a white shadow

Uppss I forgot ...

2010-04-07T12:31:00.001+02:00

Since coming back from an Easter break in Lubeck where we visited Oma, I've had a daily occurrence of forgetfulness. Every day I forget to take something with me to work. Should I be worried?

On Monday, I forgot to bring the chocolates and tea from Germany for my work colleagues.

On Tuesday, I did bring the chocolates and tea but forgot to take the unspent holiday money to redeposit it at the bank.

Today, Wednesday, I did remember to bring the money but forgot my lunch.

Now I am hungry, have to go to the bank, and buy some lunch.

What shall I forget next?

I am ...

2010-03-27T08:59:00.000+01:00

... 27 years old today, being born on the 27th of March 1983 at Karen Grech Hospital, Malta.

Yes, it is my lucky birthday.

Did I every have any plans for this day? Well, you know, when you are a teen, you make a few plans or rather have a few dreams. I said that at 27, I'd probably be old enough to be married, and maybe have a kid or two. Wishful thinking.

I am not at that stage, but let's say, I am getting close.

First step: looking for a home for Baanisuu and myself.

Chile quake moves city more than 10 feet

2010-03-10T11:52:00.001+01:00

When I read this article on CNN.com, I was really amazed!

Conception moved ... at least 10 feet to the west and the capital, Santiago, about 11 inches to the west-southwest

What is even astounding is the following:

NASA scientists have also credited the quake with shifting the Earth's axis enough to create shorter day ... 1.26 microseconds shorter

Not much, but still ... wow!!!

Avatar: What an Experience!

2010-02-14T08:15:00.000+01:00

I finally watched it. Wow! Amazing! Brilliant!

I am sure a few people left the cinema soul searching, following what is seen as the destruction of an idyllic place, a heaven. Destruction, that is what our race is very good at, amongst other more positive things. And when phrases during the film ring some memory bells, such as: "Let's fight terror with terror", well you get an idea that this film is not only about tree hugging; it is also about respect of other people's lives and beliefs.

People are known to have left watching the film depressed and even suicidal, and no wonder. Pandora can be described as a place where all elements of nature live in balance. One can call it heaven, the heaven most of us believe we will end in, after living a hellish life. If angels are Na'vis and heaven is Pandora, I guess there is something to look forward to.

If you still have not watched the film, make sure you watch it in 3D (only at Empire Cinemas, Bugibba). Watching a spectacular 3D film such as Avatar in 2D greatly diminishes the viewer experience.

Off to a ski holiday

2009-12-11T10:37:00.004+01:00

Today, I am off for a long-awaited ski holiday in the Austrian Alps, specifically the Arlber, partly sponsored by my aunt to reward my efforts in achieving my Masters degree last year.
I will be joined by my sister and my better half too.
It will be freezing up there, as seen by the following screen dump from http://www.lech-zuers.at

While there, I shall be hoping for a deal at Copenhagen...

I hope I will hear good news from there.

Until then! Auf wiedersehen!

Ordnance Survey maps to go free online

2009-11-18T13:27:00.004+01:00

Ordnance Survey maps to go free online

This will include:

'all legislation, as well as road-traffic counts over the past eight years, property prices listed with the stamp-duty yield, motoring offences with types of offence and the numbers, by county, for the top six offences.'

Amazing!

I doubt we will every be there in secret society Malta. And yes, the UK has a Data Protection Act.

Article on The Guardian

Interesting ... softer food make you heavier

2009-07-16T14:02:00.002+02:00

In a study published in 2003, a team led by Kyoko Oka at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, investigated the effect of food texture on weight gain. They fed one group of rats their usual hard food pellets, while a second group received a softer version. Both pellets had exactly the same calorie content and flavour. The only difference was that softer ones were easier to chew. After 22 weeks, the rats on the soft food diet were obese and had more abdominal fat. "Food texture might be as important a factor for preventing obesity as taste or food nutrients," Oka and his colleagues concluded.

...

A similar study in people had comparable results. Kentaro Murakami and Satoshi Sasaki, both at the University of Tokyo in Japan, surveyed 450 female students about their eating habits and then classified the food they ate according to how difficult it was to chew. They found that women who ate the hardest foods had significantly slimmer waistlines than those who ate the softest foods.

Source: New Scientist

Boing boing bing boing

2009-06-02T13:01:00.004+02:00

No, it's not a bouncing ball

It's a Microsoft innovation called Bing. Not that I usually care about Microsoft and what it does, but by the looks of it, I think it can offer something for Google to worry about.

I like the welcome page, clean and sharp. It seems the wall paper changes each day.

Let's start and bing for Malta:

Results seem relevant and to the point, but looks a bit cluttered.

Anyway try it out. Competition does Google good.

[......AOTEAROA......] New comment on Australia and New Zealand.

2009-02-24T15:40:00.001+01:00

WhiteShadow has left a new comment on the post "Australia and New Zealand":

to put it simple: wonderful

Post a comment.

Unsubscribe to comments on this post.

Posted by WhiteShadow to ......AOTEAROA...... at February 24, 2009 6:40 AM

[......EAST AFRICA ......] New comment on East Africa in 2 months.

2009-01-22T13:15:00.001+01:00

WhiteShadow has left a new comment on the post "East Africa in 2 months":

Jesus!!
Impressive!!
Wow!!
And so close to those animals!!

....i'm speachless...

give us more!

Post a comment.

Unsubscribe to comments on this post.

Posted by WhiteShadow to ......EAST AFRICA ...... at January 22, 2009 4:15 AM

Antarctica is actually warming

2009-01-22T12:57:00.004+01:00

One of the major issues claimed by skeptics against climate change is that Antarctica is actually cooling. How is this possible when the whole earth should be, according to scientists, warming?

Well an answer has actually been found that rebukes the whole idea. Check this out at The Guardian. A recent investigation into the issue has discovered that while some parts of the frozen continent have been getting slightly colder over the last few decades, the average temperature across the continent has been rising for at least the last 50 years.

How come?

The picture below explains it all:

The Western part of Antarctica (shown in red) has been warming at a rate of 0.17 degrees C every decade for the past 50 years. This outweighs the observed cooling in the Eastern part of Antarctica for a an average heating over the region of 0.12 degrees C per decade. This rate matches the heating rate of the southern hemisphere as a whole.

This was not understood before since there was not much data for the Western Antarctica and / or any date it was not yet analysed. Mainly, satellite data was used for this study. Furthermore, it should be noted that the cooling is caused by the ozone hole, a feature that is healing itself and will eventually close by mid-century. Hence, more accelerated warming is expected.

How to cool the planet

2009-01-16T13:40:00.001+01:00

This, I think, really makes sense.

A seemingly simple way of keeping those temperatures cool, especially in view of climate change is:

(wait for it....)

...painting the urban areas white.

From our physics classes, we all learned on black-body radiation...the darker the body, the more heat is absorbed and the less is reflected. Hence, Hashem Akbari a scientist at the prestigious Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, came up with the idea of painting roads, pavements and building in light colours to reduce the urban heat island effect and hence save on electricity and pollution. In a few words, we need to increase our albedo.

Easy, simple and cost-effective.

Just some ratios:

Coloured paints have an albedo of 0.1-0.3;
White paints an albedo of 0.5-0.9;
Asphalt road surfaces have albedos as low as 0.05;
Concrete has an albedo of up to 0.3;
Tar and gravel just 0.1.

What does this mean? Take concrete. An albedo of 0.3 means that concrete absorbs 70% of the sun's radiation.

In California warehouses and commercial premises with flat roof have to have them painted white. This has been in force since 2005 (always avant-garde).

Now lets think locally. We should do this in Malta. Think of the picturesque villages in Italy and Greece that are all whitewashed saved for the colourful doors and windows. They did it for a reason!

Sources: The Guardian; New Scientist

Plans for 2009

2009-01-16T13:06:00.003+01:00

The new year has started.

What were my expectation for 2008?

- Masters Graduation: - Done (with distinction :))

- Italy winning Euro 2008: - Not quite...

- Holidays:- City weekend breaks to Paris (for Valentines) and London (Unholy Trinity gig)

- also trip to Maremma (Tuscany) as part of my Masters

- Inter:- won Serie A, kicked Mancini out, brought Mourinho...so far so good

- A calmer year:- not quite, but having more time for myself and Baanisuu

- Started playing football again with Kirkop F.C.

So what about 2009?

- Supporting Baanisuu during her final year at University

- Baanisuu's Graduation (and commencement of Masters??)

- Swimming in summer (have not enjoyed a swimful summer for years)

- Hoping Inter will win the Serie A and reach at least the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League

- Skiing holiday (hopefully December 2009)

That is it, my list for 2009. Not too heavy as you can see and nothing that cannot be achieved.

Detroit 2009: Third-gen Prius arrives with 50 mpg combined rating

2009-01-13T12:42:00.001+01:00

It is out, the Prius 2010. First looks show an improvement over the current one. Will wait for 3rd party reviews to judge.

Still with a glut in my throat

2008-12-15T10:30:00.003+01:00

I've been longing to watch 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' since I saw billboards of the film in the London Tube stations back in September.

Last night, my wish was fulfilled, and I must say, I still have some of its scenes running through my mind.

Although is has some factual goofs (e.g. PoWs in camps were not allowed close to the fence, they would be shot immediately), the end is what I call a real climax. So much suspense, so much thrill. And as in all reviews I have read about the film, most people sat in silence for a few minutes after the credits started rolling.

It kept all four of us affected, as we drove home quietly for most of the journey.

You must see it!

Obama speaks on Climate Change.

2008-11-19T08:45:00.003+01:00

Obama is the new president of the US. With the Yes We Can and Change campaigns, here is one of his latest interventions, one that he promised the American electorate on.

Sincerely, I hope that his pledges of support and money to the climate change cause are implemented and bring a significant energy shift.

A New Chapter on Climate Change @ Yahoo! Video

Cycling morning

2008-10-25T10:38:00.003+02:00

I have been feeling the need to cycle a bit around since my last cycle trip with a MIRM mate in Maremma Italy. I decided to combine it with a noble act, i.e. waste disposal at a Civic Amenity Sites. These sites accept all kinds of waste from the usual paper/plastic/glass/metal to electronic and hazardous waste.

For no reason at all, I have been collecting endless amounts of old PC motherboards, CD-ROM drives, graphic cards etc. I had lots to throw away. I packed all the stuff in Baanisuu's backpack. This included 2 power supplies, 2 motherboards, 2 hard disks, a discman, a joystick, some RAM, a CD-ROM, an old car stereo and an old phone. I straped the backpack to my back and off I went.

I set off from my home in Safi and cycled all the way to the Hal Far Civic Amenity Site. It was pleasant, at times bumby and noisy (hunting season you know). I could not notice the smell of carob, the pleasent colour of green and also a particular and long crawling species that I am sorry I did not have a camera to take a picture of.

Anyway, it took me one hour in total to disposte of the waste and arrive back home. I used the cycle lanes on the urban roads. They are not bad but a little akward with lots of breaches.

Nonetheless, it was some good exercise on the thighs for sure and some long-awaited fresh air.

Eating fast makes you fat

2008-10-22T20:11:00.002+02:00

While reading this article on the BBC website, a number of people whose eating habits I know came to my mind. The study by Osaka University scientists found that fast-eating men were 84% more likely to be overweight. Women were just over twice as likely. Also those, who, in addition to wolfing down their meals, tended to eat until they felt full, were more than three times more likely to be overweight.

In other words, if you eat slowly, savor your food and enjoy the company, you will probably eat less and live a healthier life.

Let's go Indian!

2008-10-19T09:31:00.003+02:00

Indian food is an occasional must. Both Baanisuu and I adore it, the spices, the thickness, the bread, the rice. It's a Sunday morning and just thinking of it wets my appetite.

Anyway, so yesterday (Saturday) we decided to indulge ourselves in our favourite cuisine. I came up with the brilliant idea to go to a new place called Ganeesha at Xemxija. I got to know of the place the day before during some work related travelling. I saw a sign by the road of this new place and thought we could try it out.

Anyway, so after around 40 minutes to reach Xemxija, we started following these signs but got to a dead end. We drove around every street of Xemxija without success. That's strange. We ended up asking a local who pointed us to the corner we just drove around but remarked...'if it's open!'.

So we drove back around this corner and finally found it. But it was closed! We were going to try a new Indian restaurant that was not yet open! We should be invited to the opening night for our dedication.

Anyway, so we ended up applying Plan B, i.e. dining at the Star of India (also at Xemxija). We can safely say that this is our favourite Indian place. It is actually the first Indian restaurant we ate at, four years ago, to celebrate Baanisuu's birthday. And as with most first timers, it remains special.

Our second visit (we rarely revisit restaurants, if though they may be favourites) was no exception. As starters, we had vegetable pakoras and onion bhaji. For the main course, our choices fell on Pulao rice, garlic Nan bread, Chicken Chettinad and Jeera Ghost. Yes, the Jeera Ghost. I learned the hard way that Ghost means lamb in Indian. I made a complete fool of myself by telling the waiter "...and I would like to order Lamb Ghost." It is like saying: "I would like to order fish huta (fish in Maltese) or meat carne (meat in Italian)".

Apart from that, the food was excellent, the setting quiet, uncrowded and with a beautiful view of St. Paul's Bay. It is highly recommended and also well priced. The meal cost us Eur19 (Lm8) each, including a bottle of sparkling water.

Panasonic Lumix TZ5

2008-10-09T13:40:00.003+02:00

I have recently decided to go for a new digital camera. My current one is a Nikon 3100 that I purchased almost 5 years ago from Liverpool. It has served me well, taking so many memorable pictures of student days, travels, Baanisuu and other events. But, the time is up for it and hence my search for a new one.

My eyes almost immediately fell on the Lumix TZ5. I still wanted to go for a compact camera, since I do not considered myself a pro or semi-pro. Plus, I'd rather have a camera that can fit in my jeans pocket. What struck me of the TZ5 is its optical range (280mm or 10x) and its wide angle (28mm) lens. It comes with a lithium ion battery pack which is what I was after after a not-so-happy relationship with rechargeable AA batteries. I had a look at several reviews which gave it quite a positive ratings:

Digital Camera HQ

Image Resource

DPReview

It also is capable of shooting HD video with sound (My Nikon shot videos without sound).

One of the downsides seems to be pictures taken indoors and at low light. As for the dimensions, it it a typical point and click measuring 104x 62 x 35 millimetres. Here below are some pictures of it. I quite like the blue one.

In terms of price, I found the item on eBay for Eur 260 (Lm111) including shipping costs, a 4GB SD memory card and other 7 goodies. What do you think?

2 October 2008

2008-10-03T13:55:00.004+02:00

Yesterday, back from training, I had a quick shower to get ready for a traditional Maltese horse meat dinner. After the shower, I grabbed my mobile and found a missed call. Interesting!

I tried calling back on my way to the bar&restaurant but the caller did not reply.

I arrived at the bar&restaurant.

The caller might have phoned me in error. It happens sometimes. I considered sending an sms, wrote half of it but then discarded the idea. As soon as I put my mobile back in my pocket, it rang. I went outside and answered the phone:

(lots of background noise)

Caller: Hello! Who is this?

Me: Hi! It's me! I have found a missed call from you and tried phoning you back.

Caller: I am sorry who?

Me: It's me!

Caller: Oh yes, I have some news for you!

(to be continued next week)

Andrew Simms, Met Office and Sarah Palin

2008-10-01T13:22:00.004+02:00

Wonder what the above have in common? They all featured in articles on The Guardian today. All were related to climate change.

The article in The Guardian by Andrew Simms it is related to climate change and the need to avert significant change by doing action now. From the whole article, the following paragraph stuck out:

Considering that it took governments in the UK and US just a week to drop decades of hardened economic practice to save the financial system (a subsidiary of the environment) from meltdown, nationalising banks at great public expense, we should be asking why it takes any longer to act to save the planet from runaway warming.

Very true!

The author goes also about the environmental deficit, ie, the use of resources and disposal of waste at a rate which nature cannot recover from. This complements the article on a Met Office report that urges governments to start reducing emissions now before it is too late:

Professor Bob Watson, chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said..."If we act now, maybe we have got a fighting chance,"

Very sad!

To close it off, a third article on The Guardian identifies Sarah Palin's (running mate of McCain (Republican)) environmental credentials. Actually, she does not have much. She denies man-made climate change:
"I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made"
and would rather have oil drilling companies doing their job in Alaska rather than declaring the polar bear as an endangered specie. Luckily, she lost the case. However, she has placed an appeal against the decision!

In May the US department of the interior rejected Palin's objections and listed the bear as a threatened species, saying that two-thirds of the world's polar bears were likely to be extinct by 2050 due to the rapid melting of the sea ice. Palin, governor of Alaska and the Republican nominee for US vice-president, responded last month by suing the federal government, to try to overturn the ruling.

Outrageous!

Another week gone by

2008-09-30T13:42:00.003+02:00

Another weekend gone by. This time, Baanisuu and I spent the weekend on Gozo, the sister island. We were staying at Ta' Marija farmhouse in Gharb. It accommodates 16 people (though it has 5-6 rooms), has a huge pool, well stocked kitchen and a large living area. We did not use the pool much.

This weekend came on the back of two large events.

One was the visit to London the week before (blog post in the working). The other was my dissertation viva on Thursday 25th. Basically, this was a sort of a 30 minute interview in front of some 7 people. You may think it is intimidating, but alas, the setting was not. I was situated at the head of an oval shaped table. That reduced the confrontation element. I knew all the people in the room except for the foreign examiner. Questions were though and at times rather tricky, but I think I answered them well. As expected, the trickiest came from one of my tutors...

So know I am waiting for the disseration and degree grade. In the meantime, I have some corrections to my dissertation to do.

22 September 2008 (Monday)

2008-09-23T12:28:00.002+02:00

This day did not start well. First of all, it was the first day back to work after the brief spell in London. Second, on that Monday, primary and secondary schools restarted. So you can imagine all the hassle on the roads. Traffic is getting worse by the day. It will worsen at the beginning of October when University and sixth forms start and remain so until May/June of next year.

Not a good Monday morning at all.

London: Here we come!

2008-09-17T13:03:00.004+02:00

Tomorrow I am off to London for the weekend. It promises to be an eventful weekend. Firstly, me and Baanisuu will be meeting our mates who have left this island for a better life elsewhere.
Secondly, we shall be attending a gig on Friday night that will feature the following great bands:

Anathema;
Paradise Lost; and
My Dying Bride

Thirdly, on Saturday night, Baanisuu and I will be watching the musical Les Miserables.

Fourthly, we shall also be the standard tourist. Sightseeing, making photos, a couple of souvenirs, take away food etc.

Can't wait...

Winds show how dirty we are

2008-09-16T16:27:00.003+02:00

Ever noted that in Malta, when the wind gets strong, so much dirt lies around?

The cause is easy to understand. Unfortunately, we Maltese are heavy dumpers. We throw away lots of stuff away in the outside environment, such as from car windows or by accidentally dropping objects. Such items such as paper, plastic bags and bottles etc tend to congregate in shadowy corners, at the base of trees or wherever. Thus, only some patches look dirty.

However, the wind of the last days has shown our true colours. Go walk anywhere you like and you'll find lots of rubbish lying / flying around.

And for heaven's sake do not blame the laziness of garbage / litter collectors. It if were not for our constant and obscene littering, these people would not have a job!

Yes, we are a dirty people.

It's over

2008-08-03T18:49:00.003+02:00

I am done with it! No more Mirming! After having spent a week in Maremma doing our final credits, I had two weeks left to finish my dissertation.

The corrections that I had to do in the end were not much. At this exact moment I am printing my second copy. I need to hand in the copies by tomorrow noon.

Actually I still have the viva left. It will be held on the 25th September. But let's not worry about that now.

Daqshekk! Finito! Fertig! Chan gun!

Welcome back life!

Extreme sport: tower jumping

2008-07-30T13:18:00.001+02:00

Ever thought of doing some rock climbing?

Well, it seems this was not enough adrenalin for the Czechs who invented tower jumping. After climbing up rock, they sort of jump themselves down.

Watch this video to believe... crazy!

Still alive

2008-07-22T10:46:00.002+02:00

Just a note to tell you that I am still alive. My dissertation has taken up much of my life for the past weeks. It is due on the 4th of August. In the meantime, I also went a week to Maremma, Italy for a week of hard work (fieldwork and presentations) as part of the MIRM course.

Anyway, hope to be regularly back in a few weeks, and finally get my life back!

Firefox 3 Download Day

2008-06-14T09:30:00.000+02:00

Google Maps now features Maltese roads

2008-05-29T14:14:00.005+02:00

For those of you who love Google Maps, I have just realised that you can see the names of the Maltese roads on the map! Now that is really great isn't it?

The directions does not seem to work properly yet! If that is improved, I will no need to go to the MEPA website to search for roads. Just lovely. Thanks you Google Maps Team! You're the best!

Open your browser and log on to http://maps.google.com.

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

Inter campione : La grande festa a San Siro

2008-05-20T14:17:00.001+02:00

The awarding ceremony of the Serie A Scudetto

Siamo noi, Siamo noi!!

The game that won the scudetto! - Grande Ibra

2008-05-20T14:04:00.001+02:00

The genius does it all by himself....

Zlatan Ibrahimovic!!!!

Campioni d'Italia!!!

2008-05-20T13:52:00.002+02:00

45 minutes remain...

2008-05-18T15:57:00.002+02:00

After seeing the first half of Parma vs Inter, I can tell you...Inter are going to loose the scudetto.

No more hope left.

I will just see the next 45 minutes to get more frustrated

Green Office Project: Environmental Tips for the Workplace

2008-05-03T09:07:00.002+02:00

Creative and straightforward video on green office tips produces by university students, including a friend of mine who is the actor ;-)

Clean that keyboard!

2008-05-01T09:54:00.003+02:00

You there who are reading this beware. Most probably, one of your hands is on the mouse and the other on the keyboard.

Think...

How often have you been to the toilet and not properly washed your hands?
How often have you eaten over your keyboard?
How often have you cleaned your keyboard?

Read below...

'A microbiologist carrying out research published today for Which? Computing magazine examined samples from 33 keyboards and found a variety of bugs including E coli and S aureus, which can cause skin infections and make people ill...

The scientist swabbed a loo seat and a toilet door handle in a typical London office for comparison. One of the keyboards in the experiment had to be removed from the office because it was five times dirtier than the lavatory seat and home to 150 times the acceptable limit of bacteria...

The research showed that the chief culprit for contamination was people eating at their desks and dropping crumbs which lodge between keys and encourage the growth of millions of bacteria.

Other causes included poor personal hygiene, particularly people failing to wash their hands after using the toilet. Dust, which traps moisture, also provides ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria....'

Interesting huh? Knowing this, would you use internet cafes?

Source: The Guardian

The issue of food miles and globalisation

2008-04-24T13:00:00.001+02:00

Jacob Musyoki, who I visited on his farm in the Machakos district of Kenya, grows green beans that are air-freighted to Britain for sale in supermarkets. A lot of environmentalists want us to boycott them because of the CO2 emissions from the nightly flights from Nairobi. But that would be bad news for Musyoki, who makes a much better living growing beans for consumption in Britain than he did when his only markets were local. He has enough money for a TV. He is a citizen of the world and is proud his kids can now stay in school.

Do we really want to cut emissions by pulling the plug on Musyoki? He is not responsible for global warming. We are. Perhaps we should do something to cut our carbon emissions that inconveniences us, rather than wrecks his life. Why not keep buying the beans, but take the bus to the supermarket instead of driving?

Fred Pearce - The Guardian

Quote of the month - how to save water...

2008-04-24T11:22:00.003+02:00

This quote I heard at work: I wont' be saying from whom it came but it is a good one that can help you to save on water at home (we do not do this at work):

If it's yellow, let it mellow,
If it's brown, flush it down.

You'll know what it is referring to...

Portishead the video

2008-04-13T10:52:00.001+02:00

Ok, so now you have proof that I listened to it all. I was provided the ability of embedding the video in a webpage. This is what I've done:

Porishead - 'Third'

Portishead

2008-04-13T10:09:00.002+02:00

For all those of you who love Portishead, take a look at this:

http://current.com/items/88899146_portishead_in_portishead

This is a performance from Portishead performing 7 songs of their third album called 'Third'.

To be honest I am just listening to it at this moment now, but it sound very promising.

I don't want to pay more than three times my salary

2008-04-11T08:55:00.003+02:00

That is what a young professional told the BBC when asked about how much was she ready to pay for her mortgage. This young lady earns some £30,000 (€37,500) a year, meaning that the mortgage she aims for should be less than £90,000 (€112,000). How she will manage beats me, considering the housing market. If she does, and if many Brits do, I shall envy them. Why?

Take a look at Malta. If I would like to have a maximum mortgage of three times my annual wage, that would put me in the range of €40,000 to €50,000. Now, a decent unfurnished, shell form flat / apartment in a decent location would have a price tag of at least (and this is optimistic) double the maximum mortgage of three time my annual wage.

Looking forward to forking out that money? NO WAY!! But the time will come...

I fully share the thought of the people in the BBC article:

"I'm not looking for an investment. I'm looking for somewhere to live" - Izzy Miyaghi

"...an entire generation of young professionals has been unable to get on the housing ladder as a direct result of immoral lending" - Heidi McFadden

BBC

Painful Emptiness

2008-04-11T08:47:00.003+02:00

It is more than a week now that the dentist took out three wisdom teeth from my mouth. Yep, three at once. After corrupting my stomach with a three time daily (at minimum) dosage of painkillers, one side of my mouth decided to give me a break and the pain eased off. However, the same is not true for the right side of my mouth. Only one tooth was taken out on this side, but pain is never ending.

I visited the dentist, worried about my situation a few days back. His reply: 'It is healing'. Ok I thought, thank God the pain is there because it is healing.

However, why the two teeth (or better, holes) on the left decided to heal days before the one on the right beats me.

Malta versus Liechtenstein

2008-03-29T11:25:00.003+01:00

Michael Mifsud manages to score five goals in a record breaking match where Malta beat Liechtenstein 7-1

Quite a match I must say! I am sure those few people present did not expect this

Surprise party pics

2008-03-28T16:16:00.003+01:00

Pictures taken during my surprise birthday party (25th year on this blue planet) can be viewed online here:

My Surprise Party 22-03-08

Massive Antarctic ice sheet collapses with global warming

2008-03-27T18:23:00.002+01:00

The Wilkins ice shelf disintegrates and loses large chunks of ice into the sea.
A sign of anthropogenic global warming? Scientists think so...

See all the article on The Guardian

25...

2008-03-27T08:25:00.001+01:00

It's official.

Three cheers for living a quarter of century on planet Earth.

Thank you all (including Earth) for sustaining and sharing with me your lives.

Dumbfounded

2008-03-23T09:48:00.003+01:00

Tuesday I received a call from the dentist, telling me that my appointment on Thursday (for tooth extraction) had to be changed...

My dad told me that on Saturday we were having a barbecue at my dad's farmhouse at 9pm...

Organised and paid for by English friends of ours...

The time was chosen so that my aunt could go for the Easter Saturday mass and we meet afterwards...

That meant missing the Inter vs Juventus match (which ended 1-2 for Juventus)...

On Friday, my friend told me he had not seen my sister for quite a while...

On Saturday, mum went to help my aunt with the food preparation (for the barbecue)...

My sister came early home (she was away for Easter weekend), we saw Lost and then she left to to talk to a friend of hers...

At around 8.55 Baanisuu and I were walking to the farm...

I noticed a parked car similar to that of the drummer...

Baanisuu notices that there are quite a few clouds and it could rain...

We enter the farmhouse, I notice the outdoor barbecue is unlit...

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T09:47:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter to all of you who read this blog!

Chooseday and Shut the Door!

2008-03-22T09:55:00.003+01:00

This week I have read about two community initiatives taken in the UK that try to do simple things that help reduce CO2 emissions and improve our environmental footprint.

The first I read about was Chooseday (sounds like Tuesday). The aim of this initiatives is for people to decide a day of the week in which they will leave their car at home and travel to work by bus or carpooling. The obvious aim is to reduce the number of cars on the road (http://www.chooseday.org/). This is being carried out in Bristol.

An interesting thing I noted is that bus lanes (yes, they caused significant controversy when they were introduced for a few hundred metres in Marsa) can also be used by cars that car pool. So instead of here where bus lanes are used by buses, mini vans and taxis (even if carrying no passengers), this could be extended to allow cars that have more than two passengers. I do not know how many fines were dished or how it is monitored.

The second community initiative I read about was Close the Door. It speaks for itself: Leave doors shut and is targeted at the business community. A lot of energy is wasted by leaving the doors of shops and restaurants open. Huge losses result from lost hot / cool air. Why not close them and save this energy. It was calculated this may bring a 20-25% reduction in electricity bills. The initiative offers stickers to be fixed on doors to explain why the shop is leaving its doors closed. Good one!

I would extend this to offices too. We took a similar initiative at work to keep room doors shut when the air conditioner is on. It may go against what many cry out for the 'open door' attitude (mainly to bridge the physical divide between management and staff). I do not have records of the achievement from our initiates, but electricity consumption did fall.

So try it yourself: carpool and close that door!

Firefox crop circle

2008-03-16T10:38:00.002+01:00

It is Sunday morning, and I came across this crop circle in Google Earth / Maps ... Foxy Aliens?

View Larger Map

Six Revisions

2008-03-14T13:26:00.004+01:00

One of my hobbies, or rather addictions, is browsing through countless pages on the web, also looking for information that interests me. This covers a wide range of activities from football, Formula One, to climate change, energy and current news.

One of my hobbies and things I enjoy doing is building websites. I started by doing the typical personal website that were quite popular some five years ago. However, that project was abandoned (with all the stuff on it lost) while I was studying Geography for a semester at Hope University, Liverpool. Nonetheless, I worked on two projects, mainly related to my dad's travel agency business.

When I joined my current employer after finishing my final year at the University of Malta, I was given the task to develop the company website. I was also involved in building two project-related websites (that have been taken offline after the project was completed) and some others. Furthermore, I am currently working on an online questionnaire for my MIRM dissertation.

Therefore, when I encountered the blog 'Six Revisions' I could not have been more than pleased. Six Revisions is a web development and design blog. The posts are quite varied and include many tips, ideas and resources. What's best is that the language and jargon used is too my likeness,ie neither beginner nor too advanced jargon. No wonder I added the blog feed to Google Reader.

Finally, it is very useful to me since it helps to stay updated on the current trends and developments in both design and development.

Wednesday morning

2008-03-12T08:15:00.002+01:00

It is Wednesday morning, the day after Inter's elimination from the Champions League against Liverpool. The game did not go as all expected. I had a glimmer of hope after the first half, but when Burdisso was sent off and Ibrahimovic lost that easy chance up front I knew that all hope was lost.

Now imagine my mood right now.

I enter the offices at work and my colleague tells me that Mancini is to step down at the end of the season. No, not this one too!

It is going to be a long Wednesday...

Plane Landing in Hamburg

2008-03-04T13:25:00.004+01:00

Watch this...

As usual, money goes to the wrong priorities

2008-03-01T09:31:00.002+01:00

The US Air Force has just announced that it awarded a multi-billion dollar contract to a company called Northrop Grumman to replace its aging air refuelling tankers. The deal is first to replace 179 tankers and eventually the whole 500 of them.

The cost?

$40 billion dollars for replacing 179 expanding to over $100 billion dollars for the whole fleet.

Also, the US military has recently awarded the largest ever contract in history for a $200 billion Future Combat System programme.

The Pentagon is furthermore expected to award a contract of over $200 billion to the future F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

And then they accuse Iran, Russia and all the guys on the 'Axis of Evil' of rearmament. What is that they are spending the money for?

AND THEN the US finds it hard to sign an international treaty to curb CO2 emissions because it will hurt its economy BUT, it is ready to pay those billions of taypayer dollars to enhance its military fleet. Not to mention of the poor of course. This my friend, is the real unjust world.

Marks and Spencer hopes to cut plastic bag use with 5p levy

2008-02-29T14:03:00.004+01:00

I wonder if any of the local supermarket chains such as PAVI, Smart, Scotts, Lidl etc have considered such a move to cut at our bad habit of filling our car booths full of goods in plastic bags. Personally, I doubt it. I still remember the outrage when the ecotax was announced. I am not aware of any figures that show wheter such a tax has managed to reduce the consumption of certain products, apart from filling the public coffers.

Marks & Spencer will charge 5p for each bag and the proceeds will go to charity. In Britain, 13billion bags are distributed each year, each of which can take up to 1000 years to decay. Plus they are made from the black gold called oil.

Can anyone tell some executive at these chains that reducing the distribution of plastic bags helps their bottom line and the environment? At least, they can start a trail at one of their many outlets and gauge customer feedback.

Source: The Guardian

Awesome football video

2008-02-28T13:23:00.002+01:00

This video is so cool, I had to put in on this blog (apart from the fact that I have not blogged much lately). This video has to do with the EA Sport Fifa Street 3. Great promo video of course, and cool skills, especially the shot over the head! Enjoy

This is really pure genius - a car that runs on air!

2008-02-13T15:57:00.002+01:00

Can you imagine this? A car that runs on compressed air! I could not believe this until I saw this video. That car and future off shoots can do wonders for the environment by reducing air pollution and CO2 emissions.

I wish all the best of luck to the two engineers on succeeded in the their project.

Also, the following comment caught my eye on youtube.com:

beautiful this cars will stop the terrorism we are sponsoring by buying oil from arabs

Climate change progress and the US

2008-02-13T11:58:00.003+01:00

Is this deja vu or history repetition?

The conference (in Hawaii) ended with the U.S. agreeing to join nearly 190 countries to craft a blueprint for fighting climate change by 2009. But that only happened after participants loudly booed repeated U.S. objections to the document.

Source: CNN

Europe's map according to the Maltese

2008-02-10T09:18:00.001+01:00

I could not let this go unnoticed...so good. The words are in Maltese of course!

Lost for words

2008-02-10T08:30:00.000+01:00

This blog has been quite dry lately, not much to say, not much to write. But, I have some news I would like to share. On Thursday 14th of February, I am off to Paris for a short break from this country, MIRM and politics. I shall be back on Sunday night, so if you want to catch me at the airport...

I shall not be alone of course. Baanisuu will join me.

A wonderful Valentine's Day present.

Now this is a first!

2008-02-06T13:19:00.000+01:00

"The Church of England is urging people to cut down on carbon, rather than chocolate, for Lent this year.

The 40-day plan lists simple energy-saving actions that can lead towards a lighter carbon footprint, including snubbing plastic bags, giving the dishwasher a day off, insulating the hot-water tank and checking the house for drafts.

Participants are asked to begin the carbon fast by removing one light bulb from a prominent place in the home and live without it for 40 days, as a constant visual reminder during Lent of the need to cut energy. On the final day of the fast, people are encouraged to replace the missing bulb with an energy-saving bulb."

The article on The Guardian also gives the 40-day plan. Some of the items are pretty simple, others require some investment. Whatever it is, you do not have to be a Church of England follower, or a Christian at all. What is good for the environment is good for Christians, Muslims and Buddhists alike.

Just read and follow.

Please note that the 'carbon fasting' must be carried out through the other 325(6) days of the year, of course.

Album of the Month: Dave Gahan - Hourglass

2008-02-02T09:48:00.000+01:00

One of the things I like about winter is to have to keep the windows of my car shut while I am driving. This makes for an excellent opportunity to better listen to music since the sound waves are not distorted with the turbulence coming from open windows.

I grabbed this opportunity to get some new stuff. My pal R had made me listed to some staff from Dave Gahan, which I liked. I then managed to get his album Hourglass which was released last October.

My impression? Wow what an album! I must admit I was not much of a Depeche Mode listener so I cannot compare nor contrast. But Hourglass is really a good listen to, especially in a month like January where you are stuck with exams, assignment deadlines AND really tight work schedules.

Hourglass is for sure a welcome addition my list of favourites.

Update: Election on the way...

2008-01-26T09:34:00.001+01:00

An example of the structures I was referring to can be seen here below. And my thoughts were reflected in an article in The Times.

Election on the way...

2008-01-24T16:44:00.000+01:00

How do you realise that finally the election is really due?

Look at the main arterial roads.

This morning I noticed more than 5 new structures that were placed along main road on my way to work. The concrete / steel structure were painted blue, a sign of to which party they belong (I should have got a picture).

What are they?

They are the footings for billboards that will haunt us from now on till election on all the good thing the government did, and all the bad things the opposition would have done.

Biofuel saga again..going the wrong way?

2008-01-23T13:35:00.000+01:00

Once again, the biofuel issue is a hot potato. The Guardian has in the last few days mentioned concerns by the EU, as well as scientists, on the actual benefits of biofuel.

The EU has admitted that:

the environmental and social impact of producing the crops may be greater than originally thought

Also, in the US, the cultivation of maize for biofuel, has been accused of increasing food prices and damaging the environment.

A Report in Science has also indicated that biofuels made from corn, sugar cane and soy could have a greater environmental impact than burning fossil since they have higher costs in terms of biodiversity loss and destruction of farmland.

Another Report from the Royal Society suggested that biofuels risk failing to deliver significant reductions in transport emissions and could even be environmentally damaging unless the government implements the right policies.

Ultimately, the Royal Society was quoted as saying that given biofuels were already in the market, it was "vital that policies that promote biofuel development also address the environmental, economic and social impacts.

Sources: The Guardian
The Guardian

New ways of generating energy / heat

2008-01-20T15:13:00.000+01:00

How about using body heat from a railway station to heat buildings next door?

Or using the heat from traffic passing on roads to heat nearby households?

And what about human excrement? Ever thought that it could be converted to biogas?

Or chocolate - using production wastes to create fuel?

Read on here: Crazy idea, but it might just work

The comeback of Adriano?

2008-01-18T08:40:00.001+01:00

I admit he was one of my favourite players, but his form at Inter let many to doubt his talents. The death of his father had a too large impact on him. Adri became depressed, indulged in drinking and a life not ideal for top class footballers. Inter have sent him to Brazil, to regain tranquillity and find his form.

Here is the first goal he scored in the first official match for the San Paolo outfit.

Hopefully, Adri will continue to score such goals and go back to Inter FC after July full of energy and goals up his sleave.

What bullshit! Junk mail at its worst

2008-01-14T22:24:00.000+01:00

Just take a look and read carefully the image below. I found this piece of paper placed face down between the front wiper and windscreen of my car. I realised there was something while I was driving and thought it was some comedy, you known Mr. Hero ... but then!

There is so much bullshit around these days. I wonder how such people manage to survive.

As for the services he offers..wow! It seems godly with all those guarantees.

Even Achmed would manage to get his promised 72 (female) virgins!

Mr Hero, help him!

Ibra goal 1-3 VS Siena

2008-01-14T22:20:00.001+01:00

What a goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic!!

Busy Busy Busy

2008-01-12T10:10:00.001+01:00

I have my first semester exams today week. So I have to do much reading and memorising the basic theories. That will most probably stress me out a little but then Sunday 20th I shall rejoice!

Anyway, the New Year has been good to me so far. I have already given Baanisuu her Valentines' present. I know it is still early and still fresh from the Xmas presents dash but circumstances led to it.

Ok so I am off to continue studying. Please....

Silence!

I kill you!

(Thanks Achmed!)

Vote for Michael Mifsud

2008-01-10T22:06:00.000+01:00

Coventry City striker Michael Mifsud is among a five man shortlist for the FA Cup 'E.ON Player of the Round'. Voting is now open and will close at 9am on Monday January 14.

Click here to vote for Mifsud.

He is currently the leader at 77% of all votes. Make this count larger and vote for Michael!

Spread the word.

Blacburn Rovers vs Coventry city

2008-01-06T12:43:00.001+01:00

Coventry do it again in the Cup. Last time in the Carling Cup, now in the FA Cup. Michael Mifsud manages to score two in an excellent match for Coventry.

The Guardian posted: "Michael Mifsud was inspirational as Coventry dumped Rovers out of the Cup at Ewood Park" in an article aptly titled: "Mifsud makes Hughes his latest cup victim".

Well done Michael!

The countdown begins

2008-01-04T13:44:00.000+01:00

Today is the 4th of January 2008. I have just handed in my last assignment for this semester. Exactly today in six months time, 4th June 2008, I have to hand in my dissertation.

The countdown has begun.

Welcome 2008

2008-01-04T13:35:00.000+01:00

The first post of the year has to be a welcoming one. Looking back at 2007, I must admit that it was characterised by a number of lows that were not experienced in the years before. Nonetheless such events help to make people stronger and love each other more.

So what do I expect from 2008?

Well there are two major events: Hopefully My Masters Graduation in November and a good result for Italy in the Euro 2008.

I have no holidays plans at the moment but I am sure that Baanisuu and I will run away from the country for some time.

I also hope that Inter will keep on doing well as they did in 2007. 2008 is the year Inter will be 100 years old. For that occasion, they are playing with a special gear that was designed on the original way back in 1908. I have one such gear, given to me by Baanisuu for our fourth anniversary.

I also hope that 2008 will be a calmer one, one where I will also have more time to spend on things I enjoy. I shall hopefully be returning to playing football after I finish with my MSc studies. With the extra time at hand, I shall be also spending more quality time with Her.

Anyway, farewell 2007, I expect more from 2008.

Recent weather

2007-12-30T10:13:00.000+01:00

The continuous rain coming down during the last few days of the year seems to be a first. Also, the last three days we had thunderstorms that are more typical in September than December.

It will be interesting to get the statistics from the Met Office on this seemingly abnormal December weather.

Achmed the Dead Terrorist - Jingle Bombs

2007-12-26T13:09:00.001+01:00

Achmed in Christmas mood!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T20:59:00.000+01:00

It is Christmas Day and my Baanisuu is taking her shower before we go out for a Xmas drink with friends. So I have a little spare time to wish all of you blog readers out there:

Merry Christmas!

Ticking away...10 days to go

2007-12-21T17:44:00.000+01:00

This is the season to be jolly fa la la la la la la la

I might add, this is the season to be stuffed, stuffed with all the food that I am going to eat. My Xmas party bash started last night with a meal with my MIRM mates. The meal was at Peppino's in Paceville. Food was good. Afterwards we had a couple of beers in the bars.

Today was my last day at work for the year. We finished early, at around 2pm and went off for lunch at Vino Veritas. Had a pizza with some wine. Tonight, I have a five course meal, courtesy of Alleance Francais. My god!

Tomorrow for lunch I am meeting my former geography mates. Then in the evening, I have a meal with Baanisuu's Uni mates.

Sunday and Monday are dedicated to our mates. We shall be hanging out together at the usual place. That means lots of food, lots of drink and lots of laughter.

Come Xmas day, another big meal. I can better define it a marathon meal. I am not exaggerating if I say that such meals at my aunt's may last up to almost six hours!

Then Boxing Day is another meal, the official meal with the 'marmalja'.

Jesus....that's so much of food.

For those of you who are scared of heights

2007-12-20T14:26:00.001+01:00

About freakin' time! Planning Summer School 2007 images

2007-12-16T11:00:00.000+01:00

From Planning Summ...

A few weekends back, exactly on, Saturday 24th November 2007, I decided to dedicate the morning to upload some of the best pictures that I took early September when I attended the Planning Summer School in Swansea, Wales. I know, I have better things to do, but this was a job that had to be done sometime or another. Anyway, click on the image above to link to the online folder. I hope that someday I will manage to upload the Ireland pictures. But that is more problematic; there are over 600 to choose from.

Anyway, take a look...

Musical climate change

2007-12-15T11:29:00.001+01:00

I tell you, reading climate change science while listening to Sigur Ros in the background is quite problematic. It makes the thing more biased. Sigur Ros are not quite known for their jovial mood in their music. And alas, they are from the cold north ie Iceland.

So imagine listening to the soothing music, imagining yourself in some Icelandic village walking about like a huge mammoth with all the clothes on. And you decide to trek and walk to and on the beautiful pure whiteness. The ice and snow after which Iceland has its own name.

However, deep down you realise that the place may change completely, and that is in a few years time. I tell you, reading climate science on the Arctic (Ok, Iceland is not quiet in the Arctic but close enough) is quite depressing. It makes you loose hope.

I was reading an interesting article from the guys at Real Climate and my God are we in deep shite! Of course, much of the scary observations observed now can never really indicate if all hope is already lost. But, things do not look good.

Read below on what is going on in the Arctic:

Since 2005 there has been a 25% decline in Arctic sea ice at the time of minimum, equal to the combined area of Texas and California

The state of ice thickness observed in 2007 is quite similar to the modelled state in 2020

Will 2007 be remembered as the tipping point for sea ice? Only time will tell.

There has been a decline in prime polar bear habitat in many places, but also some increase in polar bear habitat in the central Arctic. The latter will disappear eventually, as summer sea ice continues to retreat.

The Northwest Passage has opened. The Arctic will be increasingly opened to economic activity like oil drilling, with all the attendant environmental hazards and chances for political dispute

the estimated (see level rise rate) ... is now 2.2mm/yr, of which 30% is due to Greenland and 20% due to Antarctica (ice melt).

Moving on to another blog post, the issue is glacier ice retreat. Another threat that will further decrease albedo, reduce the ice-water reservoir and make history the much frequented skiing pistes..

98% of the named Alaska glaciers are retreating,
95% of 612 studied Tibet glaciers are retreating, and
98% of monitored Alpine glaciers are retreating.

I think I should listen less to Sigur Ros

Waiting for Bali

2007-12-15T11:04:00.000+01:00

It is Saturday, 11 am GMT+1. The outcome should have come out by Friday, but talks are still under way.

Yes, I am still waiting for the outcomes of the Bali Conference, where the latest news indicate that something concrete is to come out. Until that moment comes, I will check the news every few minutes or so while listen to a new EP by Sigur Ros.

Hoping.

Hail and Bali

2007-12-14T13:10:00.001+01:00

A rather particular event happened to me on my way to work this morning. The sky looked heavy and grey with hugu cumulus clouds waiting for any moment to pour their contents. I was driving along the main road and got stuck in traffic under the 'University Tunnel'. As I was reaching the end of it, I realised that it was pouring heavily on the outside; I entered the tunnel dry. To add to the 'shock' most of the rain was actually hail. So bang bang bang loud on the car, I had to turn up the volume to continue to listen Ghost Reveries (Opeth) (Yeah! Quite a wakeup tune!!).

Apart from that, the temperature is really cold today, at least at work. The a/c does not seem to be providing enough heat.

Anyhow I admit I am a little anxious at the moment. I am awaiting the outcomes of the Bali Conference which, I believe, will have an impact on the way we know and shall know our Earth. Climate-related concerns are very high. The climate itself is already responding with record low ice levels in the Arctic. An expert believes that the Arctic Ocean will be ice free by 2013! That is five years from now!

Let us pray that he's wrong.

Examplary green incentive

2007-12-11T13:12:00.000+01:00

Here below is a good incentive proposed by French government to reduce energy consumption and produce less CO2 emissions.

...the French government (started) to offer cash bonuses of up to €1,300 (£940) to buy new low-emission cars and penalties of up to €2,600 for buying the most polluting models.

The French car scheme took effect last week and offers a €1,000 bonus for cars emitting less than 100 grammes of CO2 a kilometre, €700 for those emitting less than 120g and €200 for those emitting less than 130g. A new model emitting more than 250g, such as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo or a BMW X5, carries a penalty of €2,600.

Now isnt' that a bold decision that will make the air we (they) breathe cleaner?

Maltese politicians, get inspired!

Weekend Break

2007-12-07T15:14:00.000+01:00

I am off to Gozo for the weekend. I hope the weather will be fine, although the forecast says that it will rain. My guest shall be Baanisuu. I have booked a room overlooking a popular bay in Gozo. Want to now where? Check this space early next week...

Enjoy the weekend!

I tell you: Scrap Biofuel away!!

2007-12-07T14:48:00.000+01:00

Biofuel, Biodiesel, ethanol and the likes. They are pitted as the saviours for our car engines as we seek remedies to do away with fossil fuels. But, alas, not all that glitters is gold.

Research back in August quoted that: increasing production of biofuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels Source.

One may argue that the debate is wide open, and I fully agree to that. However, what is happening is that biofuels in the form of crop derivations is financially more advantageous for certain sectors of the economy. The most is the farmer. Crops for biofuel are getting a better prices than crops for food.

This was even stated by Pippo Psaila, head of the EORC, a Maltese company that produces biofuel. Although they started and still use used cooking oil as the source of biofuel, the EORC plans to expand. And what does it offer? The end of the article in The Times, Business edition of the 6th of December says it all:

"Farmers could grow jatropha instead of fodder.... In the end, they would be growing something that gives them a much higher income for much less work".

First of all, one must be very careful when introducing new crops. It must be made sure that the plant is not invasive. We do not want jatropha to be another haxixa ingliza do we?

Secondly, the farmer will surely gain, or so he hopes, a higher yield and more valuable crop. But what about the previous user of the fodder?

We all know that food prices have risen tremendously in a few months. It is believed that food stockpiles are very low, at levels last seen in the early eighties. Exchanging food crops with fuel crops will not made the situation better.

I shall end with some text from an article I read on the reasons why food prices have risen so much:

1 Rising consumption: The appetite of fast-growing nations, such as China, is rising as economic booms cause a surge in demand for meat and dairy products

2 Competition from biofuels: The cars of the rich are now rivalling the bellies of the poor for corn, cane and edible oils

3 Climate change: Global warming is putting pressure on water needed to irrigate crops

So what do you think? Would you still go for biofuel?

Mifsud scores two against WBA

2007-12-07T08:56:00.001+01:00

Michael Mifsud,a.k.a the Mosquito, helped Coventry win with a two goal advantage over West Bromwich Albion. The was the return leg of the match in which the Mosquito was sent off and suspended for three games. He came back with revenge to score two and help the Sky Blues end their dismal winless form.

Well done Michael!

A very very special day

2007-12-06T15:14:00.000+01:00

Today is a special day for me, for us. It marks the day we started together, Baanisuu and I.

It all started four years from today, a number full of 3s -> 6 / 12 / 2003, my favourite number.

A great film (Kill Bill Vol1), finger fiddling and a look in the eyes was all that made that moment magic.

Four years later, here we are about to enjoy a special weekend break on the island of Gozo. We deserve it!

Thank you! xxx

Record Blogposts

2007-12-04T13:03:00.000+01:00

I must say that November has been a particular month for me on Blogger. I myself am really impressed on the number of posts I have managed to write. In November, I managed 2o posts. I doubt how much I will manage to surpass this, but anyhow, congrats to me.

Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

2007-11-29T14:29:00.001+01:00

I was alerted to this video and it was too good to ignore. I am therefore posting it online for your viewership!

Society and the young

2007-11-29T09:20:00.000+01:00

Interesting post from Nestor Laiviera, a 23 year old University student in 4th year of reading for a Bachelor of Communications Degree. I think there is much truth about this. And how many times have we heard it? (U iz-zaghzagh ta' illum.....)

Defining the younger (and theoretically more enlightened) generation as ‘frivolous’ and ‘immature’ only ultimately belittles the society that creates them, and only serves to hinder the generations that follow.

This comes from a students' blog found online on The Times.

Down with gas

2007-11-29T08:43:00.000+01:00

I have been suffering since Friday when a realised that something was wrong with my bowels. I started taking some pills and eat drier food. It seemed to be getting better but then on Tuesday, the pain and WC visits were too much to ignore. So I went to the doc who told me that I had gastric flu. Lovely. It is not easy to eat dry food, crackers, plain bread etc. especially if you are cooking yourself. Yes, my parents are away in Germany and so we have to do the cooking ourselves. I shall be posting some images of the good food that we prepared, thanks to my sister's photography of course.

My God is that real?

2007-11-26T13:35:00.000+01:00

By late 2008, it will be the highest man-made free-standing structure in the world. Interesting to note that the proposed height is still a secret, though it is expected at 816m.

Have a look at the tower website and you shall get more impressed. Furthermore, wikipedia suggests that other competing high rises are in the pipeline; all are to be located in the Middle East

This should further confirm the rising status in the global arena of the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Xmas lights at the cost of...?

2007-11-26T13:18:00.000+01:00

Di-ve.com has just published the following:

Christmas street lightning gets discount
by Chris Galea, di-ve news

VALLETTA, Malta (di-ve news) -- November 26, 2007 -- 1225CET -- Enemalta Corporation has amended its scheme giving a discount to street lighting during the Christmas festivities.

The Corporation will be giving a 50 per cent discount on temporary services for the decoration of streets during the festivities, a scheme which is expected to cost Enemalta around Lm5,000.

Under its previous scheme, Enemalta used to give the first 50 units consumed for free, which effectively represented a reduction of less than Lm3 on the expense. This scheme had last year cost Enemalta less than Lm300.

The Corporation augured that that the contribution would help to further embellish the commercial centres during the festivities.

Xmas spirit apart, this is surely not the way forward to reduce energy consumption.

Some wise words

2007-11-24T09:52:00.000+01:00

I think I shall call this the quote of the month:

Gli amici veri sono quelli che ti danno contro e ti fanno capire che stai sbagliando, non quelli che ti danno sempre ragione e ti dicono che la colpa e' sempre degli altri.

Translating to English, it should sound something like:

True friends are those who stand up and tell you that you are wrong, not those who always say that you are right and tell you that others are always to blame.

You might be asking who said this. The answer is Roberto Mancini.

He was speaking about Adriano and all his latest problems that have influencef his on-the-pitch performances.

Our latest baby...

2007-11-23T13:23:00.001+01:00

The image below is the promo image found on many website of our latest baby. Yes, the Acer Extensa 5500, aka Baks, was purchased more than a month ago now. It is a shared ownership thingy between me and Baanisuu. Baks is doing its job surely well, ie making the best of mobility.
Price? circa Lm400 including case, Windows Home Premium and 2Gb RAM instead of 1Gb.
Seller? Scan Computers

Climate change slideshow

2007-11-22T13:52:00.000+01:00

I have just added a tiny winy widget to this blog, thanks to the Blogger team of course. It is simple. This widget is a slide show. Pics can be your own or from an online archive (Flikr, Picasa). If you choose the latter, you have to insert a tag name that will be used to find images of your choice. Since I do not have many pics on Picasa, I decided to go for the term 'climate change'. What did you expect?

Science fiction? Science yes; fiction no

2007-11-21T11:16:00.000+01:00

Have a look at the pictures below. I was amazed. It looks so surreal. More likely from a sci-fi blockbuster than a few metres (50m-175m) below the ground. Yet, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located in Switzerland, is about to open its doors next year. Purpose: particle accelerator and collider.

Wasn't I right? Amazing!

Eco-driving...interesting tips

2007-11-15T13:17:00.000+01:00

Driving at 70mph rather than 85mph - a 40% fuel saving

5% fuel saving can accrue from consistently changing gear at the right time (2,500 revs in a petrol car)

Environmental advantages of taking the aggression (rapid acceleration, jerky gear changes) out of your driving and travelling smoothly and steadily

Every 45kg taken off the car can save 1% on fuel

The average eco driver, doing 12,000 miles a year, could be saving up to £273 a year on petrol

Don't bother slipping into neutral. A modern fuel-injected car coasting in neutral is basically idling in disguise and will consume more petrol than when it is in gear.

Good maintenance is at the heart of economical performance

Now how would you go about all this? Are you an eco-driver?

Source: The Guardian