250mila scuse. Una per ogni copia stampata. Sarà dura per la compagnia low cost easyJet far dimenticare – e in fretta – la gaffe. Non uno scivolone qualsiasi, ma di quelli che toccano la sensibilità di una nazione e di una religione: quella ebraica.

Nell’ultimo numero della sua rivista, infatti, alcune modelle sono state fotografate all’interno del Memoriale della Shoah di Berlino. Il tempo di mettere le copie (250mila, appunto) nelle tasche dei sedili degli aerei, ed ecco che qualcuno ha cominciato a storcere il naso. Poi sono arrivate le proteste di alcuni passeggeri.

“Siamo profondamente dispiaciuti”, hanno detto i vertici della compagnia britannica prima di ritirare tutte le copie. E poi hanno minacciato di rivedere il contratto con la società che si occupa di confezionare la rivista.

I was watching the interview by Tony Fernandes (the founder of AirAsia) and was surprised that even though he has recently launched a very successful low cost airline, he claimed that his inspiration was EasyJet (a small European low cost airline). It was odd for me because his previous employer was Richard Branson (of Virgin Airline) and the most successful European low cost airline was RyanAir.
In India also we have a couple of low cost airline. Some are doing well, some were earlier low cost, but now they have abandoned this business plan. Hence I booked a return ticket with RyanAir to see firsthand how they operate and how they are so successful in cutting costs. Here are few of my observations (the list is not exhaustive)
a. They fly not from main airports, but from small airports at the fringes of the important city. This is important because this means that RyanAir becomes an exclusive airline at these airports. This helps it schedule landing and takeoff priorities better, faster turnaround time. Most important that not only do airports charge a lower taxiway, parking, passenger handling charges (sometimes as low as 50% or the international norms) but Charleroi airport even paid a six figured sum to sign a contract with ryan air.
b. Being a remote airport outside the city, ryan air also gets a share of the profits from the transport operators (busses, car rentals), restaurants and motels that owe their fortunes to the airline.
c. Passengers are supposed to print their own boarding pass.(15 euros if you don’t) If they are carrying a big bag or it weighs more than 10kg, then they have to pay 15 euros (35 euros if you don’t book in advance) At Barcelona there was a RyanAir flight every 5 min, yet it was hard to see any of the RyanAir staff and this saving is passed on to the passengers.
d. Inside the aircraft, they have even removed the trays or the personal basket. Hence the airhostess doesn’t have to spend time cleaning up. Even the seats don’t have a reclining button. So no need to waste time telling the customers not to recline etc. Not to mention every service inside the aircraft is charged and for the 2 hour flight you are constantly bombarded with advertisements and promotional schemes.
e. The airline does not give seat numbers to the passengers. There are no busses to transport them to the aircraft hence in a way there is a mad rush to race to the aircraft and occupy the window seats. The airline also charges 3 euros for priority boarding. All this gives RyanAir best turnaround time in the industry.
f. Bulk of the fleet purchases were done at the time of the SARS scare when airline gave substantial discounts and concessions to anybody who could keep the manufacturers in business. Also unlike other European airlines Ryan has a fleet exclusively of Boeing 737 and the Americans were just happy to sell to the Europe for the first time that they forget to even bill them properly.
No wonder their future vision is to ferry the passengers for free and charge only for the services.

Informazioni su dove dormire, cosa visitare e come muoversi a Berlino.

Pochi giorni fa il mio amico Andrea Orsini mi ha chiesto informazioni su Berlino. Questo post è dedicato a lui e a tutte le altre persone che desiderano fare un bel viaggetto in questa città.

Dove dormire a Berlino:

Quando si decide di viaggiare uno dei primi quesiti che ci poniamo è: “Qual è il posto migliore in cui poter pernottare spendendo il giusto? Albergo o ostello?”. Per questo mi sono un po’ informata e ho scoperto che l’ostello Jetpak City Hostel di Berlino gode di un’ottima reputazione, sia per il suo rapporto qualità-prezzo, sia per la pulizia della sua struttura che per la sua doppia posizione, una nel centro della città e una più decentrata rispetto a Berlino.

Un altro albergo di Berlino recensito molto positivamente è l’Hotel Otto. Albergo a 4 stelle nel centro di Berlino, l’Hotel Otto offre camere standard, comfort, studio e suite. Per coloro che sono alla ricerca di soluzioni low-cost la camera standard è sicuramente quella più indicata (80 euro a notte).

Come muoversi a Berlino:

Per chi desidera muoversi per Berlino senza spendere una fortuna la soluzione migliore è quella di acquistare una Berlin WelcomeCard. Questa tessera consente di utilizzare tutti i mezzi pubblici della città e di usufruire di sconti fino al 50% su oltre 140 offerte per musei, attrazioni, spettacoli, club e ristoranti.

Cosa visitare a Berlino:

Dopo una non-breve documentazione ho raccolto un po’ di informazioni su cosa è consigliabile visitare quando si fa un viaggio a Berlino.

Uno dei primi posti da visitare sicuramente è la Porta di Brandeburgo, monumento simbolo della città. Sovrastata dalla Quadriga della Vittoria, la Porta di Brandeburgo era il punto dal quale iniziava il celebre Muro di Berlino.

La visita di Berlino può poi continuare percorrendo la storica strada della città, la Unter den Linden,  su cui si trovano numerosi luoghi di interesse tra cui il Museo della Fondazione Guggenheim, la Neue Wache, il Teatro dell’Opera e la famosa piazza di Bebelplatz nel quartiere Mitte, luogo in cui è esposto un pannello luminoso, dedicato al rogo di libri avvenuto per mano dei nazisti nel 1933.

La visita del quartiere Mitte si conclude nell’Alexander Platz, una delle piazze più celebri della parte orientale di Berlino. In questa piazza sorge il famoso Berliner Fernsehturm, la torre della televisione, uno di quei luoghi che, a detta di molti, non ci si può lasciar scappare se si visita Berlino. Il Fernsehturm, alto 368 metri, è facilmente visibile da tutti i distretti centrali di Berlino e, ad un’altezza di 207 metri, ospita un ristorante panoramico che ruota di 360° ogni mezz’ora.

Una tappa imperdibile durante una visita a Berlino è il Reichstag, il palazzo del Parlamento, e la sua cupola di vetro costruita dall’architetto Sir Norman Foster.

Per chi invece fosse interessato allo shopping, Friedrichstrasse, nei quartieri Mitte e Kreuzberg, è il centro nevralgico berlinese ideale per gli acquisti.

Sono inoltre numerosi i musei offerti dalla città di Berlino. Eccone alcuni:

Jüdisches Museum: è un museo di Berlino interamente dedicato alla storia degli ebrei. Il museo raccoglie duemila anni di storia e cultura ebraica.

Il suo creatore, Liebeskind, battezzò il progetto del museo “between the lines” (tra le linee) facendo riferimento al difficile percorso della storia ebraico-tedesca. La struttura del museo, infatti, occupa due edifici: uno già esistente, il barocco Berlin-Museum o Kollegienhaus, e uno contemporaneo, avanguardista, complesso e sorprendente quanto angosciante, costruito appositamente per ospitare il museo.

DDR Museum: è uno dei musei più interattivi d’Europa. Piccolo ma originale ed insolito, il DDR Museum permette ai suoi visitatori di toccare circa un migliaio gli oggetti allestiti al suo interno e raggruppati per temi come la famiglia, il tempo libero e la scuola

Bauhaus Archiv Museum für Gestaltung: è il museo del design di Berlino. Esso contiene la più grande raccolta al mondo di documenti sulla storia e sulla funzione svolta dal Bauhaus tra cui modelli, progetti e disegni architettonici, complementi d’arredo, stanze, mobili.

MauerMuseum (o “Museum am Checkpoint Charlie!”) è un museo ricco di documenti, foto, video e oggetti che ricordano le centinaia di persone che il 9 novembre 1989 (giorno della caduta del Muro di Berlino), a bordo delle proprie Trabant, attraversarono il famigerato posto di blocco “checkpoint Charlie” per raggiungere la zona ovest della città.

Inoltre, un luogo molto interessante da visitare ritengo sia la East Side Gallery, ovvero 1,3 km di tracciato del muro di Berlino completamente ricoperto da graffiti riguardanti il tema della pace e della libertà, realizzati da numerosi artisti.

Spero di avervi dato delle informazioni utili.

Visitate Berlino anche per me!

Although there are many reasons that women choose to have more children after a tubal ligation there are many women that want the second chance. For women who want more children many times they are told that IVF is the only solution. But, there is a procedure that works and has better pregnancy results and costs less also.

Tubal ligation reversal has given many couples something to be very thankful for. Many times women search and cannot find much information on tubal ligation reversal. Much of this is due to the fact that many physicians are just not trained in it.

The good news is if you are looking for tubal ligation reversal surgeons who have excellent pregnancy success rates they can be found. Dr. Gary Berger and Dr. Charles Monteith of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center perform tubal ligation reversal surgery 5 days a week. When having this surgery performed at CHTRC it is performed as an outpatient procedure. Most of the tubal ligation reversal patients are returning to their homes or hotel room within a couple of hours.

As seen in the above video many couples go on to have multiple children after tubal ligation surgery. When choosing to have more children after the first there is no added charges or treatments. The surgery is performed once and that is it not like when a woman undergoes IVF treatments.

There are over 40 tubal ligation reversal videos available for viewing on the CHTRC website as well as a wonderful and supportive message board. Many times women are uncomfortable talking with just anyone about tubal ligation reversal and this is the perfect place as all the women are there for the same reason.

TomTom, the market leader in GPS devices have launched the new TomTom Navi home. Director of entry-level markets, simplifying the user start TomTom interaction with an improved user interface, while some of the major end features like IQ Routes and TomTom Map Share, available in high-end many of the TomTom navigation devices market today Sat.

The perfect combination of form and function, the TomTom used directly from the box. With a newsimplified menu, scroll through the TomTom Home only has two simple buttons, "Instructions" and "map" so that users can run their trip by simply touching the screen to get. The new menu system allows users a quick and easy access to the preloaded database of safety cameras and thousands of points of interest, offers a convenient browsing experience.

In addition to redesigning the user interface has undergone design review of TomTom Home, and is divided into sixcool new colors. Users can also customize the look of the device with their own ideas with the purchase of several interchangeable "skins begin" – Cover and game bags available in the TomTom website. The device can download a wide variety of content, including the launch of the displays and custom voices through TomTom HOME software, which for a unique selection of configuration options.

"With a single button, TomTom can always give the quickest waytheir purpose, so they have a total calm, "says Ken McAlpine, director of design for TomTom products." What's more, but we offer ample opportunity for individual customization to reflect your personal style. "

With one of the latest innovations from TomTom – IQ Routes – the Tom Tom is starting to get from A to B quickly and efficiently ideal. IQ Routes is a new feature, the use of the driving experience of millions of TomTom users do and use the speed of over 800 billionMeasurements taken to plan the quickest and most efficient route. Based on historical information to reduce travel time for each street, rather than the traditional static measure of maximum speed per road type, IQ Routes ™ technology provides a more accurate estimate of travel time, optimum paths , while saving considerable time and gasoline costs.

TomTom HOME is also one of the new devices have TomTom Map Share – a new and innovative community based on the exchangeMaking system, which users instantly customize their own map changes and changes with other TomTom users via TomTom HOME, you can share the software. With TomTom TomTom Map Share users can now benefit from the thousands of free map updates for TomTom users every day based on TomTom Map Share data online. The combination of ease of use, form and function of GPS in a package small enough to fit in a pocket or small purse, the standard TomTom Home Edition is now available with UK maps on competitionPrice 119,99 EUR, or maps of Europe by EUR 139.99.

For decades they were sitting pretty at the bottom of stiff cartons d’invitation. Good, old fashioned smart dress codes. Smart like in Cary Grant. Smart ass!

Then came management by objectives and project management science. MBO. PM. And other acronyms. Such as S.M.A.R.T. objectives. Challenging…

The brain child of a car- and a watch-maker. Colorful and small, they colonized Rome and other maze-like Italian cities. Not so sure about the rest of the world. They were not made of chocolate, but they could be parked like thrash bins. They took up roughly the same size. Smart Mercedes Benz cars. Wow!

Then also cars became obsolete. Enter the smart cards. We can now check-in with them and unblock ubiquitous car-sharing vehicles. Cool.

Yes, you can liaise with the office from home, and the office liaises with you just everywhere else. Smartphones. Multitasking. (Or the end of cool).

Since a couple of years we’re reading more and more about them. Now we’re understanding better what they are. MeinMann is working now on their costs/benefits, who still protect their mystery fiercely, though. Smart grids are coming. They are the future. Awesome.

De Mazière, the new Interior Minister of the Merkel government, said stop to Aufbau-Ost. He said now innovation is needed. And growth. Guess what? A smart one. Ach so…

Suzy Menkes in Berlin, Techno Luxury Conference. Guess what the bikers-cum-entrepreneurs guys from Vexed talked about. Injury protection and moisture management. Smart materials. Urban.

Well. There has been a moment for all thing new. New Look. New Deal. New Romantic. New Economy. New Town. For thing high. High Tea. High rise. High Fliers. High Fidelity. High Octane. Highway. High protein. High yield. High Net Worth Individuals. And also things low had their heyday. Low Carbs. Low Fat. Low Cholesterol. Low Calories. Low Income. Low cost.

Now it’s the time for things smart. It ain’t be particularly strong or heroic. Nor depressive and minimalist. It has to have a good return on capital. Not maximising. Second-best maybe. Moderate investment, acceptable return. Low risk. No weigh restriction – within reason – must fit in 20×30x50. Like easyjet luggage.

Welcome to the new thrifty, also known as “smart”.

Photo: The Guardian

People listening to policymakers debate the nation’s energy future might think: Just erect a lot of wind turbines, and problem solved. Or install a bunch of solar panels, and let the sun do the work.  However, renewable energy alternatives present costs and challenges just like traditional energy sources — coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydropower.  (read World-Herald article)

Ya se que es una mala comparación (según el punto de vista) el casarse con las compañías aéreas. Siempre hemos buscado una compañía, pero  ¿por qué no tener más? tener más opciones, ser libres . Me explico mejor, hay muchas compañias de bajo coste, pero las hay que son fuertes y que están creciendo pero que están asentadas por zonas de Europa. Por qué no tener una compañía que lidera en Europa del Este y otra en la del Oeste. Es una forma estrátégica de abarcar más territorio y ofrecer un mejor servicio al usuario. Además del usuario no podemos dejar de lado a los comerciantes, empresarios y emprendedores que pueden buscar oportunidades en países emergentes y traer riqueza a su tierra.

Hace una semana un amigo me dijo que vió un anuncio de Asturias en Polonia, para mi dinero tirado a la basura por que no estamos conectados a esa país de ninguna manera. Antes de promoción obviamente hay que tener conexión.

Решението да извървя Камино дойде спонтанно.

В началото на пролетта животът отново ме постави на кръстопът. Трябваше да избирам между два различни пътя, но аз избрах третия – този към Сантяго. Обстоятелствата изглеждаха неблагоприятни. Моментът не беше подходящ. Имаше къде-къде по-важни неща за вършене от 500 километрова разходка пеш из Испания. Можех да обикалям по интервюта за работа и да слушам глупости за кризата, примерно.

Всеки момент е подходящ за реализирането на една мечта! Просто трябва да вземеш решение и да действаш. Аз постъпих точно така: купих еднопосочен билет за Испания, резервирах нощувка в центъра на Мадрид и си опаковах багажа.

Тръгвах напълно сам. Нямах много пари. Разполагах с всичкото време на света, но не знаех теоретически колко може да отнеме едно такова пътуване. Испанският ми започваше и свършваше с „Аста ла виста, бейби!” Липсваше ми подходяща трекинг екипировка. Не знаех дали тялото ми ще издържи. Чисто физически. След дългото заседяване пред монитора. Не взех дори елементарни неща като спален чувал, палатка и пътеводител. Тези неща тежат, а трябваше да ги мъкна през цялото време на гърба си. Нямах идея къде ще се подслонявам през десетките нощи в испанската провинция. Знаех само, че трябва да следвам стрелките и да се оставя на Пътя да ме води. Всички онези пътеписи за Камино ги четох едва, след като се върнах от Сантяго.

Лоу-кост полетите кацат на неудобно място или в неудобно време. Губеше ми се идеята да транспортират задника ми до другия край на континента срещу 80 лева. Определено изпитвах съмнения в качеството. Фактът, че трябваше да пътувам от летището до центъра на Мадрид в два през нощта не беше достатъчен, за да оправдае подозрително ниската цена. Освен това си купих билет само пет дни преди полета. За пръв път в живота си щях да летя  лоу-кост. Не знаех какво да очаквам.

След митническата проверка ме осени поразяващата действителност на факта, че връщане назад вече НЯМА! Тръгвам и това си е! Приключението започва СЕГА!  Последните български левчета инвестирах в овърпрайсната бутилка шампанско. Полях новооткритата си свобода. Сам. Левчета и без това нямаше да ми трябват през следващите няколко месеца. За Бога, аз дори не знаех кога се връщам! Нито как. Нито дали изобщо. Заминавах с еднопосочен билет! Този факт ме опияняваше повече от газираното, овърпрайснато менте.

Всичко щеше да бъде чудесно, ако любимото ми предаване не се казваше National Geographic Air Crash Investigations. Предстоеше ми да се запозная с едно ново, незабравимо усещане. Нарича се „страх от летене”. Изживях го на борда на малък разбрицан боинг, който пърхаше с крилца като лястовичка в тъмното небе над Средиземно море. Зад „волана” седеше капитан Хосе и очевидно му беше за първи път.

В паметта ми завинаги ще остане мига, в който произнесох най-искрената молитва и дадох най-тежките обещания. Другите пасажери бяха заети със същото. Видях библии, корани, броеници, талисмани. Видях очи, притворени в дълбока молитва.

Тишината се прекъсваше единствено от неравномерния вой на реактивните двигатели. Каросерията се тресеше. Всичко вибрираше. Редуваха се пропадания и изкачвания, в съчетание със злостни наклонявания. Една-единствена червена точка светеше някъде долу, в тъмното. Съседът ми по седалка предположи, че е кораб. Зачудихме се колко ли е студена водата по това време на годината. Чувствах се като парцалена кукла, вързана с коланче през кръста, по къс ръкав, на 10 км над морето, летяща със скорост 900 километра в час през разредена атмосфера, която дори не става за дишане. Но за сметка на това е студена. Много студена. Минус 40 градуса и надолу.

Най-страшното идва, когато лицата на стюардесите станат сериозни. Любезните усмивки изчезват. Заменя ги делово изражение, което зле прикрива първобитния страх от смъртта.

Когато колесникът най-после докосна пистата на международно летище „Барахас” в Мадрид, пасажерите щяха да станат прави, за да ръкопляскат, ако стегнатите до откат колани не им пречеха.

Вълнуващо начало на едно интересно приключение.

Ще си позволя да ви дам мъничък съвет: не гледайте National Geographic Air Crash Investigations, ако ви предстои полет. Вероятността да попаднете на борда на капитан Хосе е твърде голяма…

Тихомир Димитров

Avec TVLowCost les marques prennent l’escalator

TVLowCost fête 5 ans de démocratisation de la TV !
En 5 ans, 700 spots ont été réalisés pour 130 clients dans 12 pays…
Qui a dit qu’il était impossible de réduire les coûts de la pub télé ?

Le 1er Octobre 2004, à l’instigation de Jean-Paul Tréguer, Rodolphe Muller, Chloé Biron, Marion Bouillaguet, Isabelle Le Dû et Jean-Marc Segati, l’agence TVLowCost ouvrait ses portes en créant le concept des “PACKS TV TOUT COMPRIS”. Pour la première fois, les annonceurs découvraient que pour 250 000 € tout compris ils pouvaient aller promouvoir leurs marques sur les grandes chaînes TV.
Pour un budget 4 à 5 fois inférieur à ce qu’ils croyaient devoir dépenser, ils avaient 100 spots TV sur TF1, F2, F3, F5, M6, C+, une SAGA de films réalisés, un pre-test consommateur et un baromètre IPSOS.
Le marché des agences traditionnelles “high-cost” a éclaté de rire en criant “impossible !”…
Les annonceurs, eux, sont venus en masse…et continuent de plébisciter l’agence qui fait prendre l’escalator à leurs marques… au moindre coût, bien sûr !

Parece ser que el low cost va cogiendo fuerza, tanto que se plantea hacer tramos transoceánicos por parte de Ryanair. Podía ser esto una oportunidad para Asturias si se piensa bien . Todo es meditarlo y ajustarlo, pero claro está, de base necesitamos tener un aeropuerto con conexiones.

America here we come – Ryanair flights for as little as £10 

Noticia encontrada por Daniel Palicio

Dalaman International airport is one of the busiest airports in Turkey as an increased number of travelers arrive from European countries every year to the Dalaman. The airline companies have started offering cheap flights options to Dalaman and visitors benefit from the inexpensive adventurous tours offered by airline companies to Dalaman.

Earlier the cost of the trip to Dalaman and surrounding places was high that lowered the inflow of tourists to the region. The authorities started decreasing flight rates in order to call customers. Other than the cheap flights, the whole expenditure to travel to this part of the world can be reduced by getting a bargained package on internet. Bargaining can be done only through the official site of Turkey. Low cost flights tickets are also available on the website.

Internet allows tourists to get online bookings onto a low cost airline and it also has offers of low cost accommodations in luxurious hotels of Dalaman. However, in order to find out the best tickets prices with the help of internet a deep research is required.

You can get informed about the low cost airlines to Dalaman on internet or you can opt for one-way flights to Dalaman that is a low cost offer. There are many kinds of deals that can be made on internet to get better prices in cheap flight tickets to Dalaman. In low seasons like winters, you can get cheap flights to Dalaman and the seaside resorts are equally beautiful in winters as it is in summers.

Getting the tickets about 4 to 6 months before can lower the prices to a certain amount. Therefore, running at the last moment for the tickets can lead to a bit higher rates. Several packages and offers are available along with cheap flights to Dalaman and cheap hotels in Dalaman. The prices can also tend to vary from the traditional ones even for accommodations.

Booking for flights and accommodations together, can help you to get a discount on the entire charges. The official site of Dalaman provide adequate details on the lower rates of the airline tickets along with the best hotels rates and accommodations like huts or cottages that can be hired in a low price for many months. You should try to find out a target price before booking for the tickets.

On finding, the cheapest ticket in that season can help one decide the date for travel. Using the neighborhood airports of the destination can pursue cheap airline tickets to Dalaman.

Another major thing is to shop around for airports. Getting into a secondary airport of a big city in Turkey can be cheaper. Other than the internet, there are also travel guides and certain other resources that can help in buying the cheaper rates. The flight tickets can also get cheaper by selecting the season when the rush towards Dalaman is less. This can save money and more time can be utilized in the city without much noise and people.

¿Podemos hacer algo? ¿Debemos hacerlo? No se si  podemos hacer algo al respecto pero que sí debemos tomar cartas al asunto. Los asturianos somos gente orgullosa de su tierra, pero además tenemos una característica indudable y es que somos ciudadanos del Mundo. Esta, seguramente viene de la incomunicación sufrida por los siglos pasados, nos da una sed de conocimiento y experiencias que deben ser saciadas con viajes, cuantos más mejor, y sin son a un precio asequible muchísimo mejor. Y esto último es lo que venimos reclamando, un aeropuerto competitivo que sea capaz de comunicar Asturias con el resto de Europa de una manera eficaz.

Hoy inauguramos el blog prometido. 2500 Fans de Ryanair in Asturias Please

Un saludo a todos y ¡Felicidades!

Noticia:

La Nueva España – Diario Independiente de Asturias – Asturias – La Junta reclama mejorar las conexiones aéreas.

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This is one addictive and simply delicious recipe for all of you pesto lovers. I was introduced to pesto at my Aunt’s house one evening. My husband and I was immediately hooked to the deliciousness of this sauce. We shopped for it and amazed at how expensive pesto is. So I decided to look for an easy recipe since it would be my first attempt at making it. The recipe that jumped out of me had one of my favourite things in the recipe, GARLIC. That night, with all the right ingredients ready, I made this awesome sauce. I did make my usual alterations to the recipe to fit my taste buds and my pocketbook. Everyone knows how expensive pine and Brazilian nuts are, so I substituted those nuts for that super-food, almonds. This is one recipe that you can make quickly and easily using a blender or food processor. You can use it in so many other recipes, like Pesto Bread sticks. It also makes for a great dip or spread. I ended up mixing pesto in with wheat penne. The second time I made this, I served the pesto over vegetables, chopped cooked chicken and linguini. Very yummy!

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Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves

• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for a thicker pesto, reduce oil by 1/4 Cup)

• 3/4 Cup Almonds (original recipe calls for 1/2 Cup Pine & 1/8 Cup Brazilian Nuts)

• 2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (you may substitute ready to use cheese like Kraft Parmesan Cheese)

• 3 Tablespoons Minced or Chopped Garlic (original recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons)

• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Place the clean basil into blender or food processor.
2. Pour 1 Tablespoon of oil in with basil and blend into a paste.
3. Gradually add nuts, cheese, garlic and chili powder.
4. Slowly pour remaining oil into blender/food processor.
5. Blend ingredients until smooth and well combined.
6. Scrape sides and continue to blend on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.
7. For best taste, pesto should be heated up in the meal it’s being prepared with.
8. Serve as soon as possible.
9. ENJOY!

Served!

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Today, I found an entertaining piece of information for my « casual day news ». Thanks to Sergio, I recently read a “funny” article about low cost travel.

The English team soccer of Chelsea recently flew out of Qatar to Brazil. Lampard and the England team rode on a charter plane, better suited to shorter flights, whose seats did not fully recline. The Sun reported that some players of the team said they suffered from cramps and muscle aches after the journey. After spending seven hours cramped on the flight, Lampard picked up an injury during training and may be out of action for up to seven weeks with a thigh injury. As a result, the England football league (FA) could face a bid for nearly £1million in compensation.

The moral of this story:

The FA should have known that low cost travel is like playing Russian roulette. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but let’s face it, you always end up lose more than you win in the end!

Parlando della scelta della macchina fotografica mi sono soffermato poco su uno dei motivi per cui la Canon si rivela una decisione buona anche per chi vuole andare nella direzione del low cost.

Le Canon sono infatti compatibili con i vecchi obiettivi con attacco a vite (detti anche M42). Tramite un adattatore del costo di pochi euro si possono così recuperare obiettivi che sul mercato sono ormai deprezzati pur essendo delle ottiche valide. Spesso anche notevolmente migliori degli attuali obiettivi di fascia entry level.

Con Cosina 200mm f3.5

Ci sono però dei limiti. Il primo – importantissimo – è che possiamo dimenticarci l’autofocus. Non è cosa da poco, sia per la pigrizia e scarsa esperienza che ormai mediamente il fotografo improvvisato ha, sia perché col digitale la messa a fuoco si complica. E’ necessario un mirino abbastanza luminoso o almeno il live view (anche se non sono certo che funzioni su ottiche non AF) oppure un’ottica appunto luminosa sufficientemente da poter consentire la messa a fuoco. Inoltre con obiettivi di focale media e lunga l’impresa si complica per il peso – si tratta di obiettivi di metallo – e per l’ingrandimento.

Eppure si possono fare dei veri affari oppure – come nel mio caso – degli acquisti davvero interessanti. Il mio parco ottiche M42 fino ad ora conta un 28mm f2.8 (Tamron), un appena acquistato 135 mm f2.8 (Super Paragon) e un 200 mm f3.5 (Cosina). Costo medio? 12 euro per ognuno…

Dedicherò un post per ciascuno. Come vedete si tratta di ottiche luminose anche se non eccellenti, ma in grado di dare delle grandissime soddisfazioni.

Il Tamron 28mm (croppato a 1.6) diventa un 44.8 mm su DSLR Canon consente una visuale molto simile a quella dell’occhio e restituisce una luce speciale, satura e tersa contemporaneamente.

Con Super Paragpn 135mm f2.7

Il Super Paragon 135 mm diventa un fantastico 216mm su DSLR Canon, ottimo per i ritratti ed i primissimi piani. Luminoso permette una veloce messa a fuoco anche se bisogna fare attenzione all’esposizione. Valido anche per la street photography.

Il Cosina 200 mm, che risulta un mostruoso 320mm su DSLR Canon, è eccezionalmente luminoso ma necessità di molta attenzione e di una buona base di appoggio.

Infine due parole sull’adattatore. In commercio ce ne sono di due tipi: solo metallici e con segnalazione della messa a fuoco. Quelli metallici (disponibili in argento o nero, preferibili in quest’ultimo colore per evitare riflessi interni alle ottiche) sono i più a buon mercato (circa 10 euro). Di fatto sono degli anelli che permettono di adattare la filettatura per EOS a quella a vite ed inoltre tengono premuto la leva del diaframma dei vecchi obiettivi (anche gli auto) lasciando poi regolare il diaframma dalla ghiera posta sull’obiettivo stesso. Consentono la messa a fuoco all’infinito. Una volta montati la macchina non riconosce l’ottica e appare sul display “F0″. Si mantiene generalmente l’esposizione automatica, tanto che si riesce anche a scattare in Program e TV pur se personalmente preferisco andare tutto in manuale.

Con Tamron 28mm f2.8

L’altro tipo di adattatore (che non posseggo) ha in più un chip che consente di passare alla macchina le informazioni sulla corretta messa a fuoco, facendo così visualizzare nel mirino i puntini rossi e segnalandolo anche acusticamente. Mi attira molto, se non fosse per il prezzo, attorno ai 50 euro che al momento mi pare davvero elevato per un prodotto del genere.

Le possibilità di imparare a modulare la luce ed i dettagli dello scatto, con questo tipo di ottiche sono grandissime e la soddisfazione per i risulati ottenuti è sempre alta. Il digitale, paradossalmente, evidenzia tutte le proprie possibilità proprio con questi vecchi obiettivi. A presto.

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Every year 10.6 Million kids die before their 5th birthday. Malnutrition accounts for about half of that number. Finally, we may have a solution which addresses both caloric and micronutrient deficient diets: Plumpy’nut.

The old adage about being able to live off of only beer and peanut butter is almost true in this case, although since we’re talking about kids – it’s peanut butter and powdered milk. The mix also includes powdered sugar and several vitamin supplements including zinc, Vitamin A and E, iron and protein. It can add an astounding 1kg (2.2 lbs) per week to a hungry child’s weight.

CBS News ran a special on it back in 2008 but unfortunately WordPress does not support their embedded video.

It’s been used successfully in Niger by Medecins Sans Frontiers and is now being recommended by UNICEF for use across Africa and the world.

Plumpy’nut does not need to be cooked, or refrigerated, or boiled, it does not need to be mixed with water (eliminating potential contamination as has happened with powdered milk formulas), it has no parts which could be a choking hazard, it comes pre-packaged in an ideal amount, it can be eaten directly out of the packaging; making it an ideal meal for undernourished children in the developing world who may not have access to electricity or safe drinking water.

The following YouTube clip is an excerpt piece by Anderson Cooper from the longer CBS video I’ve referenced above.

- Sarah Topps

It’s actually been a while since I’ve done any flying, so whenever I got the opportunity to go up to Edinburgh for a night I jumped at it. After comparing flight times and costs from London Gatwick, easyJet worked out the better times and the lower fare (more important). I am the first to admit that, due to my job, I have turned into an airline snob, and do prefer to turn left on board or sit upstairs. However one aspect I will always look for is value for money, so for a one hour flight I am happy to go with the lower fare and as I always prefer to sit at the emergency exit (over wings or in row one) I had no hesitation in purchasing speedy boarding (and it was still a lower fare)

I left work and drove straight to Gatwick, I had pre-booked the car parking and saved over GBP20.00 via BAA website. With pre printed boarding card in hand I was in departures within 20 minutes of arriving (this included waiting for my fellow travellers to appear). I had my complusory visit to the shops, and within no time our gate was announced. Whilst walking down to the gate I saw our aircraft taxi in, so I knew we’d have a chance of an on time departure. This was my first time using Speedy Boarding, and had heard some negative feed back from my clients, so wanted to put it to the test. At Gatwick the ground staff were fantastic, pleasant professional and policing easyJets one cabin baggage rule and the boarding groups. So far so good Speedy Boarding works.

Onboard the aircraft I was greeted by a very friendly and professional crew, as I was in 1A I was able to observe the crew and they made each and every passenger feel welcome, it was a pretty full flight 139 no infants, my only criticism, and it always has been, is free seating, however this model works for easyJet, so “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, and this is only my opinion. Doors closed, safety briefing done and lights out, we were on our way to the runway. Considering it was such a blustery night, the take off was so smooth, the pilot flying kept the aircraft on the runway centre line, which in those conditions can be tricky. I managed to have a window seat, as we departed Gatwick and headed north I had fantastic views of London, however as we levelled off in the cruise it was more cloudy, so I thought some shut eye was in order. I did visit the toilet, which was well stocked, clean and I did have to take a “Laviator” picture..

Next thing I know we at the top of descend and soon after the crew are told to prepare the cabin for arrival. I had wonderful views of Edinburgh including the Royal Yacht in Leith. Gear down and we were on final approach, again this was so smooth for the windy and wet conditions in Edinburgh, and within 30 minutes of landing I was checked into my hotel and relaxing in the bar.

I will be the first to admit that initially I was not an easyJet fan, I actually ranked them in the same league as another low cost airline. I started using easyJet about 6 years ago, BFS – LGW, I noticed a major improvement, they had just taken delivery of the A319, and as a passenger they are a lot more comfortable. The attitude of the crew had also vastly improved, they were extremely happy in their roles and it showed (on every flight I took). easyJet have worked very hard and I believe there is more to come from this carrier. So here is to the continuing success of easyJet!!