DavidJackson.info

Found on the BBC (click here for full story).

An official from the Indian state of Bihar has come up with a new idea to encourage low caste poor people to cope with food shortages - rat meat.

Vijay Prakash, Principal Secretary of the state’s Welfare Department, said that he was making his proposal after much survey and groundwork. He pointed out that the “extremely poor” Musahar community are rat eaters by tradition.

He argued that 50% of the grain stocks in the county are eaten by rats, and that by eating more rats the population would drop and more grain would be available. Not necessarily for the Musahar, but there would be more grain [me].

He also said that rat meat was not only a delicacy but a protein enriched food common in Thailand and France. (France?)

Mr Prakash says that he has recipes to make rat eating a delicacy, which he now wants to distribute to all the hotels in Bihar, and says that his research has revealed that it is a popular food item in some parts of Bihar where it is known at roadside hotels by the name of “patal-bageri”.

And in one stroke, has no doubt destroyed the tourism industry of Bihar. By the way, what’s a roadside hotel? Over here it’s a puti club, not known for the quality of their cuisine. I’ve eaten snake, but I’m not too keen on the idea of rat. Probably like a quail, full of little irritating bones. And bubonic plague. It’s stories like this that make me glad I’m a fat westerner.

 Golly gosh and Bernard Baker, but how I hate that Orwellian “we are watching you” advert at the beginning of all DVDs. “You wouldn’t steal a car!” it proclaims. Well, how the devil do you know I wouldn’t steal a car? You’re a Hollywood movie executive. You don’t know me. Here I am, drunk at 4 in the afternoon, eating a 350€ jamon pata negra, in my underwear, on a sofa with the fan on, in 35C of heat, watching a Family guy parody of Star Wars. Did you see that coming, Nostradamus? How do you know what I’m going to do for kicks when I finish watching? Maybe you’ve just put the idea into my head!

“You wouldn’t steal a handbag!” it continues. Well, how else am I going to pay for the freaking DVD at the prices you charge?

Here’s an idea. Don’t put it on the real DVDs I’ve just paid through the nose for. Put it on the pirate DVDs so we feel ashamed. Or, here’s a good idea, drop the price of DVDs so we don’t have to pay for the pirate ones. Or treat us like adults and stop being irritating. On some DVDs, if you watch “episode by episode” it replays the warning everytime you let the credits roll by.

Talking of DVDs, did you know that FNAC are now selling the complete series of Yes!, Minister And Yes! Prime Minister, in Spanish? Who the devil is going to buy that? How do they transfer the biting irony of (Sir) Humphrey Appleby? The cringing indecision of Hacker? Bloody hell, I’ve just noticed it’s also in Euskera & Catalan. Still, the (Spanish) reviewers give it 5 fnac thumbs up. I’m tempted to order it, just for the giggles. http://www.fnac.es/dsp/?servlet=extended.HomeExtendedServlet&Code1=1135824605&Code2=493&prodID=556653)

Almeria fiestas have started off badly, with an anonymous phone call directing police to the body of a 38 year old man, found at about 21.30 last night in the Paseo de la Caridad, just behind the fair. Police have refused to comment on the case, and it is not known if it is related to the fair or a previous feud. He is believed to have been battered to death with a blunt instrument.

And this morning at 7.40 another phone call to 112 directed police to the aid of a young man within the fairgrounds, who had been badly beaten up in what police suspect was a drunken fight.

Apart from all that, good fun.

Updated 25th August: The deceased has been identified as an Italian of 21 years of age, from Torino, called Daniel M. He was travelling around Spain in an Italian motorhome with Evgeniya E.K.M, a 21 year old Russian, Davide D, 25 from Italy, and Luca M. 25 and also from Italy. These last 3 have now been arrested on suspicion of murder by the Guardia Civil. In their defense they said that the the deceased died after a tragic accident, but after forensic examination of their motorhome the police proceeded to charge all three.

Source: Teleprensa.net

Just read about this one on the forums and am lost in admiration for the fellow who thought it up. It’s as if Jeeves had turned to crime.

A number of Brits in the Albox area have been returning to their old, UK plated bangers, to find an official looking notice, in English, warning them that they are driving UK plated cars with expired UK tax discs. It continues to say that the Guardia Civil has fined them €100, payable with 5 days or their car will be impounded, and gives them a bank account.

Naturally enough, this is not an official form from the Guardia. But a few people have paid the “fine”. No doubt to a bank account with false details.

Thing is, since they are driving illegal, dangerous and uninsured cars around, they can’t very well make a denuncia. Social justice, I call it. That’ll learn ‘em!

I´m told that there will be a once off (with free admission) night at the Kimrick on Wed 3rd September called the Jazz & Blues Jam. The Basement Cafe used to do them but will not be reopening in the winter. 
All musicians and singers able to jam with the house band are welcome. They kick off a bit earlier than before, at 8-30pm, and plan to finish at 11-30.  Jim on piano, Graeme Jaye will be on guitar, and they’ve still to sort out a bass player as Robin’s still away.  Miss Ellen Turner will be singing, plus of course whoever else turns up on the night to jam with us.

So if you fancy a jam, there’s the place. Contact “highlandboogieman” over on costaalmeria.co.uk forums (http://www.costaalmeria.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1219660347/0#0) for more info.

 Worrying news from Pernod Ricard, who have started to trial a new lighter version of it’s G.H. Mumm bottles. The traditional bottles of champers weigh about 2 kilos when full, of which 900gr (almost half) is the bottle. The rising cost of transportation and glass has made the big champagne makers wonder about breaking the final taboo – the traditional champagne bottle.

G.H. Mumm has sent out a trial version of some 2.5 million bottles, weighing some 65 grams less. No complaints, no breakages, no accidents, so they have sent a proposal to the CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) to ask that the new bottles be officially adopted.

Modern technology means that the traditional shape of the bottle, designed to withstand the great pressure of the fermenting wine inside, could in theory be made a heck of a lot lighter.

While 65 grams may not sound like much, some people are worried. “It shall end up being shipped out in Tetrabriks next” whined one wine critic.

Actually, I’m with the critic on this one. It’s the thin edge of the wedge. Shave 65 grams off, next thing you know it’s a wine bottle, then it’ll come in little plastic bags like Larios Gin on a Ryanair flight, and yet another little taste of luxury has vanished to our modern, cost conscience world. It’s like selling roses in an old newspaper.

Source: http://www.expansion.com/edicion/exp/economia_y_politica/entorno/es/desarrollo/1157504.html

An interesting news snippet brought to my attention from Expansion, the Spanish financial newspaper (19th August):

Hacienda has announced that this year it will be increasing the number of random checks on real estate agents by 65%, in order to root out “under the counter” commissions and black money purchases. They expect to carry out 90.519 checks this year, which means there should be a drop in Porsche sales soon.

While trying to find out how many real estate agents there are in Spain, I realised that since there is no central registry of real estate agents, nobody knows how many there are.

In a related note, they have announced that tax inspectors are being told to keep up to date with corporate websites to see if any interesting snippets of news are being published that they aren’t told about. They used the example that if a group of directors announce that they have gone on a junket abroad, but then don’t declare this trip on their personal tax return, a note will be made against their file for a quiet chat to be held. Or in the case of a company that sent out a PR saying that they had opened an office abroad in order to improve corporate image, then requested tax rebates for a large overseas operation.

Leaving these companies between a rock and a hard place - false publicity or tax avoidence?

 There is a bit of a kerfuffle going on at the moment about banks freezing English peoples bank accounts. It’s always English, for some reason.

I’ve been looking into this, and had a chat with Matteo from Cajamar, among others. Here’s the story:

The Banco de Espana and the tax office have decided upon a crack down on non resident bank accounts (cuentas bancarias de no residentes). This is to prevent a) money laundering and b) to weed out people living in Spain but who are committing tax evasion by not registering as resident in Spain, a legal requirement if you spend more then 6 months of the year here, and c) find illegal immigrants. The law was passed towards the end of 2007 and is now being implemented.

This especially seems to be affecting the Brits in the area because in the “olden days” the bank would just open you up a non resident bank account if you hadn’t yet received your Residencia. You were supposed to come back and switch it over once you had your NIE number, but of course so many people didn’t.

If you want to continue having a non resident bank account you are required to register as a “non resident” with the national police. In our case that means going to the National Police station in Almeria and presenting them with a certificate of residency in another country (such as your last tax return in the UK). They then give you a sheet of paper you present to your bank. If you are abroad then you need to send the paperwork to the local Spanish Consulate who will issue the form and inform your bank.

However, you are required to renew this every two years to maintain your Spanish non resident bank accounts.

If you are resident here (have a NIE) you need to change your account to a resident bank account. This is a simple process of swapping over your account.

The problem is that some banks (Cajamar seems to be one of the worst, from comments I’ve heard) aren’t telling people that they need to present the certificate of non residency. Instead, they are freezing the accounts without informing you – which can cause a whole load of problems with utilities, etc.

If you have a non resident account, either switch it over if you live here or talk to your bank.

I’m not going to translate it or even read it properly, but I’m told the full law is here: http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2007/09/05/pdfs/A36512-36594.pdf

Is anybody else surprised about this technological development that has just come out of North Korea?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7578231.stm

“North Korean scientists have developed a new kind of noodle that delays feelings of hunger, a Japan-based pro-Pyongyang newspaper has reported. The noodles were made from corn and soybeans, the Choson Shinbo said. They left people feeling fuller longer and represented a technological breakthrough.”

“When you consume ordinary noodles (made from wheat or corn), you may soon feel your stomach empty. But this soybean noodle delays such a feeling of hunger,” it said on its website.

Hmm… strikes me “chef” might be a better word then “scientist”, but still. Possibly their efforts might be better directed towards fixing the economy rather then writing these press releases. And our time and effort might be better spent asking them to fix their economy and agriculture rather then patting them on the head, saying “good communist” and sending another box of rations over.

Also, is anybody else worried about the nutritional value of these things? Corn and soybeans? You can bet they aren’t putting the best bits of the corn in. Still, if their best minds are working on this then I suppose we don’t need to worry too much about them building the bomb.

The Civil War tunnels which where finally opened, with much fanfare, to the general public last year were closed again in June this year when a number of leaks were found.

Anyway, they have now been reopened to the public. They are the original restored tunnels, about a kilometer of the 4,5 originally constructed, that were designed to protect the civil population of Almeria against the constant attacks of Germans and various factions.

You may remember that the whole project was delayed for about a year when they tried to make them wheelchair accessible, then closed again when it was realised that wheelchairs could go in, but because of the configuration couldn’t get out again with out getting stuck. In the end some special wheelchairs (extra thin) were brought at vast expense.

So, you can get in. I’m told it’s well worth the effort. €2 p.p, Tuesdays to Sundays. Tlf 950268696.