it’s because the test patients were dropping like flies.

Seems like a good reason to ditch this experimental drug and start from square one. But not Pfizer! Despite the disastrous results of the lung cancer trial, Pfizer is continuing to test this drug on patients with breast and prostate cancer.

I wonder if their blatant disregard for the lives of their test subjects has anything to do with this little tidbit I read in The Wall Street Journal: Analysts estimate that if the drug is approved, it could bring in $1 billion in sales by 2015.

Pfizer has one billion reasons to press on with their dangerous experiments — so who cares if a handful of people die in the process?

I can’t help but wonder why people are willing to be Big Pharma’s guinea pigs in the first place. I imagine it’s because they think they’ve run out of options — especially if they’ve been diagnosed with cancer. But if that’s the case, then they’ve bought into the lie.

No matter what mainstream medicine tells you, there are real alternatives out there that don’t involve subjecting yourself to chemotherapy or experimental drugs.

If you’re worried about cancer, do yourself a favor and take a look at my special report, “Deadly Cancer Myths – and the Truth That Will Save Your Life.”

You’ll be stunned at what the mainstream is keeping from you.

Busting mainstream myths,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

February 7th: Music on this day

1959, the funeral of Buddy Holly took place at The Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock.
1964, Pan Am flight 101 was greeted by over 5,000 Beatles fans as it arrived at New York’s JFK airport, bringing The Beatles to the US for the first time.
1967, Mike Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees appeared on UK TV’s ‘Top Of The Pops.’
1969, John and Yoko were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine
1969, Doors singer Jim Morrison was arrested for drunk driving and driving with no license in Los Angeles, California.
1970, Led Zeppelin scored their first UK No.1 album with ‘Led Zeppelin II’. It featured the US single ‘Whole Lotta Love’
1970, One hit wonders Shocking Blue at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Venus’, making them the first Dutch act to top the US charts. It made No.8 in the UK
1976, Bob Dylan started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Desire’.
1976, Paul Simon started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’, the singers first solo US No.1.
1979, Stephen Stills became the first rock performer to record on digital equipment in Los Angeles’ Record Plant Studio.
1981, Kool & The Gang started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Celebration’ the group’s first No.1 – No.7 hit in the UK.
1981, John Lennon was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Woman’, an ode to his wife Yoko Ono.
1985, Matt Monro died from liver cancer at the Cromwell Hospital, Ealing, London.
1987, George Michael and Aretha Franklin were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I Knew You Were Waiting ‘.
1987, Madonna – No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Open Your Heart’,- UK No.4.
1998, Scandinavian dance-pop act Aqua scored their second UK No.1 single with ‘Doctor Jones.’
1999, Blondie UK No.1 ‘Maria’, At the age of 54, lead singer Debbie Harry became the oldest female to make No.1.
2001, U2 played a secret show at London’s Astoria. Stars attending the show included actor John Hurt, Queen’s Roger Taylor, Mick Jagger, Bob Geldof, Chris Evans and members of Toploader.
2003, British singer Malcolm Roberts died at the age of 58, after suffering a heart attack.
2004, Queen’s single ‘We Will Rock You’ topped a poll of music fans to find the greatest rock anthem of all time. The 1977 song beat the band’s classic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ into second place in a survey of 1,000 people carried out for the UCI cinema chain.
2005, Michael Jackson’s Thriller was named the top pop video in a poll of Channel 4 viewers in the UK.
2008, Amy Winehouse was told she could not perform at this year’s Grammy awards ceremony because her US visa application has been rejected by the embassy in London. The singer was arrested for marijuana possession in Norway the previous year.

February 7th: Born on this day
1934, Earl King, New Orleans Blues guitarist. He wrote Let The Good Times Roll
1934, US sax player King Curtis. Stabbed to death by a vagrant on the front steps of his New York home on 13th August 1971.
1949, Alan Lancaster, bass, Status Quo,
1962, Garth Brooks, country singer
Iris´s Challenge Hothouse Flowers

Is Chocolate Bad for Me?

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Administrator

The weather is brilliant in Benidorm and I am just back from my show at Cool FM. I am now ready to enjoy the Merseyside Derby but it will be a tight game. Can Rafa do it?

I would hate to be a politician at the moment. Spain is in a mess and it´s easy to blame the present government. The world is in a mess and it´s a global problem. Here´s how the papers in Spain see it……..

Spanish unions said on Thursday they plan protests and the opposition may hold a vote of no confidence as criticism mounted of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero´s efforts to overhaul state finances.

Doubts about Spain´s deficit pushed Spanish bond prices down and sent stocks .IBEX tumbling nearly 6 percent on a day when Economy Minister Elena Salgado stressed that the country was not a risk to the future of the euro and some of the allies Zapatero needs to enact austerity plans turned away from him.

Debt markets worry that the government will struggle to cut spending at a time when unemployment is nearing 20 percent. Source

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Iris´s Challenge

(1) Are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 and rose to international fame in the 1990s with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?,

(2) Although widely associated with alternative rock, the band’s sound also incorporates indie, indie pop, rock, post-punk, Irish folk and pop rock elements.

(3) The group was one of the most successful rock acts of the ’90s and sold over 14.5 million albums in the United States alone. The band has achieved four top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart

(4) They had a number one hit “Zombie” and the number 11 “Ode to My Family” on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 1995, they continued to tour, and they released two more singles “ICan’t Be with You” and “Ridiculous Thoughts”. The album went 5 times platinum in Canada , platinum in Switzerland , and seven times platinum in the United States .

(5) Their second single, “Linger” was released first in February, 1993 peaking at number 74, the single was later re-issued in February, 1994 peaking at number 14.

(6) In 2004 the band decided to take a break to pursue other projects, but in 2009 they reunited. The band is currently on a North American tour, followed by dates in Latin America and Europe in early 2010.

answer at the foot of the blog

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Here´s a link to how hypnosis can help with weight control. I am n0t involved with these people but it might get near a solution for anyone with a weight problem. Why not keep an open mind and digest the information? Incidentally, if you are open-minded and prepared to have a go at helping yourself then this might be worth a visit. It´s a link to a site run by a gentleman called Gary Craig. Personally, I applaud what he does. I have tried the techniques and I believe he promotes something special. As he does offer a FREE course and introduction to EFT then what has anyone to lose by not visiting his site.
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Word of the Day
la encrucijada ehn-kroo-see-hah’-dah (noun)

crossroads
EXAMPLES

Estoy en una encrucijada en mi vida. – I am at a crossroads in my life.

Vive en la encrucijada de Virginia y Highland. – He lives at the crossroads of Virginia and Highland.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for la encrucijada.
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Parents´ organizations in Spain are fiercely protesting the curriculum of the Socialist government’s required education course, “Education for the Citizenry,” after it was revealed that in one Spanish city, students are being taught that sex can be freely practiced, even with animals.

According to the organization “Professionals for Ethics,” third grade students in Cordoba, located in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, are using course material stating that “nature has given us sex so we can use it with another girl, with a boy or with an animal.” Parents groups say the material indoctrinates children and camouflages an agenda that is pro-homosexual and critical of moral norms and values.

In the region of Castille and Leon, some 500 students have been excused from participating in the course for reasons of conscience, while hundreds in Madrid and Valencia are awaiting a ruling from the courts on whether or not they are required to attend. Source

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My friend Sheenagh has sent me the following interview she had with her doctor………

Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it…don’t waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiency. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So steak is nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give you 100% of recommended daily allowance of vegetable product.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made of grain. Bottom up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can’t think of single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain…good!

Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food are fried these day in vegetable oil. In fact, they permeated by it. How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me..

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ‘Round’ a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways – Chardonnay in one hand – chocolate in the other – body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “BOO-HOO, what a ride!!”

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Today in Music
1958, George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group was were named after Lennon’s school. Theline-up was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.
1965, The Righteous Brothers were US No.1 with the Phil Spector produced ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.
1965, The Rolling Stones second album started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK charts.
1981, Composer Hugo Montenegro died in California. 1968 UK No.1 US No.2 single ‘The Good The Bad And The Ugly’ . Worked for RCA records, producing a series of albums and soundtracks and television themes, including two volumes of Music From The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
1982, Kraftwerk No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Model / Computer Love’, the first German act to score a UK No.1 single.
1982, The J Geils Band No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Centrefold’, the bands only US No.1. A No.3 hit in the UK.
1988, Tiffany started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Could’ve Been’, a No.4 hit in the UK.
1990, Billy Idol suffered serious injuries when he failed to pull up at a stop sign and crashed from his Harley-Davidson motorbike into a car.
1990, Chuck Berry was in trouble when over 200 women filed court actions against him.It was alleged that he had been secretly filming them in the toilets of the restaurant he owned.
1998, American singer and guitarist Carl Wilson from The Beach Boys died aged 51 after a long battle with lung cancer. He sang lead vocal on ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Good Vibrations,’ and ‘I Can Hear Music.’
1998, Austrian singer Falco (Johann Holzel) was killed in a road accident after his car collided with a bus. He scored the 1986 UK & US No.1 single ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ He was the first-ever Austrian act to score a UK and US No.1 hit single.
2001, Guitarist Don Felder was fired from The Eagles.
2005, Eminem was No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Like Toy Soldiers’
2007, An exhibition of Kylie Minogue’s stage costumes, awards and accessories was launched in central London. The display at the Victoria and Albert Museum showed her changing image from 1987 onwards, from the dungarees she wore as Charlene in the Australian soap Neighbours and the gold hot pants she wore in her Spinning Around video.

February 6th: Birthdays
1941, Dave Berry, singer, (1964 UK No.5 single ‘The Crying Game’).
1945, Bob Marley, singer/songwriter and guitarist In 1990, February 6th was proclaimed a national holiday in Jamaica to commemorate his birth.
1946, Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle.
1947, Alan Jones, sax, Amen Corner
1950, Mike Batt, songwriter, The Wombles,
1950, Natalie Cole, US singer
1962, Axl Rose, vocals, Guns N’ Roses
1966, Rick Astley

Iris´s Challenge The Cranberries

Latest Podcast

Showtime

Having a Laugh!

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Administrator

It´s nice again and I have just been visiting our superb sports centre in La Nucia. It is equal to anything I have seen in the UK and I was involved in training personnel to work in UK Leisure Centres. If you live in the town and you are signed onto the Padron (Electoral Register) the prices are better and they are reasonable for all visitors.

For many years in the UK some ideas that I caught onto quickly and practised in my life were not in fashion. An obvious starting point would be the art of relaxation. These days more people do practise relaxing and the Spanish siesta is probably a good example of taking a break from your work. Even now the siesta is under attack as experts strive for ways to get people to work harder and get out of this recession. Spain does lag behind but the working hours are so different from the UK. Once 2 o´clock arrives the roads become emptier and there are less people about. Once you get to four thirty and head towards five the traffic builds and the roads get busier. However, it would seem the habit of the siesta will be hard to kill off especially in the heat of the summer.

Laughter is another way of switching away from work. Even at work it is very healthy to have a good laugh every now and again to rid the body 0f the tensions building up in the working period. Every now and again life does drag us away from what we really would like to be and it´s good to share a really good belly laugh with someone. I have said in the past and I will always maintain that a trip to Ken Dodd´s laughter show or a visit to see your favourite comic is always going to do you more good than the pills prescribed by your doctor. I say Doddy but you choose who makes you laugh most. There are also very seriously put together websites which prove my point. Here is one such link.

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Here´s the Alicante weather………

Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday
18° C \| 5° C	19° C \| 5° C	20° C \| 6° C	20° C \| 5° C	19° C \| 6° C
Partly Cloudy	Clear	Scattered Clouds	Chance of Rain 30% chance of precipitation	Clear

Here´s an article I found interesting……………………………………….

I’m not what you’d call a big country/western fan, but I was concerned when I heard Charlie Daniels had suffered a stroke last month. I mean, who on earth plays a fiddle with the grit and passion of Charlie Daniels? Nobody.

Charlie is living proof that old doesn’t have to be elderly. He’s 73, still records, still tours internationally, and still rides his snowmobile (he was snowmobiling in Colorado when he had his stroke). And he’s still got big plans to go fishing in Alaska, revisit Israel, and maybe even try skydiving.

Commenting on his stroke, he told the Canadian Press (CP) he never thought, “This is it.” And added, “I just look for everything to turn out good.”

Fortunately, the effects of his stroke were fairly mild, so with his positive attitude, an active life, and lots of plans, Charlie will probably pull through just fine.

But Charlie also told the CP that he’s not worried about another stroke: “It’s not imminent by any stretch of the imagination.”

On this point Charlie may be right. But maybe not. He and his friends and family need to be on high alert for signs of a follow-up stroke, which, by any stretch of the imagination, is a real possibility.

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No fiddling around
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Of all stroke risk factors, none rank higher than having already had a stroke.

Recently, Harvard Medical School researchers followed more than 800 ischemic stroke patients for 90 days. Each patient was given a brain scan and answered detailed questions about their health status.

Within three months, 60 patients suffered a second stroke. Risk of a second stroke was about 2.5 percent in the first two weeks, and about six percent over the full three months.

Using the collected data, the Harvard team developed a tool they call Recurrence Risk Estimator at 90 Days. An RRE-90 score is assessed by answering a few questions about the patient, including details about his first stroke.

A beta version of the RRE-90 is available online at “nmr.mgh.Harvard.edu/RRE/”. But stroke patients and their doctors are cautioned that further research is necessary to test the accuracy of the estimator.

Meanwhile, the primary message here is that no stroke patient should feel complacent about risk of a second stroke. A positive outlook like Charlie’s is always healthy, but it’s just good sense to keep a cautious watchfulness when red flags are flying.

Along those lines, here’s what Charlie himself wrote in a blog on his website (charliedaniels.com): “First of all, if you begin to feel a stiffness in your limbs or face or if one or more of your limbs start to become difficult to control immediately chew up a couple of aspirin and head for the nearest hospital or clinic.

“Don’t procrastinate or try to tell yourself it’s going to go away. You only have three hours from the time you feel a stroke coming on to get a shot of tPA into your system to break up the blood clots that are causing the stoke. So don’t play with your life, get help.”

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a drug that quickly clears blood clots. Sometimes you’ve just got to go with the drug.
Source-(www.hsibaltimore.com),

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A warning next for anyone planning an Easter break……………………………………

Spanish air traffic controllers may disrupt travel over the Easter holiday following a breakdown in talks about plans to slash their 334,000-euro ($468,000) average annual salary by about 40 percent.

Controllers will stage a work to rule in April, forcing flights to be delayed or cancelled, if a deal is not reached with employer Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegacion Aerea SA by the end of March, their union said in a statement today. Full Story

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As I mentioned last month Ryanair are now charging £5 for the use of credit and debit cards when booking flights. This means that for a family of four people there will be a charge of £40 for a return trip even if the booking is made on the same card in a single transaction. The only way around this is to use certain pre-paid Mastercards. Hundreds of our subscribers signed up for one last month using the link below. This card charges 1.5% per spending transaction and doesn’t charge for adding to your balance by phone or by debit card.

spain@spanish-fiestas.com
http://www.spanish-fiestas.com

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Word of the Day

dulcificar dool-see-fee-car’ (transitive verb)

to sweeten, to soften, to dulcify, to mellow, to make more pleasant

EXAMPLES

Se puede dulcificar el queso crema en la microonda. – You can soften the cream cheese in the microwave.

Un vino bueno dulcifica con edad. – A good wine mellows with age.
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for dulcificar.

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Exercises for those getting on a bit
Beat around the bush
Blow your own trumpet
Jump to conclusions
Give yourself a pat on the back
Swallow your pride
Pass the buck

This is just for starters

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February 5th: Music

1957, 5,000 fans greeted Bill Haley when he arrived from New York on the liner Queen Elizabeth at Southampton, for his debut UK concert tour.
1962, The Beatles played two shows, one at the Cavern Club at lunchtime and in the evening at the Kingsway Club in Southport. This was the first time Ringo Starr appeared live with the group after drummer Pete Best became ill.
1966, Petula Clark had her second US No.1 with ‘My Love’,
1967, The News Of The World reported that Mick Jagger had taken LSD at the Moody Blues’ home in the UK. Jagger sued the paper
1969, The Move were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Blackberry Way’.
1972, T Rex were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Telegram Sam’
1976, American saxophonist Rudy Pompilli died of lung cancer aged 52. It is believed he contracted the disease through second hand smoke.
1977, Mary MacGregor started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Torn Between Two Lovers’, UK No4.
1983, Toto US No1 with ‘Africa’; UK No.3 hit.
2000, American singer Doris Coley from The Shirelles died of breast cancer aged 58.

American vocal group popular in the late 1950s and early ’60s, one of the first and most successful so-called “girl groups.” The original members were Addie (“Micki”) Harris (b. January 22, 1940, Passaic, New Jersey, U.S.—d. June 10, 1982, Los Angeles, California), Doris Coley (b. August 2, 1941, Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.—d. February 4, 2000, Sacramento, California), Shirley Owens Alston (b. June 10, 1941, Passaic), and Beverly Lee (b. August 3, 1941, Passaic).

The quartet began singing together at high school functions in Passaic, and Florence Greenberg, the mother of one of their classmates, signed them to her own small Tiara label and later … (100 of 927 words)

2001, Juliet Peters appeared in a London court accused of making death threat’s to singer Billie Piper.
2006, The Rolling Stones played three songs during the half-time show of The Super Bowl in Detroit.
2007, producer Phil Spector won £459,000 after settling an embezzlement claim.
2008, Amy Winehouse was questioned by police in connection with a video apparently showing her smoking a crack-cocaine pipe.
February 5th: Born on this day
1941, Barrett Strong, US songwriter. Wrote many Motown hits with Norman Whitfield including, ‘Money’, ‘War’, ‘Ball Of Confusion’, ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’.

A pivotal figure in Motown‘s formative years, singer/composer Barrett Strong was a key associate and friend of Berry Gordy. It was his hit “Money (That’s What I Want)” for Anna Records in 1960 that provided vital capital for Gordy to expand his operation. The song gave Strong his only major hit as a vocalist, reaching number two on the R&B charts and barely missing the pop Top 20. During the late ’60s and early ’70s, Strong collaborated with Norman Whitfield on some historic songs that included Marvin Gaye‘s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” the Temptations‘ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Ball of Confusion,” Edwin Starr‘s “War,” and “Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me” for Gladys Knight & the Pips, which he also co-wrote. Strong left Motown when the label moved to Los Angeles in 1972, and he signed with Epic
Norman Whitfield was one of the architects of the Motown sound, from its early peak as a national label through its waning days of major chart success. More than that, however, Whitfield and his personal drive became an important part of the psychological dynamic of the label, often pushing Motown founder Berry Gordy to try out songs and sounds that he didn’t fully appreciate himself, to their mutual benefit. Born in New York in 1943, Whitfield wasn’t yet in his teens when R&B began exerting itself as a major musical force. His main interest as a youth was centered on the pool hall, not the dance hall — according to Nelson George in his book Where Did Our Love Go?, Whitfield not only developed a steady hand with a pool cue, but a good eye for observing and sizing up those around him. His interest in R&B dates from his mid-teens, and it was not long after that the New York-born Whitfield found himself stranded in Detroit, when his father’s car broke down while on the way back from a relative’s funeral in California. 1969, Bobby Brown, singer. Married Whitney Houston Source

Latest Podcast

CURTAIN RODS

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Administrator

The rain´s back and it is a grey day of Cornish haar. However, we´re British and we´re used to the rain. Not too much mind. Have you seen what the Canaries have been suffering this week. They are part of Spain and the islands have been badly hit. This is quite poignant for me as I was over in Tenerife with Rockin Rupert some years ago when the rain hit like this. I was due to appear at the bar next to the Toucan, Miranda´s, in Torviscas Playa. We had been up to the Lorro Park in Las Christianas and were on the way back to do the gig. The rains came slowly at first and then in torrents. By the time we got back to Torviscas the roads had become rivers and had to be seen to be believed.

Let´s check our weather…..

Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
16° C \| 8° C	19° C \| 7° C	20° C \| 7° C	20° C \| 10° C	21° C \| 9° C
Chance of Rain 30% chance of precipitation	Scattered Clouds	Clear	Scattered Clouds	Scattered Clouds

The weather in Spain is pretty bad today with rain almost everywhere. Last night, however, was pretty good as we attended the inauguration of the La Nucia Guide. It is written in several language and has been produced by Bart, a Dutchman, who gave the presentation from the lecturn at the Auditori. He spoke in five languages and various dignataries were in evidence representing the various communities. Of the 18, 000 residents some 7,000 are not Spanish. The British are the biggest group but were not well represented at the packed forum. I would say we had no more than 20 Brits at the event which was most congenial with food and drinks offered to everyone present. I have put a link to La Nucia´s official website on the index of my website if you´d like an idea of where we live. We have 65 different nationalities living here!

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Of all the crazy Spanish fiestas that take place throughout the year, there is nothing wilder than the Carnival celebrations in late February. The week leading up to Lent is a time for wild partying in some parts of Spain when the country plays host to Europe’s biggest and best Carnival festivals. The most famous destinations for the wildest Carnival festivals are Tenerife, Cadiz and Sitges though there are plenty more places to enjoy the party. http://www.spanish-fiestas.com

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Airports to begin strip-searching passengers

You might want to take a minute to say goodbye to your personal liberties. They’re flying right out the window — and, as usual, it’s all in the name of “protecting the public.”

You knew this was coming…After the failed terror attempt on Christmas day, the federal Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has decided to step up its security screenings. Their solution? Strip-search every passenger. It’s not by hand, mind you, but it may as well be.

The TSA plans to begin using full-body X-ray scanners that would essentially strip passengers of their clothing — and their dignity. With these new scanners, no details would be left to the imagination — which is just how the feds like it.

Yup, Big Brother is a big perv.

But I’m not sure which is worse: The threat to your privacy or the threat to your health.

Like X-rays, the new machines use radiation to create these indecent exposures. The experts claim that the low dose of radiation is perfectly safe — even for children and pregnant women.

Baloney.

Exposing pregnant women to radiation can lead to grossly disfigured babies or can even cause women to miscarry. It’s no coincidence that five female security guards had miscarriages after working with these supposedly safe machines.

And it’s not much safer for adults. Radiation can damage DNA and cause structural damage to your cells — both of which can lead to cancer. In fact, Dr. John Gofman, Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, believes that 50 percent of all cancers are caused by the radiation from medical tests — the same ones meant to “protect” you by detecting cancer early!

Bottom line: If you don’t want to be fried with ionizing radiation every time you fly — and if you’d rather not have airport workers paid to be peeping toms…you won’t stand for this outright invasion of your rights.

When it comes to these full-body X-rays, I don’t care how low the dose is. There is no safe level of ionizing radiation. Period.

Source

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Word of the Day

ventoso vehn-toh’-soh (adjective)

windy, breezy, gusty; flatulent; vain, inflated

EXAMPLES

No pudimos ir de pesca en la barca porque estaba demasiado ventoso. – We could not go fishing in the boat because it was too windy.

La playa cerca de mi casa siempre está muy ventoso. – The beach by my house is very windy.
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for ventoso.

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CURTAIN RODS — PRICELESS

On the first day, she sadly packed her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day,she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining-room table, by candle-light; she put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar,and a bottle of spring-water.

When she’d finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimps dipped in caviar into the hollow centre of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

On the fourth day, the husband came back with his new girlfriend, and at first all was bliss.

Then, slowly, the house began to smell.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping, and airing-out the place.

Vents were checked for dead rodents, and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which time
the two had to move out for afew days, and in the end they even paid to replac e the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked!

People stopped coming over to visit.
Repairmen refused to work in the house..
The maid quit.

Finally, they couldn’t take the stench any longer, and decided they had to move, but a month later – even though they’d cut their price in half – they couldn’t find a buyer for such a stinky house.

Word got out, and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, unable to wait any longer for a purchaser, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

Then the ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for having the house.

Knowing she could have no idea how bad the smell really was,he agreed on a price that was only 1/10 th of what the house had been worth … but only if she would sign the papers that very day.

She agreed, and within two hours his lawyers delivered the completed paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home …..
… and to spite the ex-wife, they even took the the curtain rods!

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON’T YOU?

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One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, ‘My dear child, why are you crying?’ The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family. The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

‘Is this your thimble?’ the Lord asked . The seamstress replied, ‘No.’

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.

‘Is this your thimble?’ t he Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, ‘No.’

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble .

‘Is this your thimble ?’ the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, ‘Yes.’ The Lord was pleased with the woman’s honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, ‘Why are you crying?’ ‘Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!’

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney ‘Is this your husband?’ the Lord asked.

‘Yes,’ cried the seamstress. The Lord was furious. ‘You lied! That is an untruth!’ The seamstress replied, ‘Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said ‘no’ to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.

Then if I said ‘no’ to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said ‘yes,’ you would have given me all three. Lord, I’m not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT’S why I said ‘yes’ to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is: Whenever a woman lies, it’s for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others. That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.

Signed,

All Us Women

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1965, The Righteous Brothers were at No.1 UK and US singles chart with the Phil Spector song ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. It was the most played song of the 20th Century.

1967, The Monkees self-titled debut album started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK chart.

1975, American jazz, blues, songwriter and saxophonist Louis Jordon died aged 66. Known as The King of the Jukebox

.1978, Abba started a seven week run at No.1 on the UK chart with ‘The Album’ their third No.1 LP.

1978, The Bee Gees started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Staying Alive’. From the film soundtrack Saturday Night Fever, also No.1 in the UK.

1978, ‘Up Town Ranking’ by Althia and Donna was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. It was the Jamaican duo’s only hit making the teenagers One-hit Wonders.

1982, Scottish singer Alex Harvey died of a heart attack while waiting to take a ferry back to shore after performing a concert with his new band, the Electric Cowboys.

1983, Karen Carpenter died aged 32 of a cardiac arrest at her parent’s house at her parents’ home in Downey, California; The coroner’s report gave the cause of death of imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa.

1984, Paul Gardiner bass player with Gary Numan’s Tubeway Army died of a heroin overdose.

1984, Culture Club at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Karma Chameleon’

1984, Eurythmics first UK No.1 album with their second release ‘Touch’,

1995, Celine Dion No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Think Twice’. Ivor Novello Award for the Song of the Year in 1995.

1999, American soul singer Gwen Guthrie died of cancer aged 48. Sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Madonna and wrote songs for Sister Sledge and Roberta Flack. Had the 1986 R&B No.1 Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ on But the Rent

.2001, Atomic Kitten No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Whole Again’,written by Andy McCluskey from OMD.

2008, Leona Lewis No.1 on the Australian album charts with her debut release

February 4th: Born on this day

1941,John Steel, drums, The Animals,

1947, Margie and Mary Ann Ganser, The Shangri-Las,

1948, Alice Cooper, (Vincent Furnier),

1950, James Dunn, vocals, The Stylistics

1975, Natalie Imbruglia, actress, singer

Today´s Podcast

BPA Free!

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Administrator

I think it´s sensible to be interested in your own health and I have invested time and money in useful knowlege. Sometimes it´s nice to read articles which compound the views you already have. Tonight, for example, I read an article which explained that we should all chew our food thirty times or thereabouts before we swallow. This does make sense. The article claims we probably all feel a little gastric after having eaten our meals and it is because we haven´t chewed sufficiently before we have swallowed. This then puts pressure on our digestive system to have to re hash the job that should have been done in the mouth by the teeth and gastric juices. Another article went on to look at the urban myth of the benefits of drinking 8 glasses of water per day. Now, the article was claiming that we can do ourselves more harm than good by overdosing on water. The author was explaining that the intake of water has to relevant to the size of the glass and the size of our own bodies. It was further explained that by drinking too much it can put a great strain on our systems and by having too little we can dehydrate.

Here´s an article I found pretty interesting…..

Before you open that can of soup or pop the lid on that water bottle, ask yourself this: How much do I really care about my endocrine system? Your answer is important because even if you’re hazy on exactly what your endocrine system does, I’ve got a feeling you’re a big fan. It’s all about protecting your hormones.

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Cart first…then the horse
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Vital messages are being sent throughout your body. Your nervous system does it with electrical impulses. Your endocrine system does it with hormones.

Endocrine glands (such as the thyroid and pancreas) release hormones into the blood stream. From there, hormones go on to help regulate key functions such as metabolism, blood sugar, growth, mood, and reproduction, just to name a few. In other words: It’s VERY important stuff!

Knowing this, how would you feel about eating or drinking something that contains a compound known as an endocrine disruptor? Obviously, disrupting the endocrine system is not a good idea at all. And yet every day, millions of people eat food products contaminated with bisphenol A (BPA)–an endocrine disruptor. About 70 years ago, BPA was found to have estrogenic activity in the body. This prompted one of the earliest attempts to create a hormone replacement medication. That idea went off the rails when BPA was soon found to be too toxic for use in a drug.

Nevertheless, the food industry saw no problem at all in putting BPA to use in food containers. What could possibly go wrong? The answer: decay. Over time, BPA polymer decays and leaches into canned foods and beverages, as well as liquids in plastic bottles. BPA is also used to make plastic eating utensils, plastic bowls, and–the worst!– baby pacifiers.

And THEN came the studies…

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Two years ago, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that high urinary BPA concentrations might be linked to increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and abnormal concentrations of liver enzymes. New research confirms those risks.

When UK researchers matched BPA content in urine samples with years of health records for nearly 1,500 subjects, aged 18 to 74, they came to this conclusion: “Higher BPA exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentrations of BPA, is consistently associated with reported heart disease in the general adult population of the USA. Studies to clarify the mechanisms of these associations are urgently needed.”

This is where I would tell you that FDA officials have been stonewalling the BPA issue to cowtow to the food industry. And that’s true. But in a recent surprise move, the FDA issued a BPA “update” that recognizes recent research and warns consumers that infant exposure to BPA should be avoided.

Hmmm. Let’s see. Kids are, technically, the same species as you and me, so maybe it’s not too great a leap to assume that adult exposure to BPA should be avoided too.

In a recent article, HSI Panelist Jon Barron cited a Consumer Reports investigation that found significant traces of BPA in every can of food they examined. So the first step in avoiding BPA is pretty obvious: steer clear of canned foods and beverages. One exception: Eden Foods. More than 10 years ago (WAY ahead of the curve), this organic food company went to great lengths to make the switch to BPA-free cans.

And you can easily shop for BPA-free food and beverage containers, including feeding bottles for infants. Just Google “BPA-free” and you’ll enter a world that’s just a little less toxic. Source
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Word of the Day
quebrar keh-brar’ (transitive verb)

to break, to destroy, to shatter, to snap, to crack; to twist, to bend
EXAMPLES

Quiere quebrar su racha de mala suerte. – He wants to break his bad luck streak.

Para hacer el baile bien, tienes que quebrar la cintura. – To do the dance right, you have to twist at the waist.

IDIOMS

Quebrarse la cabeza – To rack one’s brain

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for quebrar.
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Music 3rd February
1959, 22 year old Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, aged 17, died in a crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa. Tthe pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tourbus. All three were travelling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour.
1960, Anthony Newley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Why’.
1960 – The record label Reprise Records was formed by Frank Sinatra.
1967, producer Joe Meek shot his landlady Violet Shenton and then shot himself at his flat in London, Meek produced The Tornadoes ‘Telstar’ 1968, One hit wonders The Lemon Pipers went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Green Tambourine’ the song was a No.7 hit in the UK.
1968, The Beatles started work on their new single ‘Lady Madonna’ at Abbey Road studios in London.
1973, Elton John started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Crocodile Rock’.
1979, Blondie UK No.1 with ‘Heart Of Glass’
1990, for the first time ever, the UK Top 3 singles featured non-British and non-American acts. Ireland’s Sinead O’Connor, Australia’s Kylie Minogue and Belgium’s Technotronic. Sinead O’Connor had her first No.1 single with Nothing Compares To U’, a song written by Prince.
1999, Tony Hadley singer with Spandau Ballet told a High Court in London of his “desperate” financial situation after his solo career failed.
2003, the exclusive documentary ‘Living With Michael Jackson’ was shown on UK television. Reporter Martin Bashir had spent eight months with the star, the show’s editor said, ‘viewers will not believe what they’re seeing.’
2008, UK singer Adel went to No.1 on the UK album chart with her debut album ‘19’

February 3rd: Born on this day
1928, Frankie Vaughan, UK singer.
1928, Val Doonican, Irish singer
1935, Johnny ‘guitar’ Watson, guitarist, singer
1943, Dennis Edwards, The Temptations
1943, Eric Haydock, bass, The Hollies
1947, Dave Davies, guitarist, The Kinks
1809 – Composer Jacob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn was born.

Latest Podcast

Thank you for shopping at Tesco!

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Administrator

Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men. – Jane Addams, 1860-1935

This was the day before, in 1959, Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens died in a plane crash. I have put a podcast on my site which has the newsflash that would be broadcast the next day. Meanwhile, on the Costa Blanca we have another really fine day. Details will follow.

Here´s an article written by the rebel doctor. If you think it´s just about America then think again. This will apply to the UK and Spain…………

Surrounded by secret chemicals

They’re not just in the water…chemicals are everywhere, indoors and out.

Some of you sharper minds might think you have an idea of how dangerous these toxins are. Buddy, you don’t know the half of it. Not even most of the so-called experts have a clue. None of us do…because many of these chemicals are trade secrets!

A recent report in the Washington Post shows how laws designed to help the chemical industry remain competitive have actually helped them remain highly secretive…and once again, the rest of us get the short end of this poison wand.

The newspaper told of one nurse who fell ill after treating a worker injured in a chemical spill. When her doctors called the company to find out what she had been exposed her, they wouldn’t say.

Because they didn’t have to.

Nice guys, right?

Chemical manufacturers get to hide behind the misleadingly named Toxic Substances Control Act. Rather than help control toxic substances, the 1976 law actually helps companies keep their chemicals secret.

What’d you expect from our Corporate Congress, where lobbyists get the write the laws?

This particular law requires that companies disclose the ingredients in all their chemicals to the government. But it also protects any chemical that the company thinks is important to its bottom line.

Lately, that’s all of them — in recent years, 95 percent of all notices for new chemicals — some 700 of these are filed each year — have contained secrecy requests, according to the Post.

How can you avoid this garbage? You can’t. It’s in everything, even your clothing and furniture if they’ve been treated to be flame-retardant.

But you can wake up and realize that your government isn’t working for you — it’s working for America’s biggest companies. The solution can be found at the ballot box — if you can find a clean politician.

Source

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Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
15° C \| 6° C	17° C \| -5° C	19° C \| -1° C	19° C \| 10° C	20° C \| 10° C
Clear	Clear	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Clear

Here´s our Spanish word for today—–

firmar feer-mar’ (transitive verb)

to sign; to subscribe

EXAMPLES

Acabo de firmar un contrato con otra compañía. – I just signed a contract with another company.

Puedes firmar una carta informal “con cariño.” – You can sign an informal letter “with care.”

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for firmar.

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Alan Gee spotted the following………………………..

SIGN IN A STORE WINDOW

‘WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL QAEDA TERRORISTS THAN WITH ONE SINGLE BRITISH SOLDIER!’

This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in
Glamorgan, South Wales .

You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement.

However, we are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty.

After all, it is ONLY A SIGN, you may say.

‘What kind of business would dare to post such a sign?’

Answer:

A FUNERAL PARLOUR.

WHO SAID UNDERTAKERS HAD NO SENSE OF HUMOUR?

YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!!!

God Bless The Welsh

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Here´s a joke from Jackie C…….I´ve cleaned it up a bit!

Every Little Helps

One day, in line at the works cafeteria, Jack says to Mike behind him, ‘My elbow hurts like hell. I suppose I’d better see a doctor!’

‘Listen mate; don’t waste your time down at the surgery’, Mike replies. ‘There’s a diagnostic computer at Tesco. Just give it a urine sample and the computer will tell you what’s wrong, and what to do about it. It takes ten seconds and only costs five quid …. a lot quicker and better than a doctor and you get Clubcard points’.

So Jack collects a urine sample in a small jar and takes it to Tesco. He deposits five pounds and the computer lights up and asks for the urine sample. He pours the sample into the slot and waits. Ten seconds later, the computer ejects a printout: ‘You have tennis elbow. Soak your arm in warm water and avoid heavy activity. It will improve in two weeks’.

That evening while thinking how amazing this new technology was, Jack began wondering if the computer could be fooled. He mixed some tap water, a stool sample from his dog and added urine samples from his wife and daughter.

Jack hurried back to Tesco, eager to check what would happen. He deposits five pounds, pours in his concoction, and awaits the results with a grin.

The computer prints the following:

1) Your tap water is too hard.   Get a water softener.
2) Your dog has ringworm.   Bathe him with anti-fungal shampoo.
3) Your daughter has a cocaine habit.   Get her into rehab.
4) Your wife is pregnant.   Twins.   ………………………………………….They aren’t yours…………………… Get a lawyer.

Thank you for shopping at Tesco.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

* Lance Armstrong Combines Charity Work, Cycling at Tour Down Under *

Lance Armstrong broke ground on a new cancer research centre while capping his preparation for the Tour Down Under, combining the charitable works and cycling ambitions that lured from retirement 12 months ago.

The seven-time Tour de France champion used last year’s Australian race, the first event of the ProTour season, to launch his comeback from a 3 1/2-year retirement. He emphasized at the time that his charitable and competitive objectives shared equal priority.Go here for complete news story.

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Hello again,

Attached is our latest and a new event! If you want to attend please book early because there is limited seating.

We would like to thank everyone who rallied round to our Blanket and Towel appeal. We had a fantastic response and our dogs are now cosy and warm for the time being. We are okay for now as we do not have a lot of storage room but for sure we will need them again in a couple of months time.

Another thankyou to all who signed our petition and attended the Valencia Demonstration against the Act of Parliament to stop councils supporting animal charities. It was their intention to send animals to private companies who would have put them down. Thankfully because of all the support against this bill it was not passed. Well done!

QUIZ at Bar Mediterraneo Friday 12th March. Usual format, teams of 6 or less, prizes for winner and runner up. 3 course dinner with wine €15. Reservations essential
Maggie 96 5744449 or Mandy 639603880 (if possible please give your team name as well when booking, preferably something of a doggie theme)

Thank you for your support

Maggie Fundraiser

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Musical Bits and Pieces for 2nd February

1959, Buddy Holly, Richard Valens and The Big Bopper all appeared at the Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa. This was all three acts last ever gig before being killed in a plane crash the following day.
1962, The Beatles played their first professionally organised gig outside of Liverpool at The Oasis Club, Manchester.
1963, Cliff Richard and The Shadows started a 14-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Summer Holiday’.
1969, Yoko Ono divorced her husband Tony Cox, Yoko was granted custody of their daughter Kyoko. John Lennon and married Yoko the following month on 30th March.
1972, during a UK tour Stevie Wonder appeared at the Manchester Odeon, England.
1973, Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer injured his hands when his piano rigged to explode as a stunt, detonated prematurely during a concert in San Francisco.
1974, The Carpenters started a four week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘The Singles 1969-73′, featuring 12 hits and the US No.1 ‘Top Of The World’ it went back to the top of the charts on three other occasions.
1979, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose in New York City.
1980, The Specials were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Special A.K.A. Live E.P’. The lead track ‘Too Much Too Young’ was the shortest song to reach No.1 on the UK singles chart in the 1980s
1985, Foreigner started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles charts with ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, also a UK No.1. London-born Mick Jones wrote the song and sang lead vocals with the British-American rock band.
1989, George Michael received undisclosed damages in excess of £100,000 from The Sun newspaper over articles printed that stated Michael had gatecrashed a party given by Andrew Lloyd Weber and was drunk and abusive.
1991, Sting scored his second UK No.1 album with ‘The Soul Cages’.
2001, Bad Manners singer Buster Bloodvessel was told he was ‘too fat’ to survive an urgently needed operation. Buster collapsed on stage during a show in Italy but Doctors felt that his huge 30 stone frame might not make it through surgery.
2002, The P.P.L. (Phonographic Performance Ltd), launched performersmoney.com for artists to check if they were owed any of the £10 million in unclaimed money. It showed that Michael Jackson was owed over £100,000 for ‘Say, Say, Say’, Stevie Wonder had money owing for ‘Ebony And Ivory’ and Ray Davies of The Kinks was owed a six-figure fee for ‘You Really Got Me’. Director Dominic McGonigal said “If anyone has seen Rick Astley please let him know, he is still earning money for his hits.”
2003, Russian girl duo Tatu started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘All The Things She Said’. The song had been a hit on the Russian charts three years earlier. Tatu were the first 2004, TV network CBS apologised for its broadcast of the American Super Bowl after Janet Jackson was left exposed when Justin Timberlake ripped her top.
2007, Billy Henderson, one of the founders of US soul group The Spinners, died aged 67 after complications from diabetes.
2007, US keyboardist Joe Hunter, a veteran session musician as one of the Funk Brothers who helped craft the distinctive Motown sound, died in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 79.
2008, The Spice Girls cut short their reunion world tour, blaming “family and personal commitments”. The band said they would end their tour in Toronto on 26 February, with planned shows in Beijing, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires being axed.
February 2nd: Born on this day
1934, Skip Battin, The Byrds,
1940, Alan Caddy, guitarist with The Tornadoes, 1962 UK & US No.1 single ‘Telstar’. This was the first major hit from a UK act on the American chart.
1942, Graham Nash, guitar, vocals, with The Hollies who he left in 1968.
1943, Peter Macbeth, The Foundations 1967 UK No.1 ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’
1946, Howard Bellamy, Bellamy Brothers 1979 UK No.3 ‘If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me’
1963, Eva Cassidy, US singer. She is the only artist to score three posthumous UK No.1 albums. Eva died of skin cancer on November 1st 1996, aged 33.
1977, Shakira, (Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll)- Highest selling Colombian artist of all time, having sold over forty million albums.

Today´s Podcast

Dorset is Beautiful….

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Administrator

We have another wonderful day with a clear blue sky at the moment although we did have some cloud earlier in the day. It would appear we might have rain later in the week but I will need to check the forecast. The football was interesting over the weekend with Manchester united doing Sir Alex proud at Arsenal and Liverpool tied in a very close race with Tottenham, Villa, Manchester City and possibly Birmingham. Ian K sent me the following which is very noteworthy….He says………….
I know you don’t all live in Dorset but a mobile is a mobile where ever you live. I didn’t know about 112 did you?

A bit of useful advice – verified by the Dorset Police.
The number does work from a mobile.

This actually happened to someone’s daughter. Lauren was 19 yrs old and in college. This story takes place over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday break.

It was the Wednesday before New Year and it was about 1.00pm in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend, when an UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put its lights on. Lauren’s parents have 4 children (of various ages) and have always told them never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather wait until they get to a service station, etc.
So Lauren remembered her parents’ advice, and telephoned 112 from her mobile phone. This connected her to the police dispatcher she told the dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing blue light on his rooftop behind her and that she would not pull over right away but wait until she was in a service station or busy area. The dispatcher checked to see if there was a police car where she was and there wasn’t and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back-up already on the way. Ten minutes later 4 police cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground……..the man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.

Please pass on to all your friends, especially any females.

As far as I am aware, 112 uses a system called triangulation so they can also pinpoint exactly where you are phoning from.

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Iris´s Challenge- Answer at the foot of the page

(1) Are a Grammy Award-winning Irish musical group from County Donegal Ireland, Their music has been described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age. They are known for performing in various languages, including English, Latin, Mohican and most of all in their native tongue Irish.

(2) They were signed up to RCA Records in the 80’s when they were approached and asked if they would be interested in doing a song for a fictional drama on British television, depicting The Troubles in Northern Ireland

(3) Together and wrote the now-legendary song “Theme from Harry’s Game”, Entering the British charts at number 5, it remains the only hit single in the UK ever to be sung entirely in Gaelic.

(4) The album Magical Ring was a huge turning point in their career, it was the start of their international career, shortly after Magical Ring, they were commissioned to provide music for the 26-episode TV drama series Robin of Sherwood. They once again began to stretch themselves, creating music for a range of characters and events. For the first time ever, they produced an album without any of their native Irish, as the story was set deep in English folklore.

(5) The album from Robin of Sherwood called Legend won the band a BAFTA award, the first time an Irish act had been honoured in this way. The musical style of the album was dominated by guitar riffs and trumpet reverberations. It was primarily this album that firmly elevated the group to ‘household name’ status, with their music being broadcast into millions of homes every Saturday night for 26 weeks.

(6) They have a very Famous Sister (Enya) who sometimes sang with the band in the early days

So…Who is Iris writing about?

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firmar feer-mar’ (transitive verb)

to sign; to subscribe

EXAMPLES

Acabo de firmar un contrato con otra compañía. – I just signed a contract with another company.

Puedes firmar una carta informal “con cariño.” – You can sign an informal letter “with care.”
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for firmar.

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Thanks to Jackie C for the following….
Little Johnny’s at it again….. A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, ‘Everyone who thinks they’re stupid, stand up!’ After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, ‘Do you think you’re stupid, Little Johnny?’ ‘No, ma’am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!’

* * * * * * * * * * *

Little Johnny watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face. ‘Why do you do that, mommy?’ he asked. ‘To make myself beautiful,’ said his mother, who then began removing the cream with a tissue. ‘What’s the matter?’ asked Little Johnny. ‘Giving up?’

* * * * * * * * * * *

The math teacher saw that little Johnny wasn’t paying attention in class. She called on him and said,
‘Johnny! What are 2 and 4 and 28 and 44?’ Little Johnny quickly replied, ‘NBC, FOX, ESPN and the Cartoon Network!’

* * * * * * * * * * *

Little Johnny’s kindergarten class was on a field trip to their local police station where they saw pictures tacked to a bulletin board of the 10 most wanted criminals. One of the youngsters pointed to a picture and asked if it really was the photo of a wanted person. ‘Yes,’ said the policeman. ‘The detectives want very badly to capture him.’Little Johnny asked, ‘Why didn’t you keep him when you took his picture ?’

* * * * * * * * * * *

Little Johnny attended a horse auction with his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse’s legs and rump, and chest. After a few minutes, Johnny asked, ‘Dad, why are you doing that?’ His father replied, ‘Because when I’m buying horses,I have to make sure that they are healthy and in good shape before I buy. Johnny, looking worried, said, ‘Dad, I think there´s a guy who wants to buy Mom .’

* * * * * * * * * * *

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February 1st In the World of Music
1949, RCA Records issued the first ever 45rpm single, the invention of this size record made jukeboxes possible.
1964, The Beatles started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, the first US No.1 by a UK act since The Tornadoes ‘Telstar’ in 1962
1965, P.J. Proby split his pants during his first number at the ABC, Luton, the manager stopped the show and gave everyone in the audience a refund. The incident caused a ban on Proby’s performance in UK halls and TV.
1967, at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles started work on a new song ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.
1969, Tommy James and the Shondells started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Crimson And Clover’, the group’s second and last No.1.
1972, Chuck Berry had his first UK No.1 single with a live recording of a song he’d been playing live for over 20 years ‘My Ding-a-Ling’. UK public morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse attempted to have the song banned due to its innuendo-laden lyrics. The Average White Band members guitarist Onnie McIntyre and drummer Robbie McIntosh played on the single.
1975, Neil Sedaka had his second US No.1 single with ‘Laughter In The Rain’, over 12 years after his last chart topper ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’.1975, Pilot were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘January’, the Scottish group’s only No.1.
1978, Amstrad were advertising their new ranges of hi-fi in the UK, the 8000 system complete with 40 watt amp, speakers and amp, £86 and the executive system with 140 watt amp, record deck, tuner, tape deck and speakers priced at £365.
1986, Music publisher Dick James died of a heart attack aged 65. Worked with many UK 60′s acts including The Beatles. James signed Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin as unknown artists in 1967 and was the founder of the DJM record label.
1988, The Cars announced they were breaking up
1989, Paul Robi from The Platters died of cancer. 1992, George Michael and Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, also a No.1 in the UK. All proceeds from the single went to Aids charities.
1995, Richey James guitarist with the Manic Street Preachers vanished leaving no clues to his whereabouts. He left The Embassy Hotel in London at 7am, leaving behind his packed suitcase. His car was found on the Severn Bridge outside Bristol, England sixteen days later.
1997, Blur went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Beetlebum’. The song’s title, is said to be a stab at Liam Gallagher, lead singer of Oasis, for his over-idolisation of The Beatles.
1997, Boy George was beaten up by two bouncers after trying to jump the queue outside The Ministry Of Sound in London where George had been a guest DJ.
1997, The original soundtrack from the film ‘Evita’ went to No.1 on the UK album chart.
2001, a collection of Sir Elton John’s private photos on display at a museum in Atlanta were withdrawn. The exhibition, which included snaps of nude men, was said to be too explicit, some school trips to the museum had been cancelled.
2005, Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘It’s Now Or Never’, the singers 21st No.1, first released in 1960.
2008, US space agency Nasa announced that ‘Across the Universe’ by the Beatles was to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space.
2009, Lily Allen started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Fear’, the singers second UK No.1.

February 1st: Born on this day
1934, Bob Shane, The Kingston Trio,
1937, Don Everly, guitar, vocals, The Everly Brothers
1948, , Rick James
1968, Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis. Married Michael Jackson in 1994, separated on 10th December 1995.

Iris´s Challenge- Answer at the foot of the page Clannad

Today´s Podcast

vincetracy.com Blog

Chat Show host sharing ideas with the listeners

Monthly Archives: February 2010

Harry Reid

EFT

Word of the Day

El mantel mahn’-tel (noun)

EXAMPLES

IDIOMS

Is Chocolate Bad for Me?

Having a Laugh!

Word of the Day

dulcificar dool-see-fee-car’ (transitive verb)

EXAMPLES

CURTAIN RODS

Word of the Day

ventoso vehn-toh’-soh (adjective)

EXAMPLES

BPA Free!

Thank you for shopping at Tesco!

firmar feer-mar’ (transitive verb)

EXAMPLES

Dorset is Beautiful….

firmar feer-mar’ (transitive verb)

EXAMPLES

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