Top Tips for Eating More Fruit and Vegetables

http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/topTips/default.html

Some unusual tips at getting kids to eat healthy food:
• Sugar snap peas are a great choice for lunch boxes as a finger snack.
• Cut the top off a kiwi fruit and give them a spoon to eat it like a boiled egg.
• It can be very easy and cheap to include veg in evening meals – just add a tin of chopped tomatoes to a spaghetti bolognaise.

Unfortunately potatoes and other related vegetables such as yams and cassava do not count in the Five a Day Plan. This is because they are classified as starchy foods.

What I learned that was special:
• Peppers, mushrooms, onions or pineapple on your pizza topping count as 1 portion

Beyond Baked Beans

http://www.beyondbakedbeans.com/

This site has cheap healthy food for students, singles and anyone else on a budget.

The Beginners Basics recent features include how to make and toss pancakes, how to make a gorgeous gooey cheese fondue and how to cook a stir-fry. It is encouraging to know that the first pancake you make with probably be a dud but after that you should be able to turn out ones that look impressively professional.

What I learned that was special:
• If you want to make a basic sponge cake and don't have a recipe, just weigh 2 eggs, and add the same weight of sugar, butter and self-raising flour.

Sausage Links

http://www.sausagelinks.co.uk/

Sausages are judged according to taste, texture and fat content. In contests they are cooked by slow frying or baking and eaten hot and cold. Tasting cold sausages allows the texture and fat content to be assessed and many think cold sausages actually taste better anyway! The tasting panel ranges in age from 3 to 60 years.

A typical portion of sausages (which is only 2!) could contain around a quarter of an adults recommended daily fat intake and a typical sausage meal of sausages, chips beans could provide around 70% of the recommended daily salt intake. As with most of the better things in life, it seems that we should eat sausages in moderation - and if so we should try to eat the best we can!

Never prick a quality sausage! They have natural sausage skins and your holes will let all moisture and taste out.

What I learned that was special:
• More sausages are eaten on Saturday than any other day.

Food Commission

http://www.foodmagazine.org.uk/home/

The Food Commission (UK) Ltd is a not-for-profit company and takes no funding from the food industry. The Food Commission's work is mainly funded by subscriptions to The Food Magazine, project grants and individual donations.

The Food Commission has been instrumental in ensuring that the public, and the media, now have a much greater interest in the food we eat and the effects it can have on both our health and our environment.

Some of the campaigns supported by the Food Commission are:
• The Food Irradiation Campaign was a long running campaign designed to prevent the unnecessary irradiation of food in the UK. The campaign made clear that, 'good food does not need irradiating'.
• The Menu Labelling Campaign wants to improve the public's health by requiring fast-food and other chain restaurants to provide calorie and other nutrition information on menus and menu boards.

What I learned that was special:
• Almost 30% of household expenditure on food in the UK is allocated to eating outside the home and 30% of people eat out at least once a week.

Friends of the Earth

http://www.foe.co.uk/index.html

A book promoted on the site is Make Do and Mend, a nostalgic reminder of wartime austerity, but also packed full of hints and tips “that are still relevant today”. The government issued the leaflets included in Make Do and Mend to advise on how best to avoid wasting valuable resources by recycling curtains into dresses and old sheets into underwear.

Topics in the book include:
• What mothers can do
• How to darn holes and tears
• How to look after rayon
• How to patch an overall
• How to look after parachute nylon
• Smarten up your men!

What I learned that was special:
• 95 percent of our wildlife-rich lowland peat bogs have been destroyed in the last 50 years.

The Recycling Consortium

http://www.recyclingconsortium.org.uk/

The Recycling Consortium (TRC), based in Bristol, in the South West of the UK has merged with Network Recycling and SWAP to form Resource Futures Ltd.

One of the key projects is the Real Nappy Project, which promotes the use of washable nappies as an alternative to disposables. Outreach teams give talks and demonstrations in clinics, parent and baby groups, health centres, leisure centres, city farms, libraries and other public venues – wherever parents might be converted to a 'new' approach to an age-old job.

The project also runs a lending service, so that parents who wish to try out real nappies can do so without committing themselves financially. I am not sure if you return the dirty nappies if you don’t like them.

What I learned that was special:
• Every baby will need more than 5,000 nappies in their first 2½ years. At present these can represent half of all household rubbish for families with just one child. It means that in the UK we send 9 million disposables to landfill every day – that's about 3 billion a year.

The Centre for Ethics in Medicine

http://www.bris.ac.uk/ethicsinmedicine/
The Centre for Ethics is located in the medical school of Bristol University and was opened by Lord Limerick in 1998.

Top of the news list is Ainsley Newson, part of a consortium that has been allocated £1.8million over 5 years to study non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD). Dr Newson will work with Dr Zuzana Deans at CEM to lead on the ethical research within the RAPID project.

There is a long list of research areas that cover the Centre’s main areas of interest and expertise including children & young people, enhancing human capacities, end of life decision making, justice and health care and evidence based medicine.

What I learned that was special:
• Synthetic biology is the engineering of biology: the synthesis of complex, biologically based, or inspired, systems which display functions that do not exist in nature. Possible applications of synthetic biology could include the creation of systems to generate power, new medical applications, nanoscale biological computers, new approaches to cleaning up dangerous waste or sensitive biosensors for health or security applications.

The Genomics Network

http://www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/forum/

The ESRC Genomics Network is a major investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, dedicated to examining the development and use of the science and technologies of genomics.

Genomics is the study of genomes. Every living organism on the planet, from humans to rice to the flu virus has a genome, a genetic recipe for life. Genomes are made up of a nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA, arranged in sections called chromosomes.

If the human genome was unravelled, it would stretch to 2 metres in length; if it was written out like a novel it would be a mighty tome, more than million pages long, equivalent in length to some 600 Bibles. On the other hand, you could easily store the entire sequence on an ordinary iPod or a single DVD disc.

The ESRC Genomics Network is a group of over 100 social scientists across the UK.

What I learned that was special:
The Network Advisory Board have decided to award a crate of liquid refreshment to whomever can think up the best strap line for the Network. Can you do better than “ESRC Genomics Network –thinking outside the gene!”

Edinburgh Book Festival

http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/index.html

The next book festival will be held between 15 and 31 August 2009. 7 extraordinary days, 750 events, 800 authors, over 40 different countries represented. Program details are not available until June so I have no idea who the 800 authors will be. They probably don’t know either.

In a bid to get the whole of Edinburgh reading the same book at the same time, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature have launched their third One Book - One Edinburgh citywide reading campaign. The star of the show is Edinburgh-born Arthur Conan Doyle's tale of dinosaurs and exploration, The Lost World - chosen specially to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sir Arthur's birth.

What I learned that was special:
• The statue in the middle of the Charlotte Square Gardens is of Prince Albert.

Quick Reads – Easy to pick up, hard to put down

http://www.niace.org.uk/quickreads/user/index.php

On World Book Day, 5 March 2009, ten new Quick Reads will be published by Ian Rankin, the Dragon's Den team, Coronation Street star, Sherrie Hewson and others. There are seven fiction and three non-fiction books, all at one pound ninety-nine.

The criteria for Quick Read authors is that they are leading bestselling authors, leading names within their field or celebrity authors who will draw new readers to the world of books.

The choice of authors is decided by the Quick Reads steering committee, which is made up of leading publishers, book retailers and others in the UK.

What I learned that was special:
• If you start a book and aren’t enjoying it, don’t feel you have to continue. Maybe that book’s just not the one for you. Try something else – reading should be enjoyable, not a chore!

Amicus-MSF Trade Union

http://www.amicustheunion.org/

Unite the Union is the 'Union for Life,' throughout members' working lives - whatever their job and whoever their employer. Based on the principles of individual and collective responsibility, Unite the Union is dedicated to improving its members' standard of living and quality of life in both the public and private sectors reflecting the changing world of work, supporting workers through a programme of campaigning and organising.

Unite is the largest union in the United Kingdom, with over two million members in the public and private sectors.

The AEEU was formed in 1992 from the merger of the EETPU and the AEU. The EETPU itself was the result of a merger of two unions the ETU (electricians) and the PTU (plumbers). The Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) was formed in 1852. In July 1920 the ASE and nine other unions merged to form the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). Foundry workers joined the AEU in 1967, followed by draughtsmen and construction engineers. In 1971 the federation became known as the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.

What I learned that was special:
• On 28 March thousands of people will march through London as part of a global campaign to challenge the G20 leaders. Unite has joined with a broad coalition of development, faith and environmental groups and hopes that some 30,000 people will turn out for the event. Put People First! March for jobs, justice and climate.

The British Association of Art Therapists

http://www.baat.org

Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication

BAAT was formed in 1964 out of a group of artists and therapists who realised that in order for Art Therapy to develop, and for its value to be more widely appreciated, it was necessary to have a central organisation to which the general public and employing authorities could refer.

Art therapists have a considerable understanding of art processes underpinned by a sound knowledge of therapeutic practice, and work with both individuals and groups in a variety of residential and community based settings, for example: adult mental health, learning disabilities, child and family centres, palliative care and the prison service.

What I learned that was special:
• An Art Therapist who has been practicing for seven consecutive years can submit a thesis and apply to become a Fellow of the Association.

The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health

http://www.fih.org.uk/about_us/index.html

The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health was founded in 1993 by HRH The Prince of Wales to promote integrated healthcare for all.

The Foundation recognises that individuals should be treated holistically, with acknowledgment of the interconnection between body, mind and spirit and of the impact of lifestyle and environment on health and wellbeing.

Healthy Tips:
1. Don't join a gym
2. Don't go on a diet
3. Don't live in a concrete jungle...
4. Don't be a wage slave...
A decision to be part of a happy workplace can be a health choice too.

What I learned that was special:
• The Senzori is a stand alone room and inside there's a seat for one person, and a computer to program stress relief - a combination that can include aromatherapy,oxygen, massage, zero gravity and positive messages.

Prince Charles

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/

The Prince of Wales, eldest son of The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Buckingham Palace at 9.14pm on 14th November 1948.

A proclamation was posted on the Palace railings just before midnight, announcing that Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth had been safely delivered of a son. It was announced later that the baby Prince weighed 7lb 6oz.

On 15th December, Charles Philip Arthur George was christened in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher.

The Prince, as Heir to The Throne, took on the traditional titles of The Duke of Cornwall under a charter of King Edward III in 1337; and, in the Scottish peerage, of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

On 11th February 1970, His Royal Highness took his seat in the House of Lords.
On 9th April 2005, The Prince of Wales and Mrs Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall, Windsor.

What I learned that was special:
• In 2007-08, The Prince's income from the Duchy of Cornwell was £16.3 million and £12.8 million after tax (including VAT). Over 60 per cent of The Prince of Wales's after-tax income from the Duchy was spent on official duties and charitable activities.

The Prince’s Trust

http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/

Around one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the UK economy £10 million a day in lost productivity, while youth crime costs £1 billion every year.

HRH The Prince of Wales set up The Prince's Trust in 1976, with the goal of helping young people fulfill their potential.

HRH says what struck him was that young people weren't being given opportunities quickly enough. "No one was putting the trust in them they needed. If I was going to do anything, it had to be an operation that was able to take those risks: to trust young people and to experiment."

In starting The Prince's Trust, HRH began a commitment to help them by taking risks. HRH says "That is the whole point of what we do. We try to do things differently, to cut through the bureaucracy and the red tape. And I believe that approach has paid off."

Today, HRH continues to take an active interest in the work of The Trust and does everything possible to help build awareness of The Trust's mission, of its successes, and of the need to carry on giving young people a sense of direction, achievement and self-worth.

What I learned that was special:
• The Prince’s Trust Ball will be on 5 March 2009 and Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone, of Strictly Come Dancing fame, will be performing their amazing Argentine Tango.

BT Phone Home

http://www.btplc.com/

BT serves customers in more than 170 countries with have one of the largest IP networks in the world.

95% of the traders on the NY Stock Exchange use BT technology; more homes in Britain now have access to broadband than have access to mains water. BT was the first in UK to make mobile calls to 0800 free.

There is a new sub website – BT Sign, http://www.btplc.com/inclusion/bsl2007/btsign.asp
where different people explain everything using sign language. Something I have never seen before.

What I have learned that was special:
• In 2008 there were 111,900 employees; in 1988, 237,205.

Comic Relief

http://www.comicrelief.com/

Comic Relief was set up by comedians who wanted to do something to help others. The idea was simple - use comedy and laughter to raise money and change lives - while making sure that everyone had great fun at the same time.

Over the years, more than two thousand celebrities have given their time and talent to Comic Relief - from Ali G, Billy Connolly, Catherine Tate, Davina McCall, Jerry Springer and John Cleese to Jonny Depp, Lenny Henry, Peter Kay, Ricky Gervais, Robbie Williams and Woody Allen.

Comic Relief now has two major fundraising campaigns: Red Nose Day and Sport Relief. Red Nose Day is a UK-wide fundraising event organised every 2 years. It's the biggest TV fundraising event in the UK calendar.

The money raised supports those in need in the UK, such as due to domestic violence, mental health problems and young people or internationally such as people affected by conflict and urban slums.

What I learned that was special:
• On Christmas Day In 1985, Comic Relief was from a refugee camp in Sudan.

Dubble

http://www.dubble.co.uk/

In 2000, Comic Relief joined forces with Divine Chocolate Ltd to make the first Fairtrade product for young people – Dubble!

As the site explains, cocoa farmers need money to pay for essential things like medicines, school fees to send children to school and farm tools like Wellington boots to protect them from the snakes and scorpions that live among the cocoa trees!

There are some games on the site so I thought I would try my hand at Beanland where I could try my hand at farming on a cocoa farm. I am not sure what the demographics was but it was too hard for me! I was supposed to get three beans from the top to the bottom and two went down but with crosses so I don’t think they counted and the other one is stuck on a platform.

I thought the quiz might be easier but after only getting 9 out of 16 questions correct I realised I needed to read the whole website.

What I learned that was special:
• The motto of Kuapa Kokoo is "Pa Pa Paa" which means "the best of the best"

Divine Chocolate

www.divinechocolate.com

In autumn 1998, Divine, the first ever Fairtrade chocolate bar aimed at the mass market was launched onto the UK confectionery market. In a new business model, the co-operative of cocoa farmers in Ghana own shares in the company making the chocolate bar.

Farmers in Ghana pooled resources to set up Kuapa Kokoo, a farmers' co-op, which would trade its own cocoa, and thus manage the selling process more efficiently than the government cocoa agents. Kuapa Kokoo - which means good cocoa growers - has a mission to empower farmers in their efforts to gain a dignified livelihood, to increase women's participation in all of Kuapa's activities, and to develop environmentally friendly cultivation of cocoa.

"....for a really good balance between price and performance look out for Divine's Fairtrade 70% dark chocolate - very fruity, with a good texture and a long finish..." Charles Campion, The Independent March 2008

What I learned that was special:
• The Divine Chocolate Ltd Board meets four times a year and one of those meetings is held in Ghana.

Anti-Slavery International

http://www.antislavery.org/

I have finally found a gate out of the U.S. government!

Anti-Slavery International, founded in 1839, is the world's oldest international human rights organisation and the only charity in the United Kingdom to work exclusively against slavery and related abuses.

One area of concern is child labour. The International Labour Organization estimates there are 218 million working children aged between five and 17 (2006). 8.4 million children are in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities (2002).

There are about 300,000 child soldiers involved in over 30 areas of conflict worldwide, some even younger than 10 years old. Child soldiers fight on the front line, and also work in support roles; girls are often obliged to be sex slaves or "soldiers' wives".

What I learned that was special:
• Over 80 per cent of the expenditure goes directly to projects and campaigns. 13 per cent is spent on fundraising and events, and 6 per cent on management and administration.

Crime Victims

http://www.crimevictims.gov/flash.html

Justice for Victims, Justice for All.

Every day, people from every walk of life become the victims of crime. And every day, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is there to help them rebuild their lives.

The Office for Victims of Crime was created by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1983 and formally established by Congress in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984. OVC's mission is to enhance the Nation's capacity to assist victims of crime and to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. VOCA also established the Crime Victims Fund, the sole source of funding for VOCA-authorized programs, comprising fines, penalties, and special assessments imposed on convicted federal defendants and gifts, bequests, and donations.

What I learned that was special:
• In 2004/05 the Crime Victims Fund had deposits of 1,305 million dollars

Postal post

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of three suspects who robbed the U.S. Post Office at 7003 Glenn Dale Road in Glenn Dale, Maryland.

On January 5, 2007, at 6:00 p.m., three men, one armed with a silver handgun and another with second handgun, entered the Post Office, assaulted the on-duty clerk, and robbed the clerk of cash and U.S. Mail. The subjects were last seen travelling south on Duvall Street in a stolen dark green Dodge Caravan.

The suspects are described as three black males, 18 to 50 years old, 5'8" to 6' tall, and of medium build. One man was wearing glasses with black frames. Then comes the warning:
TAKE NO ACTION TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON YOURSELF.

What I learned that was special:
• Sometime con artists try to sell you a catalogue containing the names of companies supposedly hiring workers for various jobs. Frequently, these jobs are said to be high-paying positions overseas. If you buy the catalogue, which often costs $30 or more, you may find the companies listed are not hiring.

USA Government made easy

http://www.usa.gov/

I am still trapped within the U.S government websites.

There is a lot of government information to choose from. The environment seemed a good place to start but then I had to narrow down my choice to Conservation and Recycling. I am still in index pages so I am hoping Recycling will take me somewhere substantial. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Is that to protect the environment from me or to protect me from the environment?) explains that uses for recycled materials include recovered glass in roadway asphalt (glassphalt) or recovered plastic in carpeting, park benches, and pedestrian bridges.

What I learned that was special:
• There are over 4,500 recycled-content products available including cereal boxes, comic books, nails, and motor oil.

Fed Biz Opps

https://www.fbo.gov/

I have arrived at the U.S. Government’s one-stop virtual marketplace. A quick glance and I don't find anything I want to buy but I did discover the fascinating list of procurement codes. #10 for weapons; #14 for guided missiles; #18 for space vehicles. All the things I was looking for down at the shops.

There are two categories of users of this site: the Buyers/Engineers and the Vendors/Citizens. It looks like you can't be an engineer and a citizen.

What I learned that was special:

• Section 508 (which has it own website called www.section508.gov) requires that the federal government only acquire electronic and information technology goods and services that provide for access by persons with disabilities.

Commerce defies every wind

www.commerce.gov

Washington (Feb. 3) — President Barack Obama today nominated Senator Judd Gregg as the next Commerce Secretary. "Commerce defies every wind, overrides every tempest, and invades every zone," said President Obama. "These are the words carved into the walls of the department that I'm so pleased Judd Gregg has agreed to lead. And as we act boldly to defy the winds of this crisis and outride the tempest of this painful moment, I can think of no finer steward for our nation's commerce."

Central interior Alaskan residents, visitors, barge captains and railroad operators now have access to weather information anytime, thanks to a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All-Hazards transmitter recently installed on Toghotthele Hill.

What I learned that was special:
• At least one-in-five residents of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas spoke Spanish at home in 2007, according to new American Community Survey data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Nationwide, an estimated 35 million, or about 12.3 percent, hablan español at home.

Indian village

http://skipjack.net/le_shore/accohannock/

The Accohannock Indian Tribe is one of the oldest historical tribes in Maryland. The Accohannock Indian Tribe is an Algonquian-speaking sub-tribe of the Powhatan nation. They were the first watermen, hunters, farmers, and trappers on the Chesapeake Bay waters and wetlands. They harvested food from the Chesapeake Bay and its many tributaries. They grew squash, maize (corn), and other Native American foods. The Accohannocks also were great hunters of waterfowl, deer, rabbit, squirrels, raccoons, bear and elk.

Unlike many Native Americans who fought the white settlers, the Accohannock Indian Tribe was a peaceful one.

The Accohannock Indian Tribe is now striving to build a Living Village on Maryland's Eastern Shore as a future economic development and self-sufficiency project.

What I learned that was special:
• A snack bar in the new village will serve Native foods such as corn, squash, wild rice, wild game, fish, oysters, and crab.

Visiting Maryland for dinner

http://visitmaryland.org

In Maryland, the Civil War is best explored in the footsteps of generals, on the heels of an assassin and by understanding the stories of the citizens who survived the conflict. Four carefully mapped driving tours link together a collection of both well-known and less-known sites from Baltimore City, throughout the Chesapeake Region and into Western Maryland.

The Battle of Gettysburg lasted three days. The Gettysburg Campaign took thirty-five days.

I checked out the Hot Happenings and discovered that I have missed the Baltimore Restaurant week but I can eat my way through the Annapolis Restaurant week starting on 16 February. My $29.95 dinner from Harry Browne included the Rib Eye Blackend Served with Corn Spoon Bread with Taso Ham and Bourbon Demi Glase. Dessert was a surprise.

What I learned that was special:
• The State Dog is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a hunting breed with webbed paws and a waterproof coat

John Hopkins Uni

http://www.jhu.edu/

The Johns Hopkins University opened in 1876 and is named for its initial benefactor, Baltimore merchant Johns Hopkins, whose $7 million bequest — the largest U.S. philanthropic gift to that time — was divided evenly to finance the establishment of the university and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Today, the university enrols nearly 20,000 full-time and part-time students on three major campuses in Baltimore, one in Washington, D.C., one in Montgomery County, Md., and facilities throughout the Baltimore-Washington area and in China and Italy.

The Betty and Edgar Sweren Student Book Collecting Contest recognizes the love of books and the delight in shaping a thoughtful and focused book collection. All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a degree program at Johns Hopkins are eligible to enter. Each entry is judged on the extent to which the items in the collection form a coherent pattern of inquiry and/or represent a well defined field of interest. Collections on any subject are welcome. I suspect my own book collection, although showing a love of books, is not a focused book collection. It certainly is focused on how I felt when I was in the bookshop, and how much money I had at the time.

What I learned that was special:
• Contract security guards are assigned to various on and off-campus locations. They provide a visible uniformed presence targeted at preventative patrol and provide extra eyes and ears for campus police officers. Off-duty armed and uniformed Baltimore Police Officers are also employed during specific times.

Work for all

http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

“The ILO was founded in 1919, in the wake of a destructive war, to pursue a vision based on the premise that universal, lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon decent treatment of working people.”

07 June 2007 - Nearly a century after adopting its first international standard on working time, a new study by the International Labour Office estimates that one in five workers around the world - or over 600 million persons - are still working more than 48 hours a week, often merely to make ends meet.

There is a monthly information bulletin so I checked Australian unemployment for January 2009 (as at December 2008!) and it was 505. Looking at the header I need to add (‘000) so that would make it 505,000. United States data shows 10,999,000.

What I learned that was special:
• The Microinsurance Innovation Facility seeks to increase the availability of quality insurance for the developing world's low-income families to help them guard against risk and overcome poverty. The Facility was launched in 2008 with the support of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

AGFUND

http://www.agfund.org/
AGFUND is a non-profit regional development institution, established in 1980 by the initiative of HRM Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

I was going to download the Annual Report to see what has been happening but the latest one on the site was for 2004, which is a bit historic for me.

There are a number of ongoing projects including the Bank of Poor. Talal Bin Abdul Aziz is quoted as saying: "The bank's hankering for the rich only will always marginalize the role of the modest and the poor in the development and progress of their countries".

Another ongoing project is the Kindergarten Project which aims to create “a rich experience that enabled it to monitor the different aspects of this important stage in child's life and to identify the shortcomings involved in fulfilling the needs of the Arab child.”

What I learned that was special:
• AGFUND International Prize is an annual prize honouring the pioneering development projects in the developing countries. The Prize consists of a financial reward of US$ 300, 000 in addition to trophies and certificates of recognition.

UNESCO

http://portal.unesco.org

The UNESCO International Year of Astronomy was launched in 14 and 15 January 2009. The Year coincides with the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations with an astronomical telescope. If you missed the International Human Rights Day was celebrated on 10 December 2008, marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2011 we have the International Year of Chemistry to look forward to.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. There are 193 Member States and six Associate Members.

What I learned that was special:
• Singapore was the latest member state to join UNESCO, in October 2007.

World Marketplace

http://siteresources.worldbank.org
Pygmies are using modern technology to save sacred trees, thanks to prize money from the World Bank's Development Marketplace. By using handheld global positioning systems (GPS), Mbendjele Pygmies in the Republic of Congo are guiding a logging company away from cutting trees that hold special value for forest communities, thereby reducing age-old tensions between forest-dependent people and the logging industry.

I also learnt about sniffer rats training to be the new weapon in the battle against the quickly rising number of tuberculosis (TB) patients that go undiagnosed each year in Africa. Nineteen Africal pouched rats have been trained to sniff a series of holes, under which human sputum samples are lined up for evaluation and then pinpoint the samples which contain TB bacteria.

What I learned that was special:
• The Chinese giant freshwater mussel, Anodonta woodiana, can filter up to 40 liters of water per day and as the water clears up, native water plants begin growing.

Off to the Institution

http://www.si.edu/
Back inside after my holidays outdoors. The Smithsonian Institution boasts it is the world's largest museum complex and research organization composed of 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo.

I start with the National Museum of Natural History and visit the mammal department. There are 590,000 preserved specimens which is too many to absorb so I decided to look at the special features in the museum instead.

Romantic jellyfish sounded exciting. Normally jellyfish indulge mass spawning, which allows jellyfish to "mate" without the lovers even needing to meet. Carybdea sivickisi has a more intimate courtship routine. Cheryl Ames turned down the lights, put on some romantic music and watched (with a flashlight) the jellies pair up and perform a wedding dance.

In the National Postal Museum I learned about mail robberies. In his annual report to Congress in 1921, the Postmaster General noted that there had been "a sudden & unusual increase in crimes committed in the 'hold-up' of railway mail trains, mail messengers, etc." That past year had seen at least three dozen mail robberies, resulting in a theft of over $6.3 million.

Railway Post Office clerks were required to carry small .38-caliber pistols. The guns came in handy on occasion. When the Salt Lake City mail train was stopped en-route, the clerks on duty fired a hail of bullets and drove off the prospective thieves.

What I learned that was special:
• The Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs greet with what looks like a kiss. They're not really kissing, but gently touching their front teeth together.

Exploring America

http://www.recreation.gov/

My holiday continues.

I checked out Lodging under Plan Your Trip. Lodging accommodations located on or near America's public land recreation areas vary from rustic cabins and yurts to bed and breakfast inns and 5-star hotels. I am a 5 star person but yurts sounded interesting. That is, until I read what the Limber Flag Yurt had to offer. The less than 20 foot diameter was okay but the limited amenities were not encouraging.

There is no indoor plumbing/running water and no power at this site. The amenities provided include a heavy-duty propane camp stove for cooking, a wood burning stove for heat, an outdoor vault toilet, a folding table, and folding chairs. Where do you shower?

I think some civilisation is called for and opted for a tour of the Washington Monument instead. The monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, 555 feet and 5 and 1/8 inches high. I can reserve a half hour tour for $1.50 but if there are high winds the tour is off and I lose my reservation fee.

What I learned that was special:
• When hunting wear proper hunting gear, such as: orange vests and caps so that you are not mistaken for wildlife by another hunter.

Deep in the forest

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/
I am now a guest in the home of tiny shrews, flying squirrels, moose and brown bears.

I can stay in a rustic cabin complete with all the mod cons including warming stoves and plywood bunks, tables and benches for $25 to $50 per night.

Recreational activities abound in this forest. I can hike through dense forest, alpine meadow, or on a wooden trail through peat bogs called muskegs. I can explore world-class caves (how are caves measured I wonder?). I can enjoy salt water fjords and unending waterways by canoe or kayak, my own motor or sail boat (if I had one and knew how to operate one), charter boat, ferry, or cruise ship. I can fish - fresh or salt water, everything from herring to trout to salmon to halibut. This is presuming I know how to fish, one of those life experiences that has passed me by.

What I learned that was special:
• Trophy certificates will be issued by the ADF&G for all trophy fish caught in the state and registered at local Department offices or through most sporting goods stores. Minimum weights for a trophy rainbow trout is 15lb.

On Safari

http://www.amsafari.com/alaska.html
I am off the wilds of Alaska to see grizzly bears, black bears, mountain goats, bald eagles and wolves.

The Captain’s Blog gave an entertaining and informative viewpoint of what to expect day by day on the cruise. Interspersed with the wildlife that was spotted eg harbor seals, a preening puffin, bubble netting humpback whales, and a bald eagle, there were tempting descriptions of the food on offer: Wild King Salmon, freshly caught halibut and chips lunch (complete with Chef Angie's special tartar sauce), clam appetizers, mini sandwiches and pastries.

The American Safari Cruise yachts sound very comfortable, if not luxurious. There is one crew member per two guests, en suites, some with Jacuzzis, underwater camera connected to large flat screen and equipment for the energetic such as mountain bikes, kayaks, water-skis and mustang suits, whatever they are.

What I learned that was special:
• In Glacier Bay you can see 15,000 - foot mountains rising straight out of the ocean; come face-to-face with massive glaciers, their blue faces rising some 200 feet above the sea; and experience the thunderous roar of ice as it "calves" into the water.

Tempting Holidays

http://www.frommers.com/
As it is the start of a new year and a holiday sounds tempting I started with Frommer’s Top Destinations for 2009. I am not sure about Columbia despite the assurances that crime is low but I am tempted by a new museum opening in Washington, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. I was surprised to see that I have been to one of the suggested top destinations: Waiheke Island, New Zealand. I cannot attest to the “food for the sophisticated palate” but I did enjoy a delicious chocolate ice cream on a hot afternoon.

Another interesting article listed the top eight international airports for shopping. I have been to five of the eight but have not been tempted to do a lot of shopping at the airport, other than for essentials such as water and newspapers or to get rid of coins belonging to a currency I had no further need of. I suppose if you are visiting the airport while on transit it makes sense to while away the time shopping but I can’t see the point when the best shops are found in the cities not the airports.

What I learned that was special:
• The best time to visit Washington is on the weekend when the lobbyists and business travellers have cleared out of town and bargain hotel rooms are up for grabs.

Gard, Olav, Torbjørn & Svein's trip to Machu Picchu

http://gardkarlsen.com/peru.htm
The first restaurant meal the travellers tried featured alpaca steaks, beef hearts and Gard’s choice: fried guinea pig or Cuy, an Andean specialty. It was described with darker meat than chicken but no clue as to the taste, other than it was an experience.

A cute story of the journey back from seeing Machu Picchu. As the bus left the mountain a young boy ran down the stairs and timing it perfectly he would wave and yell “hellllloooo” each time the bus past him. At the foot of the mountain he staggered onto the bus, shouted "Gooodbyyyye" and then he walked around collecting money for his performance.

What I learned that was special:
• Huayna Picchu, the mountain top next to Machu Picchu, has a restriction on the number of people that can go up there each day, so you need to be up early before the quota was filled.

Cigar Afficiendo

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Home/
The descriptions of cigars which I had always regarded as simply brown and smelly were amazing.
• Full bodied and loaded with flavours
• It goes on for minutes on the palate
• has amazing finesse and spice
• wedge-shaped cigar with a great draw and even burn
• a refined and refreshing character.

I find it hard to believe that Sir Winston Churchill had a specially designed oxygen mask with a hold in it that enabled him to puff his cigar at an altitude of 15,000 feet but that is what his biographer Gilbert has written.

What I learned that was special:
• No matter if you're travelling for business or pleasure, the best way to transport your smokes is in a travel humidor.

A company that distributes...something

http://www.rndc-usa.com/default.asp
I was a worried about what I was letting myself in for. There was a warning that this website was for people over 21 years and I had to enter my date of birth. I was not sure what the company was distributing but I hoped it was legal.

It turned out that the Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) distributes wine and spirits – I can breathe easy.

I would have liked to check out the RNDC Academy but needed a login and password.
There was a page devoted to the philanthropy efforts of the company with an impressive selection of recipients ranging from New Orleans Museum of Art, the Woodward Academy, Birthright Israel, Crime Stoppers, through to the Children's Hospital of Seattle and the Young Leadership Council.

The Career opportunities database listed about 150 vacancies. I scrolled down the list looking for the least skilled job and thought a Casual Helper might suit me. There was a long list of essential criteria, not least of which was in the mathematical area: ability to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's using units volume, and distance. I decided the job was not for me when I read at the end of the job description that I could be exposed to high, precarious places. I hate heights!

What I learned that was special:
• The Republic National Distributing Company employs over 6,000 people.

Festival Time

http://www.texasbookfestival.org/

The Texas Book Festival will be held between 31 October and 1 November 2009 in the State Capitol Building but the site when I visited is concerned with the 2008 festival. Laura Bush is the honorary chairman, explaining how this site was linked with the White House.

One of the featured authors is Ted Vanderbuilt who wrote a book inspired by the New Jersey Turnpike. The book supposedly answers the important questions such as: Why does the other lane always seem faster? Why is the world full of bad drivers?

I found the schedule interesting. Imagine attending a festival held in the House Chamber or the Senate Chamber! For the overflow there was the Music Tent, the Lifestyle Tent, the Cooking Tent and the Children’s Chapter Read Me a Story Tent.

There are strict rules about booksigning. You can bring in books you haven’t purchased at the Festival, but there is a maximum of three of these outsiders allowed. Dealers with rolling carts and/or wagons are not allowed in the Booksigning Tent or on the Festival grounds. I am not sure what a rolling cart or a wagon is. When I think of a wagon, a little red wagon that a child pulls along comes to mind.

You cannot book your seat and each venue is on a first come, first seated basis. As the rooms are cleared between sessions avoiding the queues and the rush for a good seat seems impossible.

What I learned that was special:
• ZZ Packer has been a high-school teacher and barmaid (though not at the same time).

The White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov

I have just made it before Mr and Mrs Bush turn out the lights.

I am nor sure if the Christmas decorations are still up but I read Mrs Bush's descriptions. The red, white and blue Christmas theme represents a patriotic Christmas. I think there is something for everyone in the Christmas decorations in the White House, including low energy LED lights on the Christmas trees, decorations from every state, including a jackalope from Texas and the Uncle Sam nutcrackers.

In the Proclamations section I found that the president had proclaimed December 17 as Wright Brothers Day. The people of the United States are invited to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, but I could not see any mention of a public holiday so it seems that paper airplanes flying around the office may be the order of the day.

Another proclamation that caught my eye was National Farm-City Week to be held 21 to 27 November 2008 and perhaps other years? It was explained that “farming, America's first industry, helps feed and clothe our citizens and increasingly provides more of our energy”. The energy part confused me. Do they mean energy for people from food or energy for industry?

What I learned that was special:
• 90 volunteers put up the decorations in the White house and there are 27 (or perhaps 29, Mrs Bush was not sure) Christmas trees in the White House.

Stop 10: USA Jobs - United States Office of Personnel Management

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/

My career in the U.S. government starts here – or so I am told.

I found the interview tips helpful. Remember, you know more about yourself than the interviewer does. The interview is your turn to show all that is great about you. Remember, resumes don't hire, people do. Remember, wear business clothes because first impressions are important.

The glossary of federal terms contained some quaint terms. Life insurance is not just disability, ill health and death but it includes the all important accidental dismemberment insurance. I must remember to call it the rare bird position when someone is given a position when they haven’t earned it competitively through merit.

There is a photo of a man standing behind a woman, both looking at a computer, with the man’s arm draped protectively over the woman. It is next to the Career Interest Center, but there is no caption, until you go to the picture properties and read: ‘Husband assisting spouse with Career Exploration’. Sounds a little sexist to me.

There is a featured job that I presume changes regularly. On my visit I was invited to become a Management and Program Analyst with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). How could I resist? As the ad says, “the men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are dedicated to keeping America safe. CBP counts on them. Our Nation counts on them. Can we count on you?”

What I learned that was special:
• There are four sections of the U.S Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

University of Arkansas at Pine Buff Aquaculture and Fisheries

http://www.uaex.edu/aqfi/extension/
Still in Arkansas, but away from the food industry, I visited the University of Arkansas. At least, I intended to move on from agriculture but got caught up with the Aquaculture/Fisheries Center.

I now know that fish get sick and die for a number of reasons such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, environmental and man-made toxins, and poor water quality. The Diagnostic lab at the university can tell you why a fish died but there is an art to collecting the right fish to take there. Freshly-dead fish are not preferred as they are very inferior to live sick fish. However if the freshly dead fish has clear eyes and red gills they could be okay, for analysis that is. I would not suggest eating.

Catching a sample selection of fish from a lake is haphazard.

Catching with a line is useless as only healthy fish will feed. There was a cute drawing showing the odds of catching (using a number of fishing lines) four sick fish swimming with about forty healthy fish was zero in ten.

What I learned that was special:
• From a technical standpoint, freshwater shrimp can be raised in Arkansas, but it is not clear if doing so will make any money.

Encyclopedia of Arkansas

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/

Time to skip across the state line from Texas to Arkansas to see what that state has to offer.

The photograph on the home page of the Clinton family made me check to see if I had strayed into the White House by mistake but it would make sense that the Clintons would remain the first family of Arkansas even though Bill has moved on and Hilary did not make it.

I found a very helpful question in the middle of the home page: ‘Don’t know where to start? Check out the Arkansas Overview’.

The apple industry caught my eye. Apples have been residing in Arkansas for seventy-five years and it seems they are the dominant agricultural crop. Not sure how long it took the apple to become top of the state.

I would not be honest if I said I preferred apples over ice cream and fortunately Arkansas has the food groups well balanced. Four generations of the Yarnell Ice Cream Company have been making ice cream since 1932 and before that there was the Grisham Ice Cream Company famous for its Angel Food Ice Cream. Angel Food Ice Cream had a different texture to homemade ice cream, similar (in the differences) to the different texture of bought biscuits (cookies) and homemade biscuits today. Ten gallons (which does not sound like a lot) of ice cream could be frozen in ammonia ice cream freezer at the Grisham plant without using ice and salt, the usual method at the time. They even had the foresight to start delivering ice cream in refrigerated trucks in 1929, which could actually hold 125 gallons of ice cream, kept cold by the old fashioned ice and salt method.

What I learned that was special:
• The state beverage of Arkansas is milk and the state bird is the mockingbird.

More Museums

http://texarkanamuseums.org/

The title of this website is Texarkana Museums System. There are three museums: Museum of Regional History and Wilbur Smith Research Library, Discovery Place, Children’s Museum, and the Ace of Clubs House. I guess there is a system to linking them together.

I stepped inside the Regional History Museum first but it was a tease. I was promised the fascinating story of the city in two states and Scott Joplin, a native son but the details were not forthcoming on this website. It seems they prefer physical visits to 219 N. State Line Avenue, Texarkana, TX 75501.

The Ace of Clubs House was much more interesting. Local legend says that money to build the Ace of Clubs House came from the winnings of a poker game won with the draw of the ace of clubs. Not the sort of story you hear everyday so I believe it.
The floor plan was based on the ace of clubs which translated means one rectangular and three octagonal rooms arranged around a central octagon. It was built in 1885 by a confederate vet James H. Draughon and there have been a few additions over the years, most notably a bathroom in the early 1900’s.

I poked my head in the doorway of the Children’s Museum but the sound from the two children and one adult playing the Sound Wall was rather deafening so I quickly left.

What I learned that was special:
• One of the premier collections in the Ace of Clubs House is that of Miss Olivia's shoes, which were purchased primarily at Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas , Texas .

World's Smallest Museum

The lime green and red website is confronting but it goes with the museum.
http://www.worldssmallestmuseum.com
Arizona claims to have the world’s smallest museum. The west side of the roof is made out of 1800 aluminium beer cans. It seems drinking is encouraged to build up a supply of building materials should the east, north and south sides of the roof start leaking.

A highlight of the museum’s exhibitions is the collection of US Presidential campaign buttons of every Democratic & Republican nominee since World War II. The museum proudly claims these are authentic buttons. Perhaps there is a market for fakes.

To me the real highlight would be meeting the museum’s famous visitor who regularly drops in – Ricky Raven. A treat is meeting his wife Rickette and the little one, Ricky Jr. I wonder if they had a baby naming competition that is popular in zoos?

I stopped by at the shop and was tempted to buy a Highway 60 mug celebrating the 80th anniversary of America’s first coast to coast highway. It was only $5.99. I wonder if that is because they are now out of date? The anniversary was in 2006.

A quick stop to get directions

My journey took me to a museum portal. http://www.museum.com/jb/start It was a bit like standing in the doorway of a candy shop, so many treats to choose from.

I thought the Top 100 Page may narrow down the choices somewhat. Should I visit the Castle of Eckartsau in Austria or Reynard the Fox Museum, in Linden, Germany? The Museum of British Road Transport in Coventry, United Kingdom or the Military Medical Museum in St Petersburg, Russia?

I decided to think small.

What I learned that was special:
• Most museums appear to be located in German speaking countries.

4th Stop: The Australian War Memorial

http://www.awm.gov.au

I started with a virtual tour of the Aircraft Hall. There was a 360 deg spin around the hall that seemed to go fine all by itself but then I took over the controls. I was fine stopping but had no idea about steering (explains why I don’t drive a car) and I was spinning out of control and in danger of getting air sick before I bailed out.

I thought it may be safer looking at the history of the War Memorial. It was the idea of Charles Bean, who thought Australians might appreciate a place where they could grieve their relatives and friends who were killed and buried overseas and also a place to help people understand war.

The war casualty statistics were sobering. 61,508 died in the First World War and in all the wars from Sudan in 1885 to the present day there have been 102,807 deaths, all recorded on the roll of honour. War is still going on and the last three deaths were recorded in Afghanistan.

I loved the description of the memorial: Sharply etched grandeur and dignity, in its stylised Byzantine profile contrast with a distinctively Australian setting among lawns and eucalypts, at the head of a wide ceremonial avenue, ANZAC Parade. Kangaroos, occasionally straying from nearby bushy hills, add to the physical effect.

I think if you are taking a photo of the War Memorial it may be difficult to recruit some kangaroos into the frame, at least during visiting hours.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies in the Hall of Memory, with its interior wall and high dome clad in a six-million-piece mosaic. Six million pieces? That is some jigsaw!

What I learned that was special:
• The Victoria Cross has been awarded to 96 Australians since 1900

Making Money on Day Three

My third stop promises to be more interesting than the last: the Royal Australian Mint.

I have missed the 2009 Kangaroos at Sunset ballot! There are only 1,000 of these $25 gold coins being made and I am too late. I confess I thought it was free at first and then realised I would be entering a ballot for the privilege of buying a $25 coin for $395 (with free postage and handling).

The Mint opened in 1965 and has produced over eleven billion circulating coins and has the capacity to produce over two million coins per day, or over six hundred million coins per year. Interesting to remember if we are in a recession/depression. Wheelbarrow manufacturers take note.

The Mint also manufactures medals, medallions and seals – from the Order of Australia medal to the Conrad Jupiter's Casino tokens.

There is a worn and damaged coin policy. Basically if you have a necklace made of ten $2coins with a big hole in the middle of each one you can’t send it to the Mint to convert into 10 shiny new $2 coins without the holes. You could try giving it to an authorised deposit taking institution and see if they have any luck getting scrap value for the coins. The Mutilated Coin Claim Form is only one page long.
Anyone can submit a design for a commemorative coin. There are certain things that cannot be depicted on a circulating commemorative coin including non-royals, themes connected with a religious organisation, political group or commercial enterprise as they are likely to cause public divisiveness and periodic events or festivals that are not of national significance. I guess that cuts my birthday out.

If you visit the mint you can make a coin, watch a video or just have a bbq.

What I learned that was special:
• Coins have an obverse and reverse design. The queen’s effigy is on the obverse side.

Economic Modelling

My journey is on its way and I have moved from the humble brick (which comes in 800 colours) to The Treasury, Australian Government: Australia's Low Pollution Future: The Economics of Climate Change Mitigation. With a title like that it sounds like they need an acronym – TAGALPFTECCM. On second thoughts the acronym looks longer than the original title.

http://www.treasury.gov.au/lowpollutionfuture/

The Treasury department has been doing some modelling (not the clay sort) about reducing emissions in the medium and long term. Early reductions will be less expensive than later ones. Perhaps they should just say a stitch in time saves nine.

What I learned that was special:
• The Treasurer and the Minister for the Environment admit this is one of the most complex economic modelling projects undertaken in Australia.