Backing the campaign for healthy packed lunches

Healthly living is one of the great challenges East Lancashire faces and what better than to encourage our children to live healthier longer and hopefully happier lives. That's why I am backing the campaign for 'Healthy Packed Lunches Tips for the New School Year'...
A collective sigh of relief will be heard around the country in a matter of weeks, as many exhausted parents send their little

Einstein was smart enough to join a union...are you?

Need I say anymore? Come on - you know it makes sense.

Join a union. If you work in public services then of course join UNISON, otherwise check out the TUC WorkSmart union guide here

Hat tip various FaceBook sharers.

Going for personal loan, things to keep in mind

Personal loans are one of the most versatile loans, with no restriction on what one uses them for and are unsecured loans, that is they do not need any collateral, which is the reason why they come at such a high interest rate. Personal loans can be used to purchase consumer goods, wedding, personal use, etc.

However easy it may sound, one should be very careful while selecting personal loans. Few of the important factors that one should remember while selecting a personal loan are:

1. The amount should align with your needs, which means one should not take un-neccessary high amount of debt and end up paying for long durations.

2. The tenor of the loan should be kept as little as possible, because the interest paid is a function of time and longer the tenure of the loan, more interest you pay to the lender. If you have the capacity to repay the loan in 3 years it shouldn't be extended to 4 years.

3. Variable interest loans are not always better, although there are possiblities that the interest rate might fall in future, but the chances of it going up are equal, therefore one should play safe and take up fixed interest rate personal loans. Always do research before selecting the type of personal loan.

4. As opposed to personal belief, in case of default, the lender can impound the property of the borrower for a limited time ( till repaid) or permanently.

5. Holiday period or the duration when the loan is not serviced are good for maintaining liquidity, but at the same time they increase the tenure of the loan and the borrower ends up paying more.

London Paralympics 2012

I watched the opening ceremony on TV last night and like pretty much everyone else who saw it I thought it was brilliant.

I admit once again that I am not a "sports" fan so I will not be watching that much outside BBC news highlights.

However, I will be rooting for the swimmer, Amy Marren, 14 year old grand-daughter of UNISON NEC member Irene Stacey (and former Branch secretary of Newham UNISON Local Government branch).  She is one of the youngest athletes at the "Games" and already holds British records in the 200m backstroke and 800m freestyle

Amy is taking part in the heats of the 100m backstroke tomorrow (Friday 31st) and also the 50m and 400m freestyle next week. Good luck to all the athletes!

Pollution at Nook Lane Chemical Site

I have written to the Environment Agency following a video that has been posited online and sent to my office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CesMoRP_lz0&feature=plcp (WARNING: The language is not pleasant.)

I have posted the response below form the EA and also discussed the matter with Hyndburn Council who are doing an excellent job. Things are moving forward and the two authorities should be

Thwaites Road Bus Service gets second wind

Pilkington Buses have today applied to the North West Traffic Commissioner to operate a bus service covering the sections of the Hyndburn Circular that Transdev are withdrawing.

If this application is granted the service will commence on the 17th September 2012.


This will give the residents in the Thwaites Road and Windsor road districts a regular all day bus service linking with Accrington

Search the Money

"Search the Money" is a great new website that scrutinises donations to the Conservative Party, hospitality to MPs and constituency parties. It also allows you to check if "your MP has

been doing some private work on the side".

While I think it is corrupt and corrupting that billionaires such as Lord Ashcroft are able to pour millions of pounds to support Tory candidates.  At least it is his own money.

Public companies that donate shareholder money to the Tories are simply beyond the pale.  What possible reason can there be for doing this apart from the desire to buy political influence and power?

I also hope that private companies that donate to the Tories are held to account. Companies such as Fund Mangers Fidelity, who are the biggest company donors to the Tories yet they fail to declare it to its clients and policy holders. Many local government pension funds employ Fidelity as a fund manager. UNISON members would be furious if they realised that profits from managing their pensions is being used to fund the Tories.     

The site will also keep an eye on the private earnings of Tory MPs and possible conflicts of influence. I don't think it is necessarily always wrong that MPs have private earning but how on earth can Tory MP Simon Reevell justify topping up his obvious pittance as a MP of only £65k with a whooping £165k as a lawyer? How can he be a full time MP? 

I completely refuse to accept any comparison with the funding of the Labour Party by trade unions.  Trade unions donations are individual affiliations freely made by trade union members who can chose whether or not to pay the levy fee. If my pension fund employed Fidelity in most schemes I would have little or no choice on the matter. 

Picture is by Hogarth "Humours of an Election".

Hat tip to Mlle Witherington 

Not Another Talent Reality Show Please

I don't know about you but I am really fatigued by the number of similar talent reality shows for the past few years. Finally, one that has a better concept and a very engaging group of 4 brilliant master musicians / singers / composers / producers as judges (team leaders). You must have watched The Voice before, but somehow, the mix is just right, the participants generally are sincere and genuine. For once, its really their voices and not the packaging.

Here are some of the highlights:

It is not brilliant to be able to sing almost exactly like Teresa Teng, but she has certainly a lot more to offer. Try not to be touched.


His range is unbelievable, just lifts you up.


Jazz singing in Chinese ... you better believe it. Like Dinah Washington / Sarah Vaughn reincarnated into a Chinese lady.


In terms of voice texture and potential, I think she should win.

Bajaj Finserv to offer online personal loans

Bajaj Finserv has announced a new personal loans product, which would allow the customer to apply for personal loan online. The scheme would allow the salaried customers to get their loans approved online without them having to visit company office.

The customer needs to punch in his details like PAN Card, salary and employment information and he/she can know the limit they are eligible for. If the customer meets the criterion and the loan is approved, the company picks up the required documents from the home.

Company claims if the documents are verified,the loan can be disbursed in 3 days of applying. The service however comes at a price, in addition to 1-2% of processing fee, the customers will have to shell out Rs.999.  The loan product will provide an additional benefits, which include accidental cover of Rs. 5 lakh, one year access to online tax filing, and 0% EMI card which can be used to make purchases on EMIs.

Personal loans are available for minimum of Rs. 1 lakh up to Rs. 25 lakh, however online loan applications are limited at Rs. 15 lakh.

Selective Licensing of Private Landlords in Hyndburn

It's been a campaign that has lasted 7 long years. Before the ink had dried on the 2004 Housing Act allowing local authorities to selectively licence private landlords, I and residents in Woodnook and Peel began to campaign for change.

To establish some form of system where not just the bad landlords had to conform to some form public justice but where minimum standards were in place to

Case closed without interview

Israeli soldiers break the silence on abuse

I thought I would republish this artcle by Gerald Horton, International Advocacy Officer - Lawyer
Defence for Children International – Palestine Section as it adds the ongoing debate around the West Bank and imprisonment of children as part of a policy of collective justice. I was in Palestine and the West Bank earlier this year....

On 26 August, the Israeli organisation, Breaking the Silence,

A Right to Die? Not yet

When I heard the news on the car radio last week that Tony Nicklinson had died of natural causes, I am sure that like everyone else, I was relived that his suffering had finally finished and he had got his wish to die. Tony was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005.

He had described his life as a "living nightmare" and had gone to Court to be allowed the right to die. This was refused and the Court said this was a decision for Parliament to legislate about and not the Courts.

I must admit that in recent years I had been coming around to being in favour of giving people the right to commit suicide in such circumstances. However, earlier this month I heard the disabled campaigner Baroness Campbell (see photo) being interviewed on Desert Island Discs. Baroness Campbell has the incurable disease Spinal muscular atrophy. Her condition also means that she is prone to severe chest infections and often needs emergency care. At least twice when she has been in A&E the doctor has said to her husband that they "assumed" she did not want to be resuscitated.

That was one of the reasons why she is opposed to the "right to die". She told the interviewer Kirsty Young, that "when society values me as much as it values you" then we could have this change. Not until then.

Wansfell and Troutbeck Walk

Off message but I spent last week walking and sightseeing in the Lake District. The weather was just a little ropey at times but it's such a beautiful part of the world.

Picture is from the summit of Wansfell looking down at Lake Windermere. A short but relatively tough climb from Ambleside then an easy decent back via Troutbeck valley.

Magnificent views of lakes and fells. I'll post other pictures from the week on Facebook.

Used walking poles for the first time. I found them really useful and definitely felt they made going up easier and protected your knees when coming down. 4 legs are better than 2.

Update: done check out here

Business Tip of the Month: Avoid FaceBook Ads

Purchasing a Facebook Ad is one of the worst investments a business can make. It is much better to write compelling content. Some persons believe that the FaceBook business model is based upon deceit and fraud. Motivated critics have even went so far as investigating FaceBook Ad 'clicks', and some have reached the conclusion that many Facebook ad 'clicks' are generated by suspicious bots or other automated means.

At the same time, of course, Facebook prohibits its own users from using automated bots. Facebook is like a gigantic collection of useless parts that emits a foul odor whereupon curious onlookers flock. Hence, the large number of Facebook users.

The real value of Facebook is really not much more different than a heavily-trafficked Forum board.

In due time, I would not be at all surprised that Mark Zuckerberg, the person who apparently lifted the idea of Facebook from the pockets of Harvard personnel, will be found to be little different from Lance Armstrong; a hugely successful cheater.

Let's consider the facts about FaceBook. FaceBook, Inc DOES cheat, and FaceBook is DISHONEST per an FTC ruling this year. Fearful that Facebook would disable its Facebook account, FTC personnel DID NOT fine FaceBook for violating the privacy rights of consumers. The same FTC personnel slapped Google with a record fine for a much less serious infraction.

Is Facebook slick artist Mark Zuckerberg really the Lance Aermstrong of Social Media? Be cautious before purchasing any Facebook ads. Very few Facebook users click on Facebook ads. The ad space you buy may simply be a magnet for facebook bots.

Another routine scheme used by FaceBook is the fake post. FaceBook tricks people into believing they are "posting" content on independent third-party timelines, but in reality the "posted" content is ONLY visible to the same I.P. that posted it. This tactic is called MIRAGE POST-FRAUD (failure to provide Honest Services as required by U.S. federal laws).

It is a matter of debate about the extent of FaceBook fraud. However, it is believed in some circles that FaceBook Inc fraud is extensive. For more information about Facebook, please purchase our soon-to-be-released book detailing the tactics used by Facebook Inc to cheat consumers, advertisers, and why Facebook ads are NOT effective.

Much of the details of the book come directly from a former Facebook employee, whose relative was awarded a scholarship from National Academy of American Scholars several years ago.

We believe the true value of Facebook stock is really less than $5.00.

If FaceBook were really providing a legitimate service, then it would not have to engage in desperation tactics, censorship of legitimate products, and services, and what many consider to be deceitful conduct, etc. All of these tactics and the culture of FaceBook Inc. will cause the company to fail in due time.

Register Now Please

UNISON members Vote by 90% to accept new LGPS!

Great news. UNISON has announced that members voted in a secret ballot by 90% to accept the new Local Government Pension Scheme 2014. Ignoring the moanie, fibbing misrabalist rejectionists who for selfish sectarian reasons wanted them to turn down a good offer to indulge in pointless strike action and the inevitable "glorious defeat". On Monday the GMB voted by 95% to accept.

While there were some who had genuine doubts about the new scheme, I would hope that everyone (apart from the miserablists who will be crying betrayal) will rally around the new scheme and encourage the shocking 25% of those eligible who haven't yet joined to join. There is still further work to be done especially around member representation and governance. The new LGPS will be a fair, affordable and sustainable model for a rebirth of private sector defined benefit pensions scheme.  In the meanwhile we should be also looking at encouraging other employers to consider joining.

This result will also encourage the union's in forthcoming campaigns since we can demonstrate that by a combination of rational argument, mobilisation and targeted collective action we can win for our members.

Update: Unite members have also voted to accept LGPS 2014 by 84%. Hat tip UNISONactive

Bank of England investigates itself and finds its "Not Guilty" over QE

Well, that's okay then. Never mind perfectly sound pension schemes are closing left, right and centre. The Bank of England has looked into whether its ongoing policy of Quantitative Easing (QE) has any negative effects and has concluded the good outweighs the bad.

Apparently the fact that QE has benefited the rich (top 5%) the most isn't of concern to this Coalition cabinet of millionaires either.  I do wonder why?

The cut in gilts yields due to QE is helping to make many private sector DB pension schemes seem unaffordable and adding to the pressure for them to close. It increases the so called "deficits" which due to current abnormal 200 year market low conditions are already pretty meaningless. 

This has nothing to do with poor investment returns or increases in life expectancy. This is solely down to a discredited and outdated accountancy measure ("mark to market") which the Bank of England is aware of but does nothing about and while the Government has promised not to idly stand by and watch good pension schemes go to the wall, so far, it has done nothing either.    

Raising the issue violence in Rakhine state, Burma

I have received two letters regarding the ongoing ethnic and religious violence in Burma. I had already raised this issue in Parliament. Below is a copy of the response to a written question that I received from the Foreign Office on 18th June this year:



Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Burmese Government on

Illegal Money Lending in Lancashire - Trading Standards

With the recent issue of legal loan sharks (and bookmakers with fixed odds betting terminals FOBT) I have asked LCC trading standards to provide a note on illegal money lending and what LCC is in the fight against these despicable people who use violence and intimidation to fleece the poorest and most vulnerable people in society. ILLEGAL MONEY LENDING Money lending is a regulated activity and

Love This ....

Pension Myths

This post has nothing to do with moanie Ultra left pension miserablists. Instead I was checking out what the Pension Regulator has on its website about auto enrolling and came across this:-
　

"Pension myths
Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension will make it easier for people to start saving for their retirement. All employers will be required to enrol their eligible workers into a workplace pension scheme if they are not already in one.

We know there is a lot of confusion surrounding pensions and saving. These pension myths can make people feel confused about what they need to do to fund their retirement. We’ve explained some common pension myths below.

It’s not worth saving into a pension.
FALSE! Most people can expect to get back more in retirement than they put in their pension. Most people saving in a workplace pension also benefit from contributions from their employer and the government in the form of tax relief*.

My house will be my pension pot.
BE CAREFUL! Property doesn't allow you to spread your money across a range of different investments like a pension does, and doesn't have the same tax advantages.

My partner will be my pension pot / I’ll inherit money from my parents.
BE CAREFUL! Inheritances can be uncertain, so it is important to make individual pension provision. Increasing numbers of people are surviving into their 90s and longer, so your parents may still be alive when you retire. You might also find yourself in a difficult situation in the case of divorce. Inheritances can be uncertain, so it is important to make individual pension provision. Increasing numbers of people are surviving into their 90s and longer, so your parents may still be alive when you retire. You might also find yourself in a difficult situation in the case of divorce.

I can only pay in a small amount so it isn't worth it.
FALSE! Your contribution to your workplace pension will be a percentage of your salary. You’re also likely to benefit from a contribution from your employer and tax relief* from the government too. Even if you end up with a small overall pension pot, you might be able to take your pension as a cash lump sum as long as your pension savings are no more than a certain amount (currently £18,000).

I’ll save when I get old / I'm too old to start saving.
FALSE! It is better to start early – usually, the younger you start to save, the bigger your pension will be, as your money has more time to grow. And unless your retirement is a few months away, there’s still time for you to build up some money.

If my company shuts down I lose everything.
FALSE! There was a problem with people losing their pensions when their company shut down in the past. But this is no longer the case. With most schemes your pension is looked after by the pension provider, so if your employer goes bust you won’t lose your pension pot.

If your pension scheme is run by your employer and they go bust, your pension pot might be smaller than it would have been. This is because, if your employer has been paying the pension scheme administration costs, they will no longer be doing so. These costs would now come from the scheme member’s pots.

My grandma only lived to be 70 so surely I won’t live much longer, why bother saving?
BE CAREFUL! People tend to underestimate how long they’re likely to live and life expectancy across the generations is changing fast. On average, you’re likely to spend 20 years in retirement, so you will need to plan for that.

The State Pension will be enough.
BE CAREFUL! The State Pension is a foundation, but for many people, relying on this alone could mean a fall in income at retirement. Saving into a workplace pension means people will have more money to help continue enjoying the things they like when they retire.

(*Tax relief means some of your money that would have gone to the government as income tax, goes into your workplace pension instead.)"

This is good stuff (not sure about the rest of the communcation material) but I think it might be a bit misleading about what would happen to your DB pension if your employer goes bust and the pension protection fund (PPF) takes over. Also there is still an ongoing debate on whether the low paid will benefit from auto-enrolling.

UNISON has a new guide to auto enrolling here

Scholarship Points applies for Scholarship Points trademark

On August 15th, 2012, ScholarshipsPoints.Com embarked upon the risky business of seeking a U.S. Trademark/Service mark registration for the phrase “ScholarshipPoints.” However, the U.S. Trademark application submitted by ScholarshipPoints.Com (SeriaL Number 85704330) comes AFTER several years of use of the term “ScholarshipPoints”, and after the company has accumulated over 200,000 FaceBook Likes, and over 52,000 Twitter followers while **sharing use of the phrase Scholarship Points.

More importantly, there is little likelihood that any value will come from the newly submitted trademark application of ScholarshipPoints because there is little chance of its approval. The phrase ScholarshipPoints does not meet the legal standards of registration based upon sound legal grounds, and based upon the fact that the phrase scholarship points is also used by National Academy of American Scholars and **many other organizations to engage students and to distribute scholarship merit points for award consideration.

It is important to note that National Academy of American Scholars also uses scholarship merit points to determine, classify, and categorize scholarship applicants. We have used scholarship points for over 20 years. We encourage the U.S. Trademark office to use sound legal judgement, and then politely recite the legal facts as to why the phrase "scholarshippoints" does not merit legal protection.

We congratulate Scholarship Points on its continuing social media success. However, the ill-advised trademark application submitted by ScholarshipPoints.Com is not surprising considering the lack of general qualifications and minimal credentials needed for a student to obtain a monthly “scholarship” from ScholarshipPoints.

For scholarships, grants, and financial-aid options that will impress colleges, employers, and community leaders, we recommend that students first consider scholarships, grants, and financial-aid options that are actually sponsored by National Academy of American Scholars.

Reflections upon Breivik and our own Far Right

Picture is from the front page of this month’s “Searchlight” (the anti-fascist magazine). It’s just over a year since the massacre in Norway and the verdict on Breivik is due out on Thursday. Searchlight has commissioned a number of articles on about him and the Far Right. Some very good (some a little odd).

It’s clear to me that Breivik is clinically insane. You don’t go around shooting children at close range while smiling and laughing without being deranged. It is also clear though that he knows the difference between right and wrong. This means in Britain that he would probably be found guilty of murder. The law in Norway is different and he might be found to be not responsible for his actions. Either way I cannot believe he will ever be released.

Searchlight make the valid point that in this country while we are concerned with the threat of violence from Islamic extremists we seem complacent about the threat from the Far Right. I’m sure this is true. There will be similar egotistic sociopath morons out there in our green and pleasant land who think that the only thing that Breivik done wrong was just not to kill enough people.

Hat’s off to the people and government of Norway for the way they have dealt with this appalling crime.

Hanazen .... Baby!!!

As Japanese restaurants go, its not a difficult task to locate good ones, as seriously there is very little cooking with good Japanese food. It all has more to do with getting the  best produce, best cuts and delivered with sincerity and care.

One more Japanese restaurant that fits the bill perfectly is Hanazen @ Jaya One. You may choose to order the sets, which are more than reasonably priced to get a good taste of what Hanazen has to offer. Most sets are under RM40. 




However, to get a real good taste of the best of Hanazen and what chef/GRO Mun Mun has to offer, go for the omakase ( chef's choice), it will set you back RM250-300pp but its certainly worth it, just the very best of what they have on offer and more. The sashimi platter might not look like much but it offers the best of what they have, isn't that what you want, the best on the menu?

 This was quite decadent, Kobe beef, Grade 5 (top level), marbling 9, crispy fish skin plus foie gras. 



When you cut open the Kobe beef, it looked so good, I had to take another photo.


One sure fire way to detect a really good Japanese restaurant is the wasabe, it has to be grated from a fresh root, not the ones mixed from powder please...

 This is QP mayonnaise, which is very Japanese, which i had a silly discussion over the wonders and usage of QP. We had other fancy tidbits, like the mini anchovies fried together to look like our brittle crunchy cuttlefish, except it tasted healthier and goes well with alcohol. I also forgot to take a photo of our appetiser plate which had 3 interesting elements - take it from me, just remember to order the omakase.

Oh, must order your own sake of course, its a wonderful experience. Remember that only mediocre sake is drunk hot, good sake is always drunk cold. Go and knock yourself out.

Service is 10 out of 10, but ask for the GRO Mun Mun to tide things over.

Banks look to corporate segment to fuel personal loan growth

Banks are looking to increase their unsecured loans portfolio by providing personal loans to corporate sector. The banks are going cautious by checking the credit history of the borrowers, but are also lending to first time borrowers. In case of first time borrowers, the bank makes a more stringent checks.

The banks have also limited the principal amount to first time customers. Corporate customers can however benefit if their company has a tie-up with the lender, since banks allow advances to such customers even if they do not have a credit history. Also such clients get a quick appraisal and sanctioning within an hour. However the banks do not take into consideration any other debt which the customer has with any other bank.

HDFC Bank's Priority Pass is one such product for the corporate clients, setting up terminals outside their offices, where the application is received and processed at the branch office, and once the loan is approved, the amount can be disbursed within 48 hours. To attract more customers, the banks are also waiving off processing fees, which has resulted in higher queries for personal loans.

GMB vote 95% in favour of LGPS: Further Misery for Miserablists

GMB member's of the Local Government Pension Scheme have voted by 95% in a secret postal ballot to support the new look scheme.

"Brian Strutton, GMB Public Services National Secretary, said “GMB members have spoken loud and clear.  The new LGPS 2014 proposals represent a fair and balanced outcome which means the pension scheme will remain affordable and sustainable; GMB members have recognised this as shown by the overwhelming vote in favour".

The UNISON ballot is ongoing. The ballot helpline close's tomorrow and the vote ends on 24th August.  Of course the UNISON miserablists are being even more miserable than usual at the GMB result. Does the GMB have miserablists or is it just an affliction that UNISON suffers from?

A Second Opinion

I was browsing through The Edge's Options and they featured the president & CEO of Davidoff Group, Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, talking about smoking cigars. Its all fine and dandy until he shared some interesting tips in "Doing It Right" when smoking cigars. I literally fell off my chair. Just because someone is CEO of a big cigar company, do not take their views as "the bible". His opinions would have elicited a heated counter argument from me.

I am not a snob but I like my cigars with a passion having smoked them for nearly 20 years. My views may not be better but certainly, let's weigh the views properly. Cigar aficionados please contribute.

The CEO said: a) The most important thing is storage at the correct humidity. A humidor is necessary even in countries like ours. If you don't have a humidor, keep your cigars in a cool, dark drawer but bear in mind they will not stay fresh for very long.

Comment: The most important thing is not the humidor. Cigars need two things, humidity and correct temperature. Even if you do not have a humidor, the worst is the cigars dry out, but they can still be rehabilitated properly with care later on in a properly controlled humidor. 

However, if you do not have the right temperature, its gone. All cigars are made with organic leaves and no insecticides and as such there will be "eggs/larvaes" on them which you cannot see. These eggs will hatch once they reach the right temperature, which is around 28 Celsius or higher. Once they hatch, they will burrow holes through your cigars - which is very much the end of your cigar. 

Humidity in Malaysia is relatively high, much more than the minimum required 70-72, its the heat we have to contend with.

So, the humidor is not the most important thing but rather keeping them in a cool environment. The ideal is between 18-22 C, failing that, even 24 C is acceptable but certainly not ideal. Without a humidor, you can still keep it for some time if you have a ziplock bag with a water pillow (which can be easily purchased at any good cigar shops). Just remember to keep it in a cool place (not the fridge though). 

A cigar is a "living organic" specimen, a cigar is very dependent on the quality of the leaves, the oils in the leaves. You may age a cigar if they are of quality as the oils will permeate and flourish. However, a cigar will also take on other smells which is why they have to be kept in a "neutral environment" such as glass or fiberglass cabinet. The best is cedar wood lined humidors as these have the "right oils" to age alongside with the cigars. So, don't ever leave the cigars in a "paper box, plastic containers or normal drawers" as the cigars will take on these "smells and oils" which will corrupt the cigars.

The CEO said: b) Don't light your cigar with a lighter, but with a match. Its a nice ceremony to indulge in, and you must really get the smell of the cigar before smoking. You may use a lighter when the cigar dies out, but the first time you light it must be with matches.


Comment; How do you say bull shit without being offensive? I don't really care if he is the CEO of Davidoff but that is pure b.s., no wonder I don't smoke much Davidoffs nowadays. Lighting with a match is a nice ceremony ... why don't you bite off the ends like the real Cuban rollers used to do then instead of using a proper cutter?  The one thing you shouldn't do is to light a cigar with a normal lighter for cigarettes, the ones that emit yellow flame as these flames will leave an undesired after taste on the cigars. Next you can use a match but its also not the best because even though its wood based, you can still see traces of yellow flames. You should really only light it with a very neutral flame, which is from butene gas, the blue colour flame. 

The CEO said: c) Never put out a cigar like a cigarette - it must go out by itself. If you do, it will sour when you relight it. Twisting it in the ashtray is an even bigger crime.

Comment: Seriously i don't know how and why a person with such questionable knowledge can be leading a proper cigar company? He is right that you should never put out a cigar like a cigarette, like stubbing it as the dark ash will work its way into the after taste when you relight it again. A cigar should be left to go out on its own even if you are only going through it halfway, and may want to continue later. 

I hope he is talking about twisting the cigar at the lighted end stub, which is a big no-no as well for the same reason. However, getting rid of a long ash, you should rest part of the ash on the tray, and lightly press the ash tip and the ash will break off lightly. A long ash is a desired thing but then it can get messy. 

The other thing about ash is that you should not break off the ah too frequently as that will expose the lighted end to too much oxygen, thus causing it to burn faster and you could end up with a heated smoke which is not desirable. You want a cool smoke. Never, never ... tap your cigar on the ashtray to break the ash as that will affect the structure of the remainder of the cigar, and its way uncool.

While we are on ash and burn rate, smokers should  be wary with the size of cigars they are smoking. They should maintain a good burn rate that allows for a cool smoke. Hence you should not puff as frequent as a cigarette. A well lit cigar will continue burning even after 45-60 seconds between puffs. 

When a person relights a cigar, does it mean he/she is doing it wrong or they have a bad cigar? No, a cigar can at times go off faster than usual if it is too well humidified, or the construction of the cigar is at time too tight at places which does not allow for proper breathing.




There are other practices which are questionable. You sometimes see smokers dipping the sucking end with a bit of cognac - thats a European thing. Seriously, this is a no-no with handmade full leaves cigars. It does not add to the taste. You may do it with a "dry cigars", which is very popular with Europeans. Dry cigars include Villager, Tabacalera, Danneman, etc ... only the outside wrapper leaves is whole, inside is chopped leaves much like cigarettes and they are machine made. They don't age and have little oils but still good and still a lot better than a cigarette.

What to drink when smoking a cigar? Top of the list should be plain water or unsweetened ice tea, they naturally cleanse the palette. Wine is a no-no as there would be too many things competing for your palette, and as a wine develops throughout the night as the wine aerates more, the nuances may be harder to find and certainly your cigar aromas on your palette will be also hard to distinguish. 

I am no fan of blended whiskies, I think single malts are a decent drink to accompany a cigar if all else fail. The single malts are cleaner and does not compete with cigars too much.

Try not to get your cigar too wet with your saliva, its not becoming. You can moisten the end as you do not want the end to unravel but do not drown it with your saliva. Mark of a good cigar smoker, the end is usually clean and dry - it takes time and practice and care.

Should you take off the band when you smoke a cigar, its up to you. I would gradually take them off as a lighted cigar would heat up the band. As the glue holding the band would heat up as well, thus making taking the band off easier. The danger in taking the band off early is you could rip off the most important bit holding the entire cigar. 

Some people will hold a cigar close to their ears and roll it with their fingers, that is again pure b.s., what are you listening for? Its posturing. The first thing before smoking any cigar is to check for how well humidified it is, you can do so by pressing the cigar lightly, it should have some give. If its hard, don't bother smoking. Too soft would be too well humidified, which means the cigar will go out very often.

Difference between a cigarette and a cigar smoker: one is highly addictive; one is a beast of habit, you need to have one the moment you wake up, the moment you take a dump, the moment after a meal, the moment you feel stressed, maybe the moment just after sex ... the other is a cigar: you need to find time to smoke one, you need to tune yourself down to smoke one, you need a proper environment that is relatively sedate and unhurried to smoke one, it is one of life's great de-stressers. 

If you have a choice don't smoke. If you must smoke, go for a cigar.

Maintaining Useful Volunteers

(Guest post) "Volunteers play a unique role in the work of non-profit organisations. Often they are not there for the long term and lack positions of authority. It is difficult to include volunteers as leaders. At the same time, volunteers cannot be counted as employees because there is usually nothing binding them to the non-profit that promotes strong accountability or incentive except for their personal integrity. This often makes the role of volunteer in the non-profit sector an “other” or an “extra”.

It seems to me that many volunteers feel just that. They understand their roles to be dispensable, temporary, and additional rather than essential. When non-profits engage volunteers, they must carefully set up a structure that understands and communicates well the role of volunteers. This requires flexibility, clear expectations, and a form of accountability. Often the non-profit trades such requirements for easier strategies, like flattering volunteers, playing on emotions, and unrealistic marketing messages.

For example, a non-profit might market that it needs volunteers using emotionally-gripping images and stories. The marketing message might state the goals of the non-profit as though they were already realised and definitely being accomplished. It might promote that volunteers are able to join the effort by doing simple tasks at the convenience and pleasure of the volunteer.

While such strategies tend to function well in the recruitment of volunteers for the non-profit sector, they also set up failed relationships and projects for both volunteers and non-profits because of the lack of clarity, expectations, accountability, and flexibility. Anyone who has worked at bettering the world (especially through non-profits) and faced the reality of the brokenness and complexity of the world is aware that the goals of a non-profit are rarely fully accomplished and are often met with challenges, setbacks, and multiple changes. This is simply reality, and it requires flexibility. Volunteers need to have a clear knowledge of this reality while they set their expectations and incentives for working with a non-profit.

Even if non-profits employ strategies for clear communication about expectations, goals, and incentive with volunteers, these are not enough without accountability. Empowerment language hardly belongs in messages marketed to volunteers because volunteers given power are rarely also given humility, servitude, and purpose. These allow for the accountability that ensure continuity, long-term commitment, and the growth of integrity in volunteers and the projects they serve in for non-profit work. It must be clear to volunteers and to the non-profit sector what goals, expectations, and roles need to exist for the success of projects, not for comfortable recruitment. This recruitment starting point is not enough, the non-profit sector must honestly engage volunteers to succeed. 

Author Bio

Nancy Parker was a professional nannies and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting, nanny background check tips etc. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com

Dilbert@E.U. Bailout Crisis

Scholarships, Grants, and Financial-aid for Moms, Women

We encourage local Moms, single mothers, and students who are looking for a great source of scholarships, grants, and financial-aid, to explore the great opportunities that we sponsor Scholarships, Grants, and Financial-aid for Women/Moms

Eastgate Retail Park latest on ticket refunds

A spokesperson for Vehicle Control Services said:

Vehicle Control Services have not done anything other than to perform their
contractual obligations for managing car parking arrangements at the
Eastgate Retail Park providing a 1.5 (one and a half) hour maximum stay car
parking arrangement.

We understand that following the involvement of the local Council and the
Town Centre Manager, we were

Selamat Hari Raya, Keroncong Style

Music plays a huge part of our memories. As in any balik kampung event, its our memories and nostalgia that fill the air. So, here are my favourite keroncong tunes by Kartina Dahari for listening pleasure over this festive period. Drive dafe.

Many Malaysians (including younger Malays even) have not heard of Kartina Dahari. Well, she was one of the top singers in the 60s and 70s. She was known for her keroncong songs. Don't ask me how I know of her songs, heard it on the radio when I was much much younger but you could hardly get a copy of her recordings on CDs. Keroncong styled songs are not everyone's cup of teh tarik, for me it struck a chord, you need to slow everything down, relax and take it easy and go with the flow of the songs - it soothes the soul. She is from Singapore although she lives in London most of the time now with her son. I love her voice, her delivery and her keroncong songs were highly accessible. Whenever I listen to her songs, I think of my younger days with my dad driving on the old trunk road on the way to Penang, late afternoon, windows down, with the breeze and trees as companions.

Easily her rendition of Sayang di Sayang has to be my favourite. Terkenang Kenang is also splendid. The third song doesn't quite fall into keroncong category but still good.

Best Things in Life Are Free

Never has the cliche been more meaningful when it comes to designing a company's logo. The two best logos for big companies have to be Coca Cola and Google, and they both cost the company $0 because it was done in house.






cost: $35
Nike co-founder Phil Knight purchased the famous swoosh logo from graphic design student Carolyn Davidson in 1971. Knight was teaching an accounting class at Portland State University, and he heard Davidson talking about not being able to afford oil paints in the halls. That's when he offered her $2/hour to do charts, graphs, and finally a logo. "I don't love it, but maybe it will grow on me," Knight said, after doling out $35 for the swoosh. I mean, seriously Phil, the company has grown so big, if it was me I would have offered the designer $1m bonus when your net worth started surging past $500m. The swoosh was a great design, its cool, signify speed and upward mobility and agility.



cost: $33,000
Paul Rand was paid $33,000 for creating the Enron logo in the 1990s. I think any feng shui master will be able to tell you this is a doomed design. Its tilted and does not inspire confidence.



cost: $625,000
OK, this did not cost that much but certainly it wasn't inspiring or snazzy at all. Designed by Wolff Olins. The funniest comment was that it looked like Lisa Simpson performing oral sex.


cost: $1m
OK, the logo is pretty cool but Arnell Group which came up with the logo also came up with a 27-page document, titled "Breathtaking," was full of pop-culture buzz words explaining Arnell's methodology for the redesign. The report was mocked using phrases like: "Emotive forces shape the gestalt of the brand identity." How to b.s. for $1m.



cost: $1.8m
Simple, professional and conservative, but did it have to cost $1.8m?



cost: $211 million

Ad agency Ogilvy & Mather worked with BP's changing logo, tagline, and image in 2001 “to reinvent itself as an energy company people can have faith in and inspire a campaign that gives voice to people’s concerns, while providing evidence of BP’s commitment, if not all the answers.” Well after the carnage from the oil spill, the brand image did not help one bit.

Jobs or Flowers? A letter to the Accrington Observer

I would like the opportunity to respond to the letter by Councillor Terry Hurn (Tory, Baxenden) last week suggesting that the MP was doing nothing for businesses in Hyndburn.

Long before I was elected as MP jobs, growth and businesses had been the local Labour Party's number one priority. In fact I helped Mr Hurn's own business providing state-of-the-art neighbourhood CCTV cameras and liaison

Things We Really Should Have

Why A Severe Bear Market Could Be Just Around The Corner

While valuations are still reasonable and liquidity still ample in global markets, there is going to be a confluence of events that could derail even decent or fair valuations. Global markets have been through a pretty bumpy ride so far this year, thanks to the Greece worsening on/off debacle. Every single time, the EU leaders would convene another hastily reworked package to stave the bleeding patient. Now we have not one bleeding patient but another coming into ICU (Spain), the hospital is running out of blood and nerves are shot.

To a large extent, we did not see the boil over yet because the US economy showed signs of recovery even though unemployment kind of stopped improving over the last two months, however retail spending and housing there showed signs of life in the lake of death. 

Hugely uncertain political developments and big macro boil overs seem to be on the cards as the year winds down. If the US starts to look shaky again, all bets are off for a sustained markets recovery. OK, read the last sentence again, please.

We only need to bother to look at the itinerary of events, its all there for all to see. The US election will happen on November 6, 2012. WHOEVER is elected is not important. The start of 2013 will see a SEVERE FISCAL tightening owing to:
a) the expiry of $400bn in tax cuts
b) $200bn in spending cut which is mandated by law in the US

However you want to cut it, corporate spending and consumer spending will shrink out of caution, and you can expect unemployment to rise again as companies starts to hold off hiring owing to the fear factor.

Let me throw in another spanner into the works. Almost every single state in the US is having grave problems balancing their state budgets, and no credible solution is forthcoming from any of them.

Can the Fed help?

Bernanke has been warning time and again (twice in the last month) that the Fed cannot be shouldering the burden alone as they only have the taps to monetary policy. Bernanke is trying not to sound panicky but I believe he already is shaking in his boots. He said that any monetary policy has to be packaged with fiscal policies for it to work. Already if you look at the Fed's balance sheet, there is little room to further release liquidity. Even if the Fed does that, the money is just going straight to Treasuries and money market and not to the real economy.





Once the house of cards starts to wobble in the US, the EU situation will be magnified and compounded, no more excuses or hope. How will all this affect equities? Well, you can expect a dramatic pulling out of funds from all type equity investments, regardless of whether pockets of Asia or Latin America are doing well.

The silly thing is that the currencies of USD and yen will rise again as safe havens even though balance sheet wise, they are the most vulnerable and pathetic fundamentals. Brace yourself to be in cash 80% by the time US elections comes around. The global events will make the results of a Malaysian elections inconsequential.

This will drag the US and Europe into another bout of recession, and when the big boys are sick, the small fries don't do too well. Companies wanting to raise funds or list better do it before the year is over. Cyclical industries will kaput once again. 

Unemployment in Hyndburn announced this morning- July 2012

The unemployment figures for July 2012 published today at 9.30am by the Office for National Statistics.

The number of unemployed claimants in Hyndburn constituency in July 2012 was 2,322. This represents a rate of 5.5% of the economically active population aged 16 to 64, the 263rd highest of the 650 UK constituencies. The number of claimants is 136 higher than in July 2011 and 76 higher than

Warren's Mantras

"Rule No. 1: never lose money; rule No. 2: don't forget rule No. 1"

Source: The Tao of Warren Buffett


"Investors should remember that excitement and expenses are their enemies. And if they insist on trying to time their participation in equities, they should try to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful."
Source: Letter to shareholders, 2004


"The line separating investment and speculation, which is never bright and clear, becomes blurred still further when most market participants have recently enjoyed triumphs. Nothing sedates rationality like large doses of effortless money. After a heady experience of that kind, normally sensible people drift into behavior akin to that of Cinderella at the ball. They know that overstaying the festivities ¾ that is, continuing to speculate in companies that have gigantic valuations relative to the cash they are likely to generate in the future ¾ will eventually bring on pumpkins and mice. But they nevertheless hate to miss a single minute of what is one helluva party. Therefore, the giddy participants all plan to leave just seconds before midnight. There’s a problem, though: They are dancing in a room in which the clocks have no hands."
Source: Letter to shareholders, 2000


"It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price."
Source: Letter to shareholders, 1989


"The stock market is a no-called-strike game. You don't have to swing at everything--you can wait for your pitch. The problem when you're a money manager is that your fans keep yelling, 'Swing, you bum!'"
Source: The Tao of Warren Buffett


"Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls-Royce to get advice from those who take the subway."
Source: The Tao of Warren Buffett


"Long ago, Ben Graham taught me that 'Price is what you pay; value is what you get.' Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down."
Source: Letter to shareholders, 2008


"You don't need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ."
Source: Warren Buffet Speaks


"Long ago, Sir Isaac Newton gave us three laws of motion, which were the work of genius. But Sir Isaac’s talents didn’t extend to investing: He lost a bundle in the South Sea Bubble, explaining later, “I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men.” If he had not been traumatized by this loss, Sir Isaac might well have gone on to discover the Fourth Law of Motion: For investors as a whole, returns decrease as motion increases."
Source: Letters to shareholders, 2005


"After all, you only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out."
Source: Letter to shareholders, 2001


"When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever."
Source: Letter to shareholders, 1988


"Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it's the lack of change that appeals to me. I don't think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That's the kind of business I like."
Source: Businessweek, 1999


"Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre."
Source: Letters to shareholders 1989


"The best thing that happens to us is when a great company gets into temporary trouble...We want to buy them when they're on the operating table."
Source: Businessweek, 1999


"I have pledged – to you, the rating agencies and myself – to always run Berkshire with more than ample cash. We never want to count on the kindness of strangers in order to meet tomorrow’s obligations. When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits."
 Source: Letter to shareholders, 2008


"I try to buy stock in businesses that are so wonderful that an idiot can run them. Because sooner or later, one will."


"Over the long term, the stock market news will be good. In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497."
Source: The New York Times, October 16, 2008


"I am a better investor because I am a businessman, and a better businessman because I am no investor."
Source: Forbes.com - Thoughts On The Business Life

Growth Investing

If you mention any other kind of investing other than "value investing", they'd seem like bad words next to value investing. Thanks to Warren Buffett, value investing has almost reached the nirvana of acceptance by all and sundry as the safest and most consistent long term performance tool. 

Value investing to pay less for something. The off shoot of value investing is something called growth investing. It has the same basis as value investing but is willing to pay a lot more for potential. As long as growth is evident and in the works, these investors will not mind riding the bull in a growth stock.

Beware of growth stocks because they are very easy to like, and you can get totally smitten with them. Strong growth stocks usually have a strong retail element in them - its like discovering something new (assuming chewing gum has never been invented),like chewing gum and marketing it to the world. Your growth potential is enormous.

Two of the most fantastic growth stocks for the past few years have been Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread ... both I am bloody sure will be brought to Malaysia soon by Vincent Tan (who else?).

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Chipotle) operate restaurants throughout the United States, as well as two restaurants in Toronto, Canada and two in London, England. As of December 31, 2011, Chipotle operated 1,230 restaurants, which includes one ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. The Company's restaurants serve a menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads. The Company manages its operations and restaurants based on six regions that all report into a single segment. As of December 31, 2011, the Company delivered ingredients and other supplies to its restaurants from 22 independently owned and operated regional distribution centers. Chipotle categorizes its restaurants as either end-caps (at the end of a line of retail outlets), in-lines (in a line of retail outlets), free-standing or other.

Panera Bread Company (Panera) is a national bakery-cafe concept with 1,541 Company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafe locations in42 states, the District of Columbia, and Ontario, Canada. Panera operates under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Cafe trademark names. Its bakery-cafes are located in urban, suburban, strip mall, and regional mall locations. The Company operates in three business segments: Company bakery-cafe operations, franchise operations, and fresh dough and other product operations. As of December 27, 2011, its Company bakery-cafe operations segment consisted of 740 Company-owned bakery-cafes, located throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. On July 26, 2011, the Company purchased five Paradise Bakery & Cafe (Paradise) bakery-cafes and the related area development rights from an Indiana franchisee. On April 19, 2011, the Company purchased 25 bakery-cafes and the related area development rights from a Milwaukee franchisee.

I had a friend who was in the States 3 years ago and tried Chipotle, loved the food, checked out the stock and saw that it was already up 50% ytd. Didn't buy, the stock went up another 100% a year later.

The storyline is the same for Panera. In August 2007, you would have to pay 24x earnings forward. If you held for 5 years till today, your returns would have been 260%.

It is "easy" for a company with a great product to churn out growth quarter on quarter, mainly by opening new outlets. Same can be said for Starbucks until it reaches saturation point, or when the number of outlets is so sizable that the number of new outlets to be opened pales in comparison thus eroding the growth factor.

The second growth factor is increase in same store sales. That is a very harsh guide as it only calculates the same store sales growth. You may assume traffic would be on an increasing trend for the one new store for the firat 6 months but after that, you are unlikely to keep getting more people in - then you have to "reinvent products" or charge higher or get customers to spend more one way or another with promotions, etc.

You can ride on a growth stock for a very long time, 3-5 years but you have to be vigilant against the figures being churned out every quarter because plenty of hedge funds and big private investor will sell the moment they see something is wrong with the growth machine.

In Chipotle's case, the stock gained 20% ytd this year but lost 22% in one day after last month's quarterly results. Chipotle still saw strong growth, 20% revenue growth, but investors focused on the flat same store sales figures.

There are other metrics you can get a handle on to better assess growth stocks. Panera is a much better run company. But you wouldn't know it looking at Panera and Chipotle fundamentals. Chipotle was trading at 40x while Panera was at 27x before Chipotle's losing nearly a quarter in value. Chipotle was priced for perfection.

Panera's earnings growth for the past 3 years was just 19% a year versus Chipotle's gutsy 25%. Sometimes investors just look at the figures and assume big is always better. In Panera's case, they want growth but managed growth. Its so easy to target opening 5 new stores a month to targeting 10 new stores a month. To manage the expectations, do proper staff training, etc. is another thing. 

That's also why Panera's profit per store is much better than Chipotle. Heck, I think even Buffett will buy Panera Bread.

Olympics legacy - Why not join in a sport here in Hyndburn?

Following the Olympics there is bound to be an increased interest in Sport; we have a golden opportunity to capture the increased enthusiasm for sport and use it to get more people active and involved with their local sports clubs.

This weekend (18th and 19th August) the charity Join In are encouraging people to head down to local sports clubs and get involved.

This is a once in a lifetime

Stop 114A

Unused Scholarship Funds

Most would agree that America's economic crisis has taken its toll on colleges, students and families. Tuition continues to climb as a result of imploded state budgets while the funds to pay for college has become increasingly harder to obtain.

Nonetheless, National Academy of American Scholars is still sponsoring over $1 million worth of Scholarships, Grants, and Loans. In fact, over $100,000 in scholarships, grants, and financial-aid targeted specifically for high-school seniors went unused last year because too many high-school counselors did not distribute literature sponsored and approved by National Academy of American Scholars.

At a time when families are struggling with unemployment and strained resources, it is not only unethical but outrageous that professional, employed, and working guidance counselors would not offer FREE informaion to students and parents seeking resourceful information about scholarships, grants, and financial-aid.

If you are a student attending any high-school in the U.S.A. and your guidance counselor DID NOT inform you or at least share information on their respective web site (via a shared link) about the numerous scholarships, grants, and financial-aid sponsored by National Academy of American Scholars then you have a legitimate complaint for misfeasance; U.S. Guidance counselors have a legal and binding duty to discharge their statutory obligations; and it is an established rule of tort and civil laws that an action lies in favour of persons injured (i.e. eligible scholarship students and unemployed parents) by misfeasance, i.e. by negligence of guidance counselors in discharge of their legal duty to share with students resourceful and valuable financial-aid information.