Myxbla

Most of us consider trucks and lorries to be the bane of any long distance journey by road. They’re big, they’re slow and they belch foul-smelling black smoke at us when we’re stuck behind them. We don’t know much about the drivers of these behemoths who sit above us, largely out of sight, other than that they seem to go out of their way to be as rude and obnoxious as possible. But appearances can be deceiving. Some truck drivers have banded together and begun writing blog posts on life on the road. A truck driver’s view, from on high, makes for an interesting perspective.
The most important thing that truck drivers want other road users to be aware of is that size matters. The fact that trucks can be six times as big and weigh twenty times as much as regular cars makes their handling interesting at the best of times. Michael Oleary emphasise this fact with the definition of inertia. He says that size is of primary importance in inertia. The bigger the object, the greater the energy required to interrupt its inertia at any point.
This is glaringly obvious to anyone who has seen a truck struggle to maintain momentum on an upward climb, or struggle to rein in momentum when hurtling down a particularly treacherous slope. It’s then that other drivers start to lose patience with fickle and inconsistent truck drivers, so easily forgetting how the needles on the speedometers of our much lighter vehicles race ahead as we crest hills. We label truck drivers as erratic while our variations in speed are put down to the effects of gravity and fuel-injected engines.
Something else that we tend to forget is our complete lack of visibility; at least as far as truck drivers are concerned. Oleary, Rozemarie, and Louis Albornoz all mention the importance of staying within a truck’s line of sight. Every truck is afflicted with four large blind-spots that no strategically placed mirrors can overcome: right behind the truck, directly ahead of the truck, and near the wheels on either side. An important indication of your visibility to the driver is his or her visibility to you. If you can’t see the driver in either of the wing mirrors, then the driver can’t see you. At the very least you should be able to see one wing mirror at all times. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.
Show me a driver who has never rolled back and I’ll show you a mermaid, Bigfoot, and a leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If it’s easy for your light little car to roll back, imagine how easy it must be for a behemoth fighting the laws of gravity. Trucks roll, it’s part of their nature. A rolling truck is not indicative of bad driving, unless it’s rolling across three red lights during peak traffic, in which case someone should call an ambulance. Once you’ve accepted this basic fact, adjust for it. Don’t pull up right behind them at traffic lights, stop streets or when you’re expecting a slight pause. Leave a gap, which is something that you should be doing when pulling up behind all cars anyway. It’s not only safe, it’s courteous.
The last point mentioned here, but by no means the last word on the matter, is respect the safety cushion. When travelling in either congested traffic or on the open road, truck drivers leave a gap between themselves and the vehicles ahead of them. This is not a convenient stop gap for you to use as you weave your way along the road. This is the driver’s safety cushion that allows him or her time to react in emergency situations. If you occupy the emergency space, you risk becoming the emergency. Driving in the cushion also places you in the blind spot directly ahead of the truck. If the driver can’t see you, he or she can’t react to you. Continual safety cushion transgressors should ensure that all of their affairs are always in order.
The simplest tenet that truck drivers would like other drivers to bear in mind is courtesy. It’s also the simplest tenet that all drivers, regardless of vehicle size, would like other drivers to bear in mind. Bad manners on the road beget bad driving, which begets higher insurance premiums and ultimately begets wealthy funeral homes.
After all, as the golden rule, apparent in all major religions, states, „Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, except truck drivers; those gits get what they have coming.”
Recommended site:
http://www.helium.com/knowledge/14368-safety-truck-drivers-perspective
Most of us consider trucks and lorries to be the bane of any long distance journey by road. They’re big, they’re slow and they belch foul-smelling black smoke at us when we’re stuck behind them. We don’t know much about the drivers of these behemoths who sit above us, largely out of sight, other than that they seem to go out of their way to be as rude and obnoxious as possible. But appearances can be lampy solarne deceiving. Some truck drivers have banded together and begun writing blog posts on life on the road. A truck driver’s view, from on high, makes for an interesting perspective.
The most important thing that truck drivers want other road users to be aware of is that size matters. The fact that trucks can be six times as big and weigh twenty times as much as regular cars makes their handling interesting at the best of times. Michael Oleary emphasise this fact with the definition of inertia. He says that size is of primary importance in inertia. The bigger the object, the greater the energy required to interrupt its inertia at any point.
This is glaringly obvious to anyone who has seen a truck struggle to maintain momentum on an upward climb, or struggle to rein in momentum when hurtling down a particularly treacherous slope. It’s then that other drivers start to lose patience with fickle and inconsistent truck drivers, so easily forgetting how the needles on the speedometers of our much lighter vehicles race ahead as we crest hills. We label truck drivers as erratic while our variations in speed are put down to the effects of gravity and fuel-injected engines.
Something else that we tend to forget is our complete lack of visibility; at least as far as truck drivers are concerned. Oleary, Rozemarie, and Louis Albornoz all mention the importance of staying within a truck’s line of sight. Every truck is afflicted with four large blind-spots that no strategically placed mirrors can overcome: right behind the truck, directly ahead of the truck, and near the wheels on either side. An important indication of your visibility to the driver is his or her visibility to you. If you can’t see the driver in either of the wing mirrors, then the driver can’t see you. At the very least you should be able to see one wing mirror at all times. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.
Show me a driver who has never rolled back and I’ll show you a mermaid, Bigfoot, and a leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If it’s easy for your light little car to roll back, imagine how easy it must be for a behemoth fighting the laws of gravity. Trucks roll, it’s part of their nature. A rolling truck is not indicative of bad driving, unless it’s rolling across three red lights during peak traffic, in which case someone should call an ambulance. Once you’ve accepted this basic fact, adjust for it. Don’t pull up right behind them at traffic lights, stop streets or when you’re expecting a slight pause. Leave a gap, which is something that you should be doing when pulling up behind all cars anyway. It’s not only safe, it’s courteous.
The last point mentioned here, but by no means the last word on the matter, is respect the safety cushion. When travelling in either congested traffic or on the open road, truck drivers leave a gap between themselves and the vehicles ahead of them. This is not a convenient stop gap for you to use as you weave your way along the road. This is the driver’s safety cushion that allows him or her time to react in emergency situations. If you occupy the emergency space, you risk becoming the emergency. Driving in the cushion also places you in the blind spot directly ahead of the truck. If the driver can’t see you, he or she can’t react to you. Continual safety cushion transgressors should ensure that all of their affairs are always in order.
The simplest tenet that truck drivers would like other drivers to bear in mind is courtesy. It’s also the simplest tenet that all drivers, regardless of vehicle size, would like other drivers to bear in mind. Bad manners on the road beget bad driving, which begets higher insurance premiums and ultimately begets wealthy funeral homes.
After all, as the golden rule, apparent in all major religions, states, „Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, except truck drivers; those gits get what they have coming.”
Recommended site:
http://www.helium.com/knowledge/14368-safety-truck-drivers-perspective

For years, I’ve been trying to convince my friends and family that outside forces caused me to do most of the stupid things I’ve done in my life. Though they would never come right out and say it, I’m pretty sure the only thing they are convinced of is that I’m really just a highly functioning idiot savant, kind of a high octane Rain Man, if you will. Maybe that’s why my wife never lets me drive.
Granted, I have done some pretty idiotic things over the years, not a lot of idiotic things, mind you, but there are several skid marks along my psychological interstate that I’d like to blame on something other than my own fallibility.
For example, I’ve always said that it was teenage peer pressure that made me wear bellbottoms, stacked-heel shoes and loud polyester shirts in the seventies. Truth is, peer pressure had nothing to do with it. I was a disco duck by choice.
Skid mark number one.
I still believe it was a rare brain disorder that caused me to scoff when a financial planner showed me the prospectus of a little software company that was about to go public, a minor firm by the of Microsoft. „Computers are a fad,” I remember saying. „Betamax videotapes, that’s where my money’s going!”
Hear those brakes? Skid mark number two.
And to this day no one believes me when I say that it must have been something I ate that caused me to vote for Fob James – twice.
Skid marks three, four and five (I give myself bonus points for this one).
But now, my loved ones are going to have to eat a little crow because I have discovered the perfect excuse. This excuse is so good I think it may even cover future stupidity! Blanket coverage, that’s what I’ve got.
Pay close attention because soon, very soon, you’ll be using this excuse, too. Ready? Here it is.
El Niño made me do it. Ah, redemption…
Now I’m not Catholic, nor am I a weatherman, but I’m pretty sure this is the meteorological equivalent of a whole bunch of „Hail Mary’s.” Say it with me now and experience your own absolution from idiocy and guilt.
„El Niño made me do it! El Niño! El Niño! El Niño!”
There, didn’t that feel good, like a great weight being lifted off your shoulders. Your slate has been wiped clean, my friend. You may now pass Go and demand your $200 with a sparkling conscience because El Niño has just taken the wrap for all your personal bleeps and bloopers. Go home, Dick Clark, there’s nothing to see here.
I wish I could take credit for hatching this most excellent plan to blame a weather phenomenon for my woes, but I can’t. Turn on any television, pick up any newspaper, and you’ll find someone – everyone – pointing the finger at my foul weather friend.
Hurricanes, floods, droughts, blizzards, famine, Marv Albert’s penchant for women’s underwear – all are being blamed on El Niño.
When I decided to make El Niño my personal scapegoat, I knew that I would need a little BACKGROUND info just in case someone questioned my reasoning. I decided an expert was called for, so I dropped in on a friend who works as a TV weatherman. Now, I’m not talking about one of those „give me a loud tie and a Doppler radar to go” kind of weatherman. No sir, I’m talking about a bonafide, card-carrying, „I’ve got your meteorological seal of approval RIGHT HERE!” kind of weatherman. To protect his good name, I’ll just call him Dan.
Here’s how Dan explained it: „El Niño is the name given to the mysterious warming of the Pacific waters off the coast of South America every year. The trade winds blow across this large mass of warm water. The water evaporates and is carried off by the warm air, which means above average precipitation levels along the western Pacific seaboard and possible drought conditions along the east.”
Wow, I told you this guy was good. If only he spoke English.
Here’s a loose translation: El Niño is this big blob of warm water in the Pacific ocean and it’s probably gonna screw up the weather somewhere, sometime, somehow.
I told Dan about my plan to pin blame on El Niño and asked if he thought it would work. He was certain that it would since people have been blaming El Niño for their troubles for hundreds of years. So it’s not an original plan, but it’s still a great plan.
Turns out, it was a Peruvian anchovy fisherman by the of Long Juan Silverado who first blamed El Niño for his troubles, all the way back in 1649. Long Juan noticed that the anchovies quit biting when the waters off the coast of Peru grew warm every year around Christmas time. Anchovies are a particularly finicky school of fish, preferring cool water in which to mate. I guess warm water must give female anchovies headaches because all Juan could catch were grumpy males, which tasted awful. This was probably when he coined that popular Peruvian phrase, „A warm anchovy is an unhappy anchovy!” That Juan, what a card.
The resulting lack of happy anchovies was devastating to the 17th century pizza franchise industry, thereby making them the second victims of El Niño. It must have been a sad day indeed for El Domino’s and Papa Juan’s.
Speaking of Juan, since the warming of the water usually occurred in late December, he dubbed it El Niño (English: The Child) for the Christ Child.
I’m just glad Juan didn’t notice the warm water in November.
I’d feel really stupid blaming all my troubles on El Gobbler.
For years, I’ve been trying to convince my friends and family that outside forces caused me to do most of the stupid things I’ve done in my life. Though they would never come right out and say it, I’m pretty sure the only thing they are convinced of is that I’m really just a highly functioning idiot savant, kind of a high octane Rain Man, if you will. Maybe that’s why my wife never lets me drive.
Granted, I have done some pretty idiotic things over the years, not a lot of idiotic things, mind you, but there are several skid marks along my psychological interstate that I’d like to blame on something other than my own fallibility.
For example, I’ve always said that it was teenage peer pressure that made me wear bellbottoms, stacked-heel shoes and loud polyester shirts in the seventies. Truth is, peer pressure had nothing to do with it. I was a disco duck by choice.
Skid mark number one.
I still believe it was a rare brain disorder that caused me to radca prawny scoff when a financial planner showed me the prospectus of a little software company that was about to go public, a minor firm by the of Microsoft. „Computers are a fad,” I remember saying. „Betamax videotapes, that’s where my money’s going!”
Hear those brakes? Skid mark number two.
And to this day no one believes me when I say that it must have been something I ate that caused me to vote for Fob James – twice.
Skid marks three, four and five (I give myself bonus points for this one).
But now, my loved ones are going to have to eat a little crow because I have discovered the perfect excuse. This excuse is so good I think it may even cover future stupidity! Blanket coverage, that’s what I’ve got.
Pay close attention because soon, very soon, you’ll be using this excuse, too. Ready? Here it is.
El Niño made me do it. Ah, redemption…
Now I’m not Catholic, nor am I a weatherman, but I’m pretty sure this is the meteorological equivalent of a whole bunch of „Hail Mary’s.” Say it with me now and experience your own absolution from idiocy and guilt.
„El Niño made me do it! El Niño! El Niño! El Niño!”
There, didn’t that feel good, like a great weight being lifted off your shoulders. Your slate has been wiped clean, my friend. You may now pass Go and demand your $200 with a sparkling conscience because El Niño has just taken the wrap for all your personal bleeps and bloopers. Go home, Dick Clark, there’s nothing to see here.
I wish I could take credit for hatching this most excellent plan to blame a weather phenomenon for my woes, but I can’t. Turn on any television, pick up any newspaper, and you’ll find someone – everyone – pointing the finger at my foul weather friend.
Hurricanes, floods, droughts, blizzards, famine, Marv Albert’s penchant for women’s underwear – all are being blamed on El Niño.
When I decided to make El Niño my personal scapegoat, I knew that I would need a little BACKGROUND info just in case someone questioned my reasoning. I decided an expert was called for, so I dropped in on a friend who works as a TV weatherman. Now, I’m not talking about one of those „give me a loud tie and a Doppler radar to go” kind of weatherman. No sir, I’m talking about a bonafide, card-carrying, „I’ve got your meteorological seal of approval RIGHT HERE!” kind of weatherman. To protect his good name, I’ll just call him Dan.
Here’s how Dan explained it: „El Niño is the name given to the mysterious warming of the Pacific waters off the coast of South America every year. The trade winds blow across this large mass of warm water. The water evaporates and is carried off by the warm air, which means above average precipitation levels along the western Pacific seaboard and possible drought conditions along the east.”
Wow, I told you this guy was good. If only he spoke English.
Here’s a loose translation: El Niño is this big blob of warm water in the Pacific ocean and it’s probably gonna screw up the weather somewhere, sometime, somehow.
I told Dan about my plan to pin blame on El Niño and asked if he thought it would work. He was certain that it would since people have been blaming El Niño for their troubles for hundreds of years. So it’s not an original plan, but it’s still a great plan.
Turns out, it was a Peruvian anchovy fisherman by the of Long Juan Silverado who first blamed El Niño for his troubles, all the way back in 1649. Long Juan noticed that the anchovies quit biting when the waters off the coast of Peru grew warm every year around Christmas time. Anchovies are a particularly finicky school of fish, preferring cool water in which to mate. I guess warm water must give female anchovies headaches because all Juan could catch were grumpy males, which tasted awful. This was probably when he coined that popular Peruvian phrase, „A warm anchovy is an unhappy anchovy!” That Juan, what a card.
The resulting lack of happy anchovies was devastating to the 17th century pizza franchise industry, thereby making them the second victims of El Niño. It must have been a sad day indeed for El Domino’s and Papa Juan’s.
Speaking of Juan, since the warming of the water usually occurred in late December, he dubbed it El Niño (English: The Child) for the Christ Child.
I’m just glad Juan didn’t notice the warm water in November.
I’d feel really stupid blaming all my troubles on El Gobbler.

In the 1990′s sitcoms were it. They were TV. „Seinfeld”, „Friends”, „Cheers”. The top-rated, most beloved shows were traditional, three-camera sitcoms with ensemble casts. Then, as the new millennium approached, reality TV arrived and changed the whole face of the medium. Sitcoms have since faded from glory and are now overwhelmingly outnumbered by procedural dramas, serials, and the aforementioned reality shows. Sitcoms had grown stagnant. But now there is hope and it comes in the form of CBS’s How I Met Your Mother.
At first glance, How I Met Your Mother feels typical: a group of friends in their late twenties, living in New York. However, typical is the one thing it is not. How I Met Your Mother has begun pushing the boundaries and conventions of the ensemble comedy, experimenting in new and exciting ways. It is extremely rare to be able to refer to an aspect of a sitcom as exciting, but, given that the sitcom hasn’t changed much in decades, any new development is a welcome one.
Last night’s episode, „Ted Moseby, Architect”, was a fearless foray into unconventional pacing, chronology and storytelling. The episode was told in alternating flashbacks, with cut backs to present, to the future and, in the end, a re-telling of the entire episode that punctured the reality of everything we had previously seen. Cool stuff for a sitcom.
How I Met Your Mother isn’t the greatest thing on television; that’s not what I’m getting at. Its fun and always pleasant, if not consistently laugh-inducing. The writers are still finding the characters and exactly where their laughs will come from. I also hope that, by mid-season, the relationship story line will go away and leave room for more diverse plots. But the writers have time to perfect it; How I Met Your Mother is still early in its sophomore season. There’s a lot of room to improve.
I’m really just happy that someone out there is willing to experiment with the genre. Will How I Met Your Mother be the catalyst for a sitcom Renaissance? I hope so. TV needs to make us laugh more. Its easy to have good-looking investigators solve crimes. What’s hard is finding new ways to make people laugh. At least now we know one show that’s trying.
In the 1990′s sitcoms were it. They were TV. „Seinfeld”, „Friends”, „Cheers”. The top-rated, most beloved shows were traditional, three-camera sitcoms with ensemble casts. Then, as the new millennium approached, reality TV arrived and changed the whole face of the medium. Sitcoms have since faded from glory and are now overwhelmingly outnumbered by procedural dramas, serials, and the aforementioned reality shows. Sitcoms had grown stagnant. But now there is hope and it comes in the form of CBS’s How I Met Your Mother.
At first glance, How I Met Your Mother feels typical: a group of friends in their late twenties, living in New York. However, typical is the one thing it is not. How I Met Your Mother has begun pushing the boundaries and conventions of the ensemble comedy, experimenting in new and exciting ways. It is extremely rare to be able to refer to an aspect of a sitcom as exciting, but, given that the sitcom hasn’t changed much in decades, any new development is a welcome one.
Last night’s episode, „Ted Moseby, Architect”, was a fearless foray into unconventional pacing, chronology and storytelling. baterie słoneczne The episode was told in alternating flashbacks, with cut backs to present, to the future and, in the end, a re-telling of the entire episode that punctured the reality of everything we had previously seen. Cool stuff for a sitcom.
How I Met Your Mother isn’t the greatest thing on television; that’s not what I’m getting at. Its fun and always pleasant, if not consistently laugh-inducing. The writers are still finding the characters and exactly where their laughs will come from. I also hope that, by mid-season, the relationship story line will go away and leave room for more diverse plots. But the writers have time to perfect it; How I Met Your Mother is still early in its sophomore season. There’s a lot of room to improve.
I’m really just happy that someone out there is willing to experiment with the genre. Will How I Met Your Mother be the catalyst for a sitcom Renaissance? I hope so. TV needs to make us laugh more. Its easy to have good-looking investigators solve crimes. What’s hard is finding new ways to make people laugh. At least now we know one show that’s trying.

Addictions have a huge impact on our society. They range from substance abuse and sexual addictions to food addictions. People who find themselves addicted to unhealthy substances and unpleasant behaviors will normally have their lives adversely affected by such habits. Addictions, especially drug addictions, have been known to reduce talented actors and actresses, musicians, and celebrities to total dependency and at times, even death. However, treatment and rehabilitation is available for those who find themselves trapped in these addictions. What is even better is that there is quite some tax relief that is available with some of the addiction treatments.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Rehabilitation costs for alcohol and drug addictions are part of the qualifying medical expenses for tax deductions. However, the extent of the expenses to be covered is a gray area. The law allows for the deduction of medical care but does not give complete details on what qualifies as „medical care.” The IRS regulations on medical expense deductions provides examples of medical care – surgery costs, X-rays, hospital services, laboratory work, nursing services, dental work (such as artificial teeth), diagnostic and healing services, medicine and drugs, artificial limbs and ambulance services. However, these are only examples and pretty much, most of other medical costs can qualify under these definitions.
Deducting drug and alcohol rehabilitation medical expenses is only possible for taxpayers who itemize their deductions. To do this, you will need to itemize your deductions on Schedule A of your tax return form. All other itemizing rules apply, including the deduction of the costs (total costs for all qualifying medical expenses) that exceed 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).
Treatment for Obesity and Food Disorder
For the rehabilitation costs of an addiction to be considered as a qualifying medical expense for deduction, the addiction must be categorized as a disease. Unfortunately, obesity does not qualify as a disease. This means that any treatment primarily targeting at treating obesity will not qualify for the medical deduction. This is especially important to note, as most of weight loss treatments will be rejected for tax deduction qualification. To the IRS, obesity is seen more of a lifestyle choice. However, treatment of specific conditions associated with obesity will qualify for tax deductions. These conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Smoking Addiction Treatment
Smoking addiction was for a long time, considered as a lifestyle choice problem as opposed to a disease by the IRS. For this reason, the IRS did not allow the deduction of costs related to treating smoking addictions. However, in 1999, the IRS reversed this rule and allowed smoking addiction treatment as a qualifying medical expense for deduction. While allowing smoking addiction treatment for tax deduction, the IRS noted that nicotine was a powerful addictive agent and thus, qualifying it as a disease.
Using Marijuana and Heroin for Medical Reasons
The law that provides for the deduction of medical expenses specifically prohibits the deduction of medical costs associated with use of illegal drugs and substances. For this reason, the medical use of Marijuana and Heroin for treating patients is not an allowable expense, even when prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner. This is especially limiting, as modern medical discoveries show that some of these illegal drugs can be used to treat genuine medical conditions. Tax experts foresee the adjustment of this law in the near future to allow deductions of treatments with some of these substances, as long as they are prescribed by a doctor.
Gender Identity Disorders
One of the medical expenses that is least expected to pass for an allowable medical expense but yet, allowed for deduction is gender reassignment. The changing of one’s gender is seen as a treatment for a psychological condition – gender identity disorder – and therefore, allowable. This was determined in the case of Rhiannon O’Donnabhain vs. the IRS, where the plaintiff was denied the deduction of costs associated to his/her sex change from a man to a woman. The Tax Court allowed deduction of the surgery costs, but denied the deduction of the breast enlargement costs, as the court ruled this to be for cosmetic reasons rather than medical.
Addictions have a huge impact on our society. They range from substance abuse and sexual addictions to food addictions. People who find themselves addicted to unhealthy substances and unpleasant behaviors will normally have their lives adversely affected by such habits. Addictions, especially drug addictions, have been known to reduce talented actors and actresses, musicians, and celebrities to total dependency and at times, even death. However, treatment and rehabilitation is available for those who find themselves trapped in these addictions. What is even better is that there is quite some tax relief that is available with some of the addiction treatments.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Rehabilitation costs for alcohol and drug addictions are part of the qualifying medical expenses for tax deductions. However, the extent of the expenses to be covered is a gray area. The law allows for the deduction of medical care but does not give complete details on what qualifies as „medical care.” The IRS regulations on medical expense deductions provides examples of medical care – surgery costs, X-rays, hospital services, laboratory work, nursing services, dental work (such as artificial teeth), diagnostic and healing services, medicine and drugs, artificial limbs Hotele Wrocław and ambulance services. However, these are only examples and pretty much, most of other medical costs can qualify under these definitions.
Deducting drug and alcohol rehabilitation medical expenses is only possible for taxpayers who itemize their deductions. To do this, you will need to itemize your deductions on Schedule A of your tax return form. All other itemizing rules apply, including the deduction of the costs (total costs for all qualifying medical expenses) that exceed 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).
Treatment for Obesity and Food Disorder
For the rehabilitation costs of an addiction to be considered as a qualifying medical expense for deduction, the addiction must be categorized as a disease. Unfortunately, obesity does not qualify as a disease. This means that any treatment primarily targeting at treating obesity will not qualify for the medical deduction. This is especially important to note, as most of weight loss treatments will be rejected for tax deduction qualification. To the IRS, obesity is seen more of a lifestyle choice. However, treatment of specific conditions associated with obesity will qualify for tax deductions. These conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Smoking Addiction Treatment
Smoking addiction was for a long time, considered as a lifestyle choice problem as opposed to a disease by the IRS. For this reason, the IRS did not allow the deduction of costs related to treating smoking addictions. However, in 1999, the IRS reversed this rule and allowed smoking addiction treatment as a qualifying medical expense for deduction. While allowing smoking addiction treatment for tax deduction, the IRS noted that nicotine was a powerful addictive agent and thus, qualifying it as a disease.
Using Marijuana and Heroin for Medical Reasons
The law that provides for the deduction of medical expenses specifically prohibits the deduction of medical costs associated with use of illegal drugs and substances. For this reason, the medical use of Marijuana and Heroin for treating patients is not an allowable expense, even when prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner. This is especially limiting, as modern medical discoveries show that some of these illegal drugs can be used to treat genuine medical conditions. Tax experts foresee the adjustment of this law in the near future to allow deductions of treatments with some of these substances, as long as they are prescribed by a doctor.
Gender Identity Disorders
One of the medical expenses that is least expected to pass for an allowable medical expense but yet, allowed for deduction is gender reassignment. The changing of one’s gender is seen as a treatment for a psychological condition – gender identity disorder – and therefore, allowable. This was determined in the case of Rhiannon O’Donnabhain vs. the IRS, where the plaintiff was denied the deduction of costs associated to his/her sex change from a man to a woman. The Tax Court allowed deduction of the surgery costs, but denied the deduction of the breast enlargement costs, as the court ruled this to be for cosmetic reasons rather than medical.

If you’ve been out there building links to your website for some time now, you may be wondering how many of your links have actually been picked up by the search engines. This is a very legitimate question to have! There are several different things you can do to find out how many backlinks have been picked up by a search engine, but today we’re going to focus on how to check how many backlinks Yahoo! says that you have.
Before we get started, you need to keep in mind that you may have built more links than Yahoo! shows you. That’s the nature of things with search engines. Your links aren’t picked up the same time they are created. Also, these will only be the links picked up by Yahoo!, Google and the other search engines probably have a different number as well.
So let’s get started on how to check your backlinks with Yahoo!.
First, go to Yahoo.com and click inside the search bar. In the search bar you need to type in site:www.yourdomainname.com, replacing the sample domain name with your own of course. Then hit enter or click on „Web Search”. This will take you to a page in Yahoo! called the Yahoo! Search Site Explorer.
If you go down the page just a little bit, you’ll see where it says „Results”, and right below that it says „Pages (number) | Inlinks (number)”. „Pages” tells you how many pages Yahoo! has found in this website, and „Inlinks” tells you how many links are coming to the site. But we need to filter this a little bit. So go ahead and click on the tab that says „Inlinks”.
Once you click on „Inlinks” you’ll see two drop down menus. By default they will say „From All Pages” and „Only this URL” respectively. This is how we are going to filter the information. The problem is that the number we see right now also includes when we are inter-linking on our own website. In fact, if you scroll down and look at some of the listings, you may see your own website on the list. Well, for backlinks we don’t care when we’re linking to ourself, so click on that first dropdown menu and choose „Except from this domain”. This will take all of the links from your own site off the list and just leave the links from other websites.
Once you do this the page is going to refresh and the number next to „Inlinks” will most likely drop. Now we move to the next box that currently says „Only this URL”. If we leave it like this we’ll see just the links that are coming to the home page. But if you want to see how many links are coming to the entire site, we need to change this second drop down menu to say „Entire Site”. At this point the page will refresh again and the numbers should change next to „Inlinks”.
Now you have the number of links that Yahoo! has found that are coming back to the website. If you want to get more information about these actual links you’ll need to go down the list and click on some of them. See if you can find your link on the page they are referencing and see what phrase is being used as your anchor text. I wouldn’t spend a ton of time doing this, but it’s a very easy way to see if your links are getting picked up by the search engines.
If you’ve been out there building links to your website for some time now, you may be wondering how many of your links have actually been picked up zabawki by the search engines. This is a very legitimate question to have! There are several different things you can do to find out how many backlinks have been picked up by a search engine, but today we’re going to focus on how to check how many backlinks Yahoo! says that you have.
Before we get started, you need to keep in mind that you may have built more links than Yahoo! shows you. That’s the nature of things with search engines. Your links aren’t picked up the same time they are created. Also, these will only be the links picked up by Yahoo!, Google and the other search engines probably have a different number as well.
So let’s get started on how to check your backlinks with Yahoo!.
First, go to Yahoo.com and click inside the search bar. In the search bar you need to type in site:www.yourdomainname.com, replacing the sample domain name with your own of course. Then hit enter or click on „Web Search”. This will take you to a page in Yahoo! called the Yahoo! Search Site Explorer.
If you go down the page just a little bit, you’ll see where it says „Results”, and right below that it says „Pages (number) | Inlinks (number)”. „Pages” tells you how many pages Yahoo! has found in this website, and „Inlinks” tells you how many links are coming to the site. But we need to filter this a little bit. So go ahead and click on the tab that says „Inlinks”.
Once you click on „Inlinks” you’ll see two drop down menus. By default they will say „From All Pages” and „Only this URL” respectively. This is how we are going to filter the information. The problem is that the number we see right now also includes when we are inter-linking on our own website. In fact, if you scroll down and look at some of the listings, you may see your own website on the list. Well, for backlinks we don’t care when we’re linking to ourself, so click on that first dropdown menu and choose „Except from this domain”. This will take all of the links from your own site off the list and just leave the links from other websites.
Once you do this the page is going to refresh and the number next to „Inlinks” will most likely drop. Now we move to the next box that currently says „Only this URL”. If we leave it like this we’ll see just the links that are coming to the home page. But if you want to see how many links are coming to the entire site, we need to change this second drop down menu to say „Entire Site”. At this point the page will refresh again and the numbers should change next to „Inlinks”.
Now you have the number of links that Yahoo! has found that are coming back to the website. If you want to get more information about these actual links you’ll need to go down the list and click on some of them. See if you can find your link on the page they are referencing and see what phrase is being used as your anchor text. I wouldn’t spend a ton of time doing this, but it’s a very easy way to see if your links are getting picked up by the search engines.

„Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.” (Psalm 144) ‘Do you do sparring here’ he asked. ‘Yes’ I said, wishing I had another answer to give him. Normally I’m mad keen when new guys wander into the gym looking to do some training, but this was different. Normally guys wander in by themselves or with a mate. This was a group of four, and only three of them were teenagers. The guy talking to me was an older guy, probably in his fifties. The first time I met a group like this I assumed that the older guy was the father or uncle of the younger boys – scouting around for a good gym for his kids. This time I knew better. Teenagers always scout out their own gym and then tell dad about it later. The old guy who leads kids into a fight gym can only ever be a trainer, and a trainer who turns up unannounced at somebody else’s gym is generally a trainer who’s got something to prove. „Mohammed here needs some sparring practice” the old guy continued. „Can he spar with you?” Mohammed was tall and dark, about 18 years old, and had attitude written all over his face. He was standing about two metres away from me, arms folded, eyeing me out. It occurred to me that the trainer might not have been the only one in that group with something to prove. „Well, we’re just about finished up for tonight” I said, „but if you’d like to come back on Sunday afternoon, I might be able to do a couple of rounds with your boy then.” Sunday was three days away, and I anticipated that this wholly unsatisfactory response would result in the pack simply moving on in search of more ready prey, but the old guy said „That will be just fine. What time do we get here?” I responded with some feeble dialogue about how we only spar for fun at our gym and about how we all try to take care of each other, but it was too late. The match was set in stone. When the group showed up on the Sunday I was still busy chairing the monthly Parish Council meeting. I had forgotten about my church management duties when I made the date with the old guy, but the meetings are scheduled to finish before the kids arrive for training anyway, so it shouldn’t have made any difference. I deliberately hold the meetings in the room adjacent to the gym, so that if the meeting does run late I can zip across and open up the gym and keep out a listening ear while I finish the meeting. I can’t remember whether we were running late that day or whether the boys arrived early. What I do remember was that the last half hour of the meeting was dominated by a rhythmical ‘thwack’ penetrating the walls of the meeting room – the sound of my prospective opponent belting into a punching bag in preparation for the big event. Needless to say, it made it difficult for me to concentrate on the concluding details of the meeting. When the meeting finally finished, I hurried over apologetically to where the challenger was warming up. I deliberately went over still wearing my clerical collar, hoping that the sight of the venerable old rector of Dulwich Hill might have a calming effect on the challenger, who by this time had worked himself into quite a lather of sweat. A little focused reflection should have told me that neither Mohammed, nor his brothers Mustaffer and Achmed (whom he introduced me to) were likely to be impressed by the priestly garb. Perhaps the meeting had drained my brain. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Meeting the brothers made me aware of something else. Mohammed had brought quite a sizable entourage with him. In addition to the brothers there were cousins and friends, guys and girls – quite an audience. I did not get introduced to all of them, but I got the picture. One of them had brought a video camera, hoping to capture vivid images of the great shellacking on tape. I made a few more feeble utterances about ‘all taking care of each other’ but all words were, by that stage, just more unwanted delays to the great showdown. I got into my gear and fronted up to the ring. I think I was still muttering niceties when the bell rang and Mohammed started for me. He was young, fast and strong, and he came at me like a wild animal – panting hard, eyes ablaze, fists flying. I had been in this position before and I knew what to do. The boy was fit and fast, but he was still a teenager, and this was the Achilles heel that I had to aim for. It’s all about ego when you’re a teenager. It’s all about showing how tough you are – showing that you can beat your chest more loudly than the gorilla next to you. If you can frustrate the young Achilles – make him miss and ideally make him look a bit foolish – then you can take control. So I did what I do best – I ducked and weaved and used my footwork to stay away from him, let him swing at the air for a while and then tied him up when he cornered me. And in the clinch I continued my friendly dialogue – „Let’s settle down a bit, eh? No need to hurt anybody today, is there?” I kept up this pattern for the best part of two rounds before accepting that the friendly dialogue was having no positive effect whatsoever. Normally a young buck like Mohammed can keep this sort of pace up for about half a round. The more they swing and miss, the more frustrated and tense they get, and the more frustrated and tense they get, the more energy they throw into each successive punch. Other young kids I’ve had like this have been all punched out in about a minute, but Mohammed was fit. Given that this guy had not only his friends but his family watching, the potential for embarrassment was enormous. Every now and then he would swing so powerfully but so wildly that he would almost trip over himself – a move that drew giggles from the female members of his entourage and which must have made his blood boil. The constant streaming of videotape could not have been helping him maintain his equilibrium either. Every indicator suggested that this guy had to punch himself out soon, but by the end of the second round he seemed to be showing no signs of tiring whatsoever! At the beginning of round three I clinched him again and tried to talk him down again, but he just wrestled me off again and continued swinging. And it seemed that no matter how many times he would swing at the air, he would launch the succeeding punch with the same level of energy, convinced that he was going to floor me forever with the next hit. Now there’s only so much of this that any human being can be expected to take, and I’m no exception. I pride myself on being as calm as a cucumber in the ring, but after two and a half rounds with this guy I was starting to get really pissed off. After all, there’s only so long you can keep ducking and avoiding before your opponent does land a lucky punch, and this guy was punching hard and continuously. Half way through round three he got me onto the ropes and started working my body and throwing uppercuts. It was when the third right uppercut whizzed past and singed my nose hairs that I remember something within me saying ‘stuff this’ and I spun off the ropes and started to give him a few back. Perhaps it was the sheer shock of receiving some shots from me after two rounds of almost complete passivity, but he wasn’t prepared for my comeback at all. I don’t think I’ve ever landed a three-punch combination quite so squarely on anybody as I did on Mohammed on that fateful Sunday afternoon. I threw a right hook, a left hook, and a right uppercut, and the great beast just dropped like a sack of potatoes at my feet – ‘boom’. I knelt down and picked him up. I embraced him and whispered in his ear „You’ve got your friends watching. You’ve got your family watching. You’re on tape. You don’t want to look like a complete fucking idiot do you?” The guy who replied seemed to be a different character altogether from the one that had hit the floor – „Let’s just have a bit of fun, eh Father? No need for anybody to get hurt here, is there?” After that Mohammed and me were best mates. We did a few more fun and respectful rounds together, after which one of his brothers (I can’t remember which one) did a couple of rounds with me. The brother was completely respectful from start to finish and not a shot was thrown in anger. We had a lovely time. When it was all over I stepped through the ropes and down the steps, and Mohammed’s entire entourage formed a silent guard of honour as I exited the ring. I had just watched the movie ‘Gladiator’ the week before, and the memory of that scene where Maximus passes between his fellow gladiators and they all rise to their feet to salute their hero came flashing back to me. I think it was the greatest moment of glory I have ever experienced. There I was – towel over my shoulder and gloves under one arm – emerging from the gladiatorial ring to the silent adoration of the assembled crowd, who stood and parted before me as I made my way from the stadium. I can think of two other moments of glory in my life. Fighting Dave Guleyan over five rounds back in 1991 was the first. It wasn’t that the fight was anything spectacular, but the event was televised on one of the big TV current affairs programmes. And I won! The second point of glory came when I caught Anthony ‘the Man’ Mundine with a left hook, and I heard the roar of support come from the very partisan home crowd at Dulwich High School. It had nothing to do with me thinking that I could beat the man, but to catch him with a single solid shot, and to know that all my mates saw me do it – that was glorious! But the incident with Mohammed was the gold-medal moment for me. Perhaps it was because it was so unexpected. I had been concentrating on survival. I think it was only as the spontaneous honor guard formed that I realised that Mohammed hadn’t been the only one ‘on show’. I saw Mohammed about twice more after that Sunday. I was sorry to loose touch with him, but there’s no way his trainer would have allowed him to maintain the contact. The event lies well in the past now, but the sense of glory lingers. It still feels good when I think about it.
„Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.” (Psalm 144) ‘Do you do sparring here’ he asked. ‘Yes’ I said, wishing I had another answer to give him. Normally I’m mad keen when new guys wander into the gym looking to do some training, but this was different. Normally guys wander in by themselves or with a mate. This was a group of four, and only three of them were teenagers. The guy talking to me was an older guy, probably in his fifties. The first time I met a group like this I assumed that the older guy was the father or uncle of the younger boys – scouting around for a good gym for his kids. This time I knew better. Teenagers always scout out their own gym and then wypadanie włosów tell dad about it later. The old guy who leads kids into a fight gym can only ever be a trainer, and a trainer who turns up unannounced at somebody else’s gym is generally a trainer who’s got something to prove. „Mohammed here needs some sparring practice” the old guy continued. „Can he spar with you?” Mohammed was tall and dark, about 18 years old, and had attitude written all over his face. He was standing about two metres away from me, arms folded, eyeing me out. It occurred to me that the trainer might not have been the only one in that group with something to prove. „Well, we’re just about finished up for tonight” I said, „but if you’d like to come back on Sunday afternoon, I might be able to do a couple of rounds with your boy then.” Sunday was three days away, and I anticipated that this wholly unsatisfactory response would result in the pack simply moving on in search of more ready prey, but the old guy said „That will be just fine. What time do we get here?” I responded with some feeble dialogue about how we only spar for fun at our gym and about how we all try to take care of each other, but it was too late. The match was set in stone. When the group showed up on the Sunday I was still busy chairing the monthly Parish Council meeting. I had forgotten about my church management duties when I made the date with the old guy, but the meetings are scheduled to finish before the kids arrive for training anyway, so it shouldn’t have made any difference. I deliberately hold the meetings in the room adjacent to the gym, so that if the meeting does run late I can zip across and open up the gym and keep out a listening ear while I finish the meeting. I can’t remember whether we were running late that day or whether the boys arrived early. What I do remember was that the last half hour of the meeting was dominated by a rhythmical ‘thwack’ penetrating the walls of the meeting room – the sound of my prospective opponent belting into a punching bag in preparation for the big event. Needless to say, it made it difficult for me to concentrate on the concluding details of the meeting. When the meeting finally finished, I hurried over apologetically to where the challenger was warming up. I deliberately went over still wearing my clerical collar, hoping that the sight of the venerable old rector of Dulwich Hill might have a calming effect on the challenger, who by this time had worked himself into quite a lather of sweat. A little focused reflection should have told me that neither Mohammed, nor his brothers Mustaffer and Achmed (whom he introduced me to) were likely to be impressed by the priestly garb. Perhaps the meeting had drained my brain. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Meeting the brothers made me aware of something else. Mohammed had brought quite a sizable entourage with him. In addition to the brothers there were cousins and friends, guys and girls – quite an audience. I did not get introduced to all of them, but I got the picture. One of them had brought a video camera, hoping to capture vivid images of the great shellacking on tape. I made a few more feeble utterances about ‘all taking care of each other’ but all words were, by that stage, just more unwanted delays to the great showdown. I got into my gear and fronted up to the ring. I think I was still muttering niceties when the bell rang and Mohammed started for me. He was young, fast and strong, and he came at me like a wild animal – panting hard, eyes ablaze, fists flying. I had been in this position before and I knew what to do. The boy was fit and fast, but he was still a teenager, and this was the Achilles heel that I had to aim for. It’s all about ego when you’re a teenager. It’s all about showing how tough you are – showing that you can beat your chest more loudly than the gorilla next to you. If you can frustrate the young Achilles – make him miss and ideally make him look a bit foolish – then you can take control. So I did what I do best – I ducked and weaved and used my footwork to stay away from him, let him swing at the air for a while and then tied him up when he cornered me. And in the clinch I continued my friendly dialogue – „Let’s settle down a bit, eh? No need to hurt anybody today, is there?” I kept up this pattern for the best part of two rounds before accepting that the friendly dialogue was having no positive effect whatsoever. Normally a young buck like Mohammed can keep this sort of pace up for about half a round. The more they swing and miss, the more frustrated and tense they get, and the more frustrated and tense they get, the more energy they throw into each successive punch. Other young kids I’ve had like this have been all punched out in about a minute, but Mohammed was fit. Given that this guy had not only his friends but his family watching, the potential for embarrassment was enormous. Every now and then he would swing so powerfully but so wildly that he would almost trip over himself – a move that drew giggles from the female members of his entourage and which must have made his blood boil. The constant streaming of videotape could not have been helping him maintain his equilibrium either. Every indicator suggested that this guy had to punch himself out soon, but by the end of the second round he seemed to be showing no signs of tiring whatsoever! At the beginning of round three I clinched him again and tried to talk him down again, but he just wrestled me off again and continued swinging. And it seemed that no matter how many times he would swing at the air, he would launch the succeeding punch with the same level of energy, convinced that he was going to floor me forever with the next hit. Now there’s only so much of this that any human being can be expected to take, and I’m no exception. I pride myself on being as calm as a cucumber in the ring, but after two and a half rounds with this guy I was starting to get really pissed off. After all, there’s only so long you can keep ducking and avoiding before your opponent does land a lucky punch, and this guy was punching hard and continuously. Half way through round three he got me onto the ropes and started working my body and throwing uppercuts. It was when the third right uppercut whizzed past and singed my nose hairs that I remember something within me saying ‘stuff this’ and I spun off the ropes and started to give him a few back. Perhaps it was the sheer shock of receiving some shots from me after two rounds of almost complete passivity, but he wasn’t prepared for my comeback at all. I don’t think I’ve ever landed a three-punch combination quite so squarely on anybody as I did on Mohammed on that fateful Sunday afternoon. I threw a right hook, a left hook, and a right uppercut, and the great beast just dropped like a sack of potatoes at my feet – ‘boom’. I knelt down and picked him up. I embraced him and whispered in his ear „You’ve got your friends watching. You’ve got your family watching. You’re on tape. You don’t want to look like a complete fucking idiot do you?” The guy who replied seemed to be a different character altogether from the one that had hit the floor – „Let’s just have a bit of fun, eh Father? No need for anybody to get hurt here, is there?” After that Mohammed and me were best mates. We did a few more fun and respectful rounds together, after which one of his brothers (I can’t remember which one) did a couple of rounds with me. The brother was completely respectful from start to finish and not a shot was thrown in anger. We had a lovely time. When it was all over I stepped through the ropes and down the steps, and Mohammed’s entire entourage formed a silent guard of honour as I exited the ring. I had just watched the movie ‘Gladiator’ the week before, and the memory of that scene where Maximus passes between his fellow gladiators and they all rise to their feet to salute their hero came flashing back to me. I think it was the greatest moment of glory I have ever experienced. There I was – towel over my shoulder and gloves under one arm – emerging from the gladiatorial ring to the silent adoration of the assembled crowd, who stood and parted before me as I made my way from the stadium. I can think of two other moments of glory in my life. Fighting Dave Guleyan over five rounds back in 1991 was the first. It wasn’t that the fight was anything spectacular, but the event was televised on one of the big TV current affairs programmes. And I won! The second point of glory came when I caught Anthony ‘the Man’ Mundine with a left hook, and I heard the roar of support come from the very partisan home crowd at Dulwich High School. It had nothing to do with me thinking that I could beat the man, but to catch him with a single solid shot, and to know that all my mates saw me do it – that was glorious! But the incident with Mohammed was the gold-medal moment for me. Perhaps it was because it was so unexpected. I had been concentrating on survival. I think it was only as the spontaneous honor guard formed that I realised that Mohammed hadn’t been the only one ‘on show’. I saw Mohammed about twice more after that Sunday. I was sorry to loose touch with him, but there’s no way his trainer would have allowed him to maintain the contact. The event lies well in the past now, but the sense of glory lingers. It still feels good when I think about it.

Inside the ring, Juan Manuel Marquez makes many believe he is better than Manny Pacquiao. Outside of it, the pound-for-pound king just keeps knocking him out.
The two ring gladiators have dueled inside the ring twice, one in 2004 and the other in 2008. Boxing fans, judging from forum threads and blog comments, not to mention what some boxing writers are saying, prefer a third one in 2011. Marquez and his friends have also launched an intense publicity war, apparently aimed at securing a Pacquiao trilogy. Although Marquez appears to be in the mix of future Pacquiao ring partners, signs are all over place suggesting that there is no way he wins that war. Here are a few of them.
One, The Prizefighter
Marquez attracted no more than 5,000 live gate paying fans to his fight against Micheal Katsidis last week. Another fighter in that mix, Shane Mosley, had shown better ticket sales in his previous fights. Mosley may have been dismissed by some boxing experts as wanting, judging from his last two performances, in the ability to deliver quality boxing. The fact still remains that more paying fans have been turning out for Mosley than for Marquez.
A point of contention: Is it the quality of a fight that sells or is it the prize in prizefighting that promotes quality? Obviously, them fight fans can answer the first. They pay for the brand-if they buy Toyota or Ford, for example, they know they are buying quality. If they buy a Pacquiao ticket, they know they are buying quality boxing. (Footnote: In the November 13 Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard, Mike Jones gave everything he had in the second round against Jesus Soto-Karass. It was an effort to establish a brand. „True Mexicans do not quit!” is branding as well.) The boxers themselves, on the other hand, may respond to the second question. Professional boxers, we may add, sweat and bleed (some die) for the prize. A prizefighter who has no interest in the prize is like a businessman who has no business; he is like a politician who has no seat.
That is where we find Pacquiao – and all professional boxers like him. He will not settle for less than the top prize. He will not settle for Marquez.
Two, Proxy War
The ties between Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Marquez, and Bob Arum’s Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao, have recently turned from hostile to nasty.
In 2001, no US promoter of consequence found commercial value in the little fighter from the Philippines, except Murad Muhammad. In 2003, Pacquiao beat Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, conqueror of then undefeated Erik Morales and Naseem Hamed, and everybody wanted to have a piece of Pacquiao. Shelly Finkel eventually snatched Pacquiao from the predatory jaws of Murad. In January 2006, Pacquiao avenged his defeat to Morales (another Mexican legend) and US promoters shoved each other not only to have a piece of Pacquiao, but to make sure that he does not slip out of their corrals.
Golden Boy thought it had Pacquiao locked in, only to find out that Top Rank, after a legal process and a court settlement, had the bigger slice of the catch. Since then, Golden Boy and Top Rank became adversaries because of one man. They snarled at each other in every occasion they found themselves facing each other-from boxing rings, to negotiating tables, to the courtrooms.
When Marquez associated himself with Golden Boy in 2006, Golden Boy and Top Rank were still in speaking terms. He probably had no inkling that any Pacquiao-Marquez match-up, from that point onwards, would also escalate into a Golden Boy-Top Rank proxy war. In fact, after 4 years of begging, he got the Pacquiao rematch he wished for. That might have been the highest point for civility between the two camps. It has been downhill all the way since 2008.
The other day, Arum has just called Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy’s CEO, „an idiot.” De la Hoya countered by suggesting that Arum has brought boxing-and the boxers-closer to extinction. „Thanks my peeps boxing is suffering and fights are not being made because of him,” he complained through Twitter.
Perhaps Shane Mosley has read the writings on the wall (Scheafer suggests he reads his contract instead.) He declared he has severed ties with Golden Boy, and in effect sent the message to his kind that the other side is where the money is. Although this may represent nothing more than a shift in loyalty from friends to oneself, this must be enough to please Arum and clinch that coveted Pacquiao prize. Anything that hurts the enemy is welcome.
So what gives? Excellent boxing by Marquez. Foxy career move by Mosley.
Three, Culture Sense
The call for a Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy blared in 2008, after both fighters successfully scaled one division higher from super featherweight to lightweight. Now, as Pacquiao shops for the second-best opponent given Floyd Mayweather’s assumed non-availability, that call has reached crescendo levels. It is not only because the mugging Pacquiao gives to his opponents has become too hackneyed as to inspire the longing for variety, as it were; it is also because protests over the outcome of two previous fights have yet to simmer down.
In the first bout, Pacquiao dropped Marquez thrice in the first round. Marquez got up each time he went down. He rallied in latter rounds to make the fight close, so close that fans remain divided until today as to who won that fight. Even the three judges who ruled the official outcome (a draw) differed in their scoring: John Stewart saw it 115-110 in Pacquiao’s favor. Guy Jutras had it the other way around, 115-110, for Marquez. Burt A. Clements scored it even at 113-113 (he eventually admitted he erred in his tally, crediting Pacquiao 5 points instead of 6 for the 3 knockdowns he scored in Round 1, and which otherwise should given rise to a final score of 114-113 and a majority win for Pacquiao).
In the second bout, Pacquiao again dropped Marquez once (in the third round). As in the first fight, Marquez bounced back. The fight went the full route and the outcome was decided once more by the three judges:  Duane Ford, 115-112-Pacquiao; Jerry Roth, 115-112-Marquez; Tom Miller, 114-113-Pacquiao. Official records thus tagged Pacquiao as winner of the second bout by split decision. None of these, however, meant everybody agrees with what the records say.
In a pre-meditated and obviously publicity-driven salvo, Marquez and his team wore t-shirts with prints that yelled „Marquez Beat Pacquiao Twice” minutes after he pummeled Micheal Katsidis last November 29 at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. De la Hoya echoed what the t-shirts said, put audio into it, and went further: „Pacquiao forces his opponents, including myself, to lose weight and leave everything on the scale.”
De la Hoya rued one condition recently raised by Team Pacquiao for Pacquiao’s next fight: 147 pounds, no catchweight, no exceptions. „One more proof they are avoiding me,” says Marquez.
Three months after Pacquiao stole Marquez’ super featherweight crown in their 2008 rematch and an eternity of the latter’s plea for a trilogy, Pacquiao travelled north and picked up David Diaz’s lightweight belt along the way. Marquez suspected it was Pacquiao’s way of avoiding him; so he set himself off to run after Joel Casamayor’s lightweight title and, after winning it, put himself in position to forever taunt Pacquiao to accept his standing invitation for another ring date.
Two years ago Marquez said: „I will fight Pacquiao any where and in any weight division.”
A month after the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch, Marquez visited the Philippines, ostensibly to shoot a product endorsement. It was also an occasion for him to face Pacquiao outside of the ring, and lost no time taunting the Filipino. „Bring out a paper and pen. Let’s sign the contract now,” he dared Pacquiao in front of TV cameras. The Filipino in Pacquiao responded with a smile. Marquez probably did not know it, but being hospitable to guests is almost sacrosanct a culture in the Philippines. By the same token, no visitor may abuse it.
It was almost unthinkable to sell a product that has been touched by one who freely applies candor to the point of being arrogant. Marquez lost his endorser job but may have gained Pacquiao’s eternal derision for him.
Two years after the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch, boxing history has been written and re-written, but the Marquez dream for three never died. In an amazing run that may never be equaled, Pacquiao has blitzed past the opposition at the higher divisions. In two years, Pacquiao crushed bigger opponents and grabbed titles at the lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and super welterweight divisions. Pacquiao became the only boxer to have won world titles in 7 different weight divisions. After he annexed his eighth title at the expense of Antonio Margarito last November, Pacquiao has also become the only boxer to have broken Pacquiao’s record.
It looked like Marquez could not keep with Pacquiao’s pace. He tried to foray at welterweight against Mayweather. He failed. But he has been winning elsewhere. He kept his dream alive.
At the press conference that followed Pacquiao’s TKO win over Miguel Cotto in 2009, Pacquiao was asked how he rated himself on account of his record-breaking performance. He replied: „I’m just an ordinary fighter.”
At the press conference that followed Marquez TKO win over Katsidis last week, Marquez needed no question to be asked. The world saw what he wrote: Marquez beat the ordinary fighter twice.
Pacquiao and Marquez are two opposing styles inside and outside the ring. Marquez gives Pacquiao problems both inside and outside the ring. Unfortunately for Marquez, it has just become too tough for him to dream on and land that cash-rich third bout with the king. Up until the day he is toppled down from this throne, neither Golden Boy nor Marquez will get to decide whose dreams will see the light of day.
Three dreamers are currently in a state of bliss: aside from Marquez and Mosley, Andre Berto is it. A few days ago, Arum said he will soon confer with Pacquiao to pick the lucky one. Arum also offered to clarify that in the grand scheme of things, „I inform. He decides.”
I have offered two guesses as we wait for „The Decision.” One, Mosley did something to please Arum. Two, Marquez has done everything to displease His Highness, the ordinary fighter.
Inside the ring, Juan Manuel Marquez makes many believe he is better than Manny Pacquiao. Outside of it, the pound-for-pound king just keeps knocking him out.
The two ring gladiators have dueled inside the ring twice, one in 2004 and the other in 2008. Boxing fans, judging from forum threads and blog comments, not to mention what some boxing writers are saying, prefer a third one in 2011. Marquez and his friends have also launched an intense publicity war, apparently aimed at securing a Pacquiao trilogy. Although Marquez appears to be in the mix of future Pacquiao ring partners, signs are all over place suggesting that there is no way he wins that war. Here are a few of them.
One, The Prizefighter
Marquez attracted no more than 5,000 live gate paying fans to his fight against Micheal Katsidis last week. Another fighter in that mix, Shane Mosley, had shown better ticket sales in his previous fights. Mosley may have been dismissed by some boxing experts as wanting, judging from his last two performances, in the ability to deliver quality leasing boxing. The fact still remains that more paying fans have been turning out for Mosley than for Marquez.
A point of contention: Is it the quality of a fight that sells or is it the prize in prizefighting that promotes quality? Obviously, them fight fans can answer the first. They pay for the brand-if they buy Toyota or Ford, for example, they know they are buying quality. If they buy a Pacquiao ticket, they know they are buying quality boxing. (Footnote: In the November 13 Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard, Mike Jones gave everything he had in the second round against Jesus Soto-Karass. It was an effort to establish a brand. „True Mexicans do not quit!” is branding as well.) The boxers themselves, on the other hand, may respond to the second question. Professional boxers, we may add, sweat and bleed (some die) for the prize. A prizefighter who has no interest in the prize is like a businessman who has no business; he is like a politician who has no seat.
That is where we find Pacquiao – and all professional boxers like him. He will not settle for less than the top prize. He will not settle for Marquez.
Two, Proxy War
The ties between Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Marquez, and Bob Arum’s Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao, have recently turned from hostile to nasty.
In 2001, no US promoter of consequence found commercial value in the little fighter from the Philippines, except Murad Muhammad. In 2003, Pacquiao beat Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, conqueror of then undefeated Erik Morales and Naseem Hamed, and everybody wanted to have a piece of Pacquiao. Shelly Finkel eventually snatched Pacquiao from the predatory jaws of Murad. In January 2006, Pacquiao avenged his defeat to Morales (another Mexican legend) and US promoters shoved each other not only to have a piece of Pacquiao, but to make sure that he does not slip out of their corrals.
Golden Boy thought it had Pacquiao locked in, only to find out that Top Rank, after a legal process and a court settlement, had the bigger slice of the catch. Since then, Golden Boy and Top Rank became adversaries because of one man. They snarled at each other in every occasion they found themselves facing each other-from boxing rings, to negotiating tables, to the courtrooms.
When Marquez associated himself with Golden Boy in 2006, Golden Boy and Top Rank were still in speaking terms. He probably had no inkling that any Pacquiao-Marquez match-up, from that point onwards, would also escalate into a Golden Boy-Top Rank proxy war. In fact, after 4 years of begging, he got the Pacquiao rematch he wished for. That might have been the highest point for civility between the two camps. It has been downhill all the way since 2008.
The other day, Arum has just called Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy’s CEO, „an idiot.” De la Hoya countered by suggesting that Arum has brought boxing-and the boxers-closer to extinction. „Thanks my peeps boxing is suffering and fights are not being made because of him,” he complained through Twitter.
Perhaps Shane Mosley has read the writings on the wall (Scheafer suggests he reads his contract instead.) He declared he has severed ties with Golden Boy, and in effect sent the message to his kind that the other side is where the money is. Although this may represent nothing more than a shift in loyalty from friends to oneself, this must be enough to please Arum and clinch that coveted Pacquiao prize. Anything that hurts the enemy is welcome.
So what gives? Excellent boxing by Marquez. Foxy career move by Mosley.
Three, Culture Sense
The call for a Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy blared in 2008, after both fighters successfully scaled one division higher from super featherweight to lightweight. Now, as Pacquiao shops for the second-best opponent given Floyd Mayweather’s assumed non-availability, that call has reached crescendo levels. It is not only because the mugging Pacquiao gives to his opponents has become too hackneyed as to inspire the longing for variety, as it were; it is also because protests over the outcome of two previous fights have yet to simmer down.
In the first bout, Pacquiao dropped Marquez thrice in the first round. Marquez got up each time he went down. He rallied in latter rounds to make the fight close, so close that fans remain divided until today as to who won that fight. Even the three judges who ruled the official outcome (a draw) differed in their scoring: John Stewart saw it 115-110 in Pacquiao’s favor. Guy Jutras had it the other way around, 115-110, for Marquez. Burt A. Clements scored it even at 113-113 (he eventually admitted he erred in his tally, crediting Pacquiao 5 points instead of 6 for the 3 knockdowns he scored in Round 1, and which otherwise should given rise to a final score of 114-113 and a majority win for Pacquiao).
In the second bout, Pacquiao again dropped Marquez once (in the third round). As in the first fight, Marquez bounced back. The fight went the full route and the outcome was decided once more by the three judges:  Duane Ford, 115-112-Pacquiao; Jerry Roth, 115-112-Marquez; Tom Miller, 114-113-Pacquiao. Official records thus tagged Pacquiao as winner of the second bout by split decision. None of these, however, meant everybody agrees with what the records say.
In a pre-meditated and obviously publicity-driven salvo, Marquez and his team wore t-shirts with prints that yelled „Marquez Beat Pacquiao Twice” minutes after he pummeled Micheal Katsidis last November 29 at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. De la Hoya echoed what the t-shirts said, put audio into it, and went further: „Pacquiao forces his opponents, including myself, to lose weight and leave everything on the scale.”
De la Hoya rued one condition recently raised by Team Pacquiao for Pacquiao’s next fight: 147 pounds, no catchweight, no exceptions. „One more proof they are avoiding me,” says Marquez.
Three months after Pacquiao stole Marquez’ super featherweight crown in their 2008 rematch and an eternity of the latter’s plea for a trilogy, Pacquiao travelled north and picked up David Diaz’s lightweight belt along the way. Marquez suspected it was Pacquiao’s way of avoiding him; so he set himself off to run after Joel Casamayor’s lightweight title and, after winning it, put himself in position to forever taunt Pacquiao to accept his standing invitation for another ring date.
Two years ago Marquez said: „I will fight Pacquiao any where and in any weight division.”
A month after the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch, Marquez visited the Philippines, ostensibly to shoot a product endorsement. It was also an occasion for him to face Pacquiao outside of the ring, and lost no time taunting the Filipino. „Bring out a paper and pen. Let’s sign the contract now,” he dared Pacquiao in front of TV cameras. The Filipino in Pacquiao responded with a smile. Marquez probably did not know it, but being hospitable to guests is almost sacrosanct a culture in the Philippines. By the same token, no visitor may abuse it.
It was almost unthinkable to sell a product that has been touched by one who freely applies candor to the point of being arrogant. Marquez lost his endorser job but may have gained Pacquiao’s eternal derision for him.
Two years after the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch, boxing history has been written and re-written, but the Marquez dream for three never died. In an amazing run that may never be equaled, Pacquiao has blitzed past the opposition at the higher divisions. In two years, Pacquiao crushed bigger opponents and grabbed titles at the lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and super welterweight divisions. Pacquiao became the only boxer to have won world titles in 7 different weight divisions. After he annexed his eighth title at the expense of Antonio Margarito last November, Pacquiao has also become the only boxer to have broken Pacquiao’s record.
It looked like Marquez could not keep with Pacquiao’s pace. He tried to foray at welterweight against Mayweather. He failed. But he has been winning elsewhere. He kept his dream alive.
At the press conference that followed Pacquiao’s TKO win over Miguel Cotto in 2009, Pacquiao was asked how he rated himself on account of his record-breaking performance. He replied: „I’m just an ordinary fighter.”
At the press conference that followed Marquez TKO win over Katsidis last week, Marquez needed no question to be asked. The world saw what he wrote: Marquez beat the ordinary fighter twice.
Pacquiao and Marquez are two opposing styles inside and outside the ring. Marquez gives Pacquiao problems both inside and outside the ring. Unfortunately for Marquez, it has just become too tough for him to dream on and land that cash-rich third bout with the king. Up until the day he is toppled down from this throne, neither Golden Boy nor Marquez will get to decide whose dreams will see the light of day.
Three dreamers are currently in a state of bliss: aside from Marquez and Mosley, Andre Berto is it. A few days ago, Arum said he will soon confer with Pacquiao to pick the lucky one. Arum also offered to clarify that in the grand scheme of things, „I inform. He decides.”
I have offered two guesses as we wait for „The Decision.” One, Mosley did something to please Arum. Two, Marquez has done everything to displease His Highness, the ordinary fighter.

sklep z grami

FROM BARCELONA TO BILBAO, THE SPANISH LANDS ARE THE PLACE TO CHILL IN STYLE
Budget airlines have brought us a step closer to Europe and the climate has always been a pull for us pasty northerners, but recently, the Iberian cities don’t seem to be out of the press. A whole new world of style has been born in Spain.
Chef Ferran Adria leads the Spanish cullinary scene with his globally revered, triple-Michelin-starred restaurant, El Bulli, situated on a remote, rocky beach 2 hours from Barcelona. His vociferous support for Spanish produce, Sherry and wines has made the rest of the gastronomic world sit up and take note and has propelled Spain to new heights of international respect. The list of fantastic restaurants and bars within Spanish borders is endless, but we’ve put together a selection of not-to-be-missed venues for a weekend in the sun.
IBIZA
Ibiza or Eivissa, depending on where you emanate from, is Spain’s most famous island and its double name is mirrored in a peculiar split personality that has developed over the last ten years. It is known as the clubbing capital of the world, drawing music connoisseurs from across the globe for its jaw-dropping DJ line-ups and its range of superclubs that hold thousands. At the same time, thanks to reality shows like ‘Ibiza Uncovered’, the so-called Isla Bonita is burdened with a reputation for attracting the worst element of Brits abroad. Lary lads and loose lasses stumble through the streets of San Antonio wreaking havock, making mischief and collapsing in a heap at the end of the night. But beyond all of this, there is a very sophisticated element of Ibizan life – a third personality that escapes most of the tourist trade. A new generation of bars have evolved into world class venues with slick interior design, atmospheric lighting, extensive cocktail menus and some of the best resident DJs in Europe.
When the Warhol bar opened in December 2001, its mission was to attract the stylish and beautiful, and now anyone who’s in the know in the music, fashion or media worlds can be found flocking to it for album launches, catwalk collections or photoshoots. The Base Bar continues to draw the music buffs and Café Mambo on the opposite side of the island has stolen the glory from Café Del Mar next door as the best place to watch the sun go down. Wine Bar is a new development, whose proximity to Pacha nightclub has sealed its future as an all-year fashion hang-out where you can dump vodka limóns in favour of fine wines and Fino. Then there’s cushion-strewn Mao Rooms, from London’s Chinawhite crew, which has become a first class lounge on the Ibiza scene.
For food, L’Elephant is the island’s top French restaurant, located in the small town of San Rafael just outside of Ibiza Town. Sa Capella is a beautiful and impressive restaurant housed in a 16th Century church resplendent with stone statues, foliage and faultless service.
La Casita in Cala Llonga is a sleek and stylish terrace restaurant serving gastronomically inventive dishes from its old farmhouse location.
BARCELONA
Physically compact, yet culturally enormous; bohemian, and at the same time ultra chic. Barcelona is one of those cities that is all things to all men. It’s hub of creativity, with internationally renowned art galleries, designer shops and architectural delights that are second to none. Glitzy modern façades juxtaposed with the unique contorted architecture that is Gaudi’s legacy. Delightful squares and meandering boulevards that invite you to amble along for hours, glancing in the designer shops north of Plaça Catalunya. Then break your journey in the basement bodegas and tapas bars of La Rambla. In the summer, you can relax beachside at one of the scores of bars and restaurants along the Mediterranean coast of the Olympic port, dining on morning fresh seafood with a cold Manzanilla at your side. Aqua is a favourite hangout with bleached wooden tables and chairs spilling onto the beach front. For something more urban, Lupino, in one of the grafitti-ridden backstreets of the Raval district, is a fashionable spot with an alfresco terrace in similar style to one of London’s Hoxton haunts. Its slick, warmly lit interior is in direct contrast to the industrial carpark and the boqueria market that it looks out onto. The gourmands would prefer to venture into the commercial district to critically acclaimed Comerç 24 (closed in August), where the El Bulli trained chef, Carles Abellan, serves fantastic modern style tapas to a well-to-do professional crowd. For those of a more adventurous nature, a trip into Mount Tibidabo will provide views over the bustling city. A day at the theme park on high can be followed with drinks at Mirabelle and then completed with cocktails and dancing at the converted mansion known as Partycular. The sophisticated Eixample area offers a number of trendy escapes such as lounge bar Smooth, with its awesome selection of wines and Sherry, and velvet-clad Snooker, which won design awards when it opened a decade ago. El Ascensor in Ribera attracts the beautiful young things and with any luck you’ll be caught in the lift with one of them as you ascend to the modern designer club.
MADRID
It’s big and bustling, it’s loud and crowded, lascivious characters skulk in dark corners, and taxi drivers will try to rip you off. It’s a capital city and no mistaking it. Slap bang in the middle of the Spanish mainland, Madrid is hot – and with none of the forgiving sea breeze that blesses Barcelona, the teracotta cityscape looks practically kiln-baked. But it’s not all stress and strife. The best place to start relaxing is in Paseo del Prado, the expansive promenade that puts all of the city stress on hold. Down the spine of the Prado are three gurgling fountains that are fed by a subterranean stream. Adjacent to Prado is the beautiful, landscaped Retiro park, alive with street performers, bandstand and boat rides on its artificial lake. Sandwiched between the two is the botanical garden, an oasis of peace at the nucleus of the city. Café Miranda captures the spirit and colour of Madrid. Modern European cooking accompanied by a vampish dinner show with drag queens and a psychadelic decor. Drag queens feature at Gula Gula (Gran Via 1) too, where eating at the self-service buffet is a colourful and entertaining experience. A more sophisticated option is La Vaca Veronica where market-fresh ingredients are combined to terrific results.
For something on the fashionable tip, Larios Café is a glamorous spot and its delicious Cuban cuisine is popular with the arty designer crowd. But if you’re looking up-market then Salamanca is the area to head for. The Beverley Hills of Madrid, Salamanca is awash with high class restaurants and glitzy bars. El Mentidero de la Villa (C/Santo Tomé 6) or grandiose Pedro Larumbe (C/Serrano 61) for exquisite fish, Estay for contemporary tapas or Boulevard for quaffing with any A-listers that are in town. Another trendy getaway is El Viso Madrid (C/Juan Bravo 31) set on a number of floors with a beautiful terrace bar, basement club and a very well-heeled young clientele.
For a change from the norm, La Ida is a funky, chilled bar with no signage to give it away and an unconventional interior design. Frequented only by those ‘in the know’, it’s definitely worth seeking out.
SEVILLE
It is the flamboyant heart and soul of Spanish culture and a city that lives for tradition. From religion, which is embedded in its very essence, to football, politics, food and drink, the Andalusian capital thrives on its roots. Bull-fighting and flamenco are at the centre of its cultural calendar. And tapas is simply the done thing, for it was in Seville that the global obsession was born.
Languishing at Spain’s southern tip, the sun-baked streets bask in the glory of a near-tropical heat. It is explosively colourful and architecturally stunning, its foundations carved from a multitude of occupations that span three millennia. The people smile, things move ever so slowly and mañana never seems to come.
A weekend is simply not enough in Seville. You need time to stroll around from tapas bar to tapas bar, soaking up the atmosphere and the locally made Sherry; to meander along the river at sunset, stopping to crack open a bottle of Amontillado to mix with the rays of a sinking sun; to wander through the charming squares and the winding, cobbled streets of the Jewish quarter; and to drift from one hip bar to the next in trendy Alameda.
Restaurants are less commonplace than in Barcelona or Madrid and Tapas bars take precedence. Egaña Oriza (C/San Fernando 41) combines bar and restaurant with elegance blending Basque and Andalusian cuisine in an expansive early 20th Century terazza.
Another magnificient dining experience is La Albahaca – an exclusive townhouse which serves imaginative Spanish fusion dishes. Casa Robles serves gourmet Sevillian cuisine and is favoured by the Spanish royal family. Its sister restaurants Robles Placentines and Robles Tapas offer a less formal environment. La Colonial de Vinos y Viandas (C/Valpaiso 13) is the place to head for Spanish wine lovers – an amazing array of wines are accompanied by Cuban cigars and tasty tapas. Or try the inventive Mediterranean cuisine at La Madraza (C/Peris Mencheta 21), where you can titilate your taste-buds while gazing at the artworks on the walls which double as a gallery space.
BILBAO
Fifteen years ago, Bilbao was just a busy port and an old iron mining town. Fondly called ‘Botxo’ by the locals (Basque for ‘hole’), Bilbao escaped becoming a hole (literally) in the 90s with the gentrification of the dock area and the creation of such cultural magnets as the Guggenheim Museum and the concert hall, the development of the park, and the Sir Norman Foster designed metro system. The best way to get the most out of Bilbao is by way of a Txikiteo (the local version of a pub crawl) with a glass of Sherry and a plate of tapas in each bar. Alternatively, go top-end with Michelin-starred Zortzika – the lunch menu is best value. There’s also relaxed, but fashionable El Perro Chico, which looks out onto the recently cleaned river. Tapas bars tend to be more on the dark traditional side, but Harizki (Ledesma 7) goes against the grain offering gourmet style dishes in a slick, bright interior. As with other bars around Calle Ledesma, this place stays open a little later than the rest of the city. Worth a visit too is Artajo (Ledesma 4), where locals swear by the mussels in anchovy sauce.
JEREZ
The people of Jerez live for Sherry. Flamenco is a favourite pass-time and while drinking and dancing are woven into the fabric of life, it still remains a relatively peaceful and unspoilt part of Spain. Beaches and mountains are within reach at either side, vineyards and orange groves surround it and the ruins of once magnificent castles punctuate the landscape. It is a beautiful and ancient city, which despite being serviced by the no-frills airlines, still manages to evade mass tourism.
The wide avenues of the city centre are full of shops and tapas bars are everywhere. Pass by Las Bridas for the kind of portions that you can share around or head for La Abacerio (Plaza Rafel Rivero) for a lively evening in alfresco surrounds. Good tradicional cuisine is to be had at Gaitán or El Gallo Azul (Calle Larga) for something a little more experimental. And whatever you do, make time to visit one of a many bodegas that are open for Sherry-tasting tours. It’s an unforgettable experience and one that will ensure you go away itching to come back.
SAN SEBASTIAN
One of the most fashionable places in Spain to holiday, San Sebastian couldn’t be further removed from the cheap resorts of the south. Golden beaches are beautifully maintained, landscaped parks and gardens, majestic mountains and the thrashing seas of the Bay of Biscay combine to dramatic effect. Designer shops keep the spendthrift upper classes happy as do some of the finest bars and restaurants in the country. Arzak is at the top of the list of restaurants to visit for the foodies (you are recommended to book at least a month in advance). Chef Juan Mari Arzak is often at your side to help you decide on dishes which change daily. Akelarre with its mountain location and views over the Atlantic offers a combination of traditional local cuisine and modern Basque interpretations and is not to be missed. All of the late night action happens in Parte Vieja, where tapas bars line the streets (try La Cepa, Martinez, Ormazabel and Gaztelu all on C/Agosto) and you can dance and drink until the very early hours.
FROM BARCELONA TO BILBAO, THE SPANISH LANDS ARE THE PLACE TO CHILL IN STYLE
Budget airlines have brought us a step closer to Europe and the climate has always been a pull for us pasty northerners, but recently, the Iberian cities don’t seem to be out of the press. A whole new world of style has been born in Spain.
Chef Ferran Adria leads the Spanish cullinary scene with his globally revered, triple-Michelin-starred restaurant, El Bulli, situated on a remote, rocky beach 2 hours from Barcelona. His vociferous support for Spanish produce, Przeprowadzki Warszawa Sherry and wines has made the rest of the gastronomic world sit up and take note and has propelled Spain to new heights of international respect. The list of fantastic restaurants and bars within Spanish borders is endless, but we’ve put together a selection of not-to-be-missed venues for a weekend in the sun.
IBIZA
Ibiza or Eivissa, depending on where you emanate from, is Spain’s most famous island and its double name is mirrored in a peculiar split personality that has developed over the last ten years. It is known as the clubbing capital of the world, drawing music connoisseurs from across the globe for its jaw-dropping DJ line-ups and its range of superclubs that hold thousands. At the same time, thanks to reality shows like ‘Ibiza Uncovered’, the so-called Isla Bonita is burdened with a reputation for attracting the worst element of Brits abroad. Lary lads and loose lasses stumble through the streets of San Antonio wreaking havock, making mischief and collapsing in a heap at the end of the night. But beyond all of this, there is a very sophisticated element of Ibizan life – a third personality that escapes most of the tourist trade. A new generation of bars have evolved into world class venues with slick interior design, atmospheric lighting, extensive cocktail menus and some of the best resident DJs in Europe.
When the Warhol bar opened in December 2001, its mission was to attract the stylish and beautiful, and now anyone who’s in the know in the music, fashion or media worlds can be found flocking to it for album launches, catwalk collections or photoshoots. The Base Bar continues to draw the music buffs and Café Mambo on the opposite side of the island has stolen the glory from Café Del Mar next door as the best place to watch the sun go down. Wine Bar is a new development, whose proximity to Pacha nightclub has sealed its future as an all-year fashion hang-out where you can dump vodka limóns in favour of fine wines and Fino. Then there’s cushion-strewn Mao Rooms, from London’s Chinawhite crew, which has become a first class lounge on the Ibiza scene.
For food, L’Elephant is the island’s top French restaurant, located in the small town of San Rafael just outside of Ibiza Town. Sa Capella is a beautiful and impressive restaurant housed in a 16th Century church resplendent with stone statues, foliage and faultless service.
La Casita in Cala Llonga is a sleek and stylish terrace restaurant serving gastronomically inventive dishes from its old farmhouse location.
BARCELONA
Physically compact, yet culturally enormous; bohemian, and at the same time ultra chic. Barcelona is one of those cities that is all things to all men. It’s hub of creativity, with internationally renowned art galleries, designer shops and architectural delights that are second to none. Glitzy modern façades juxtaposed with the unique contorted architecture that is Gaudi’s legacy. Delightful squares and meandering boulevards that invite you to amble along for hours, glancing in the designer shops north of Plaça Catalunya. Then break your journey in the basement bodegas and tapas bars of La Rambla. In the summer, you can relax beachside at one of the scores of bars and restaurants along the Mediterranean coast of the Olympic port, dining on morning fresh seafood with a cold Manzanilla at your side. Aqua is a favourite hangout with bleached wooden tables and chairs spilling onto the beach front. For something more urban, Lupino, in one of the grafitti-ridden backstreets of the Raval district, is a fashionable spot with an alfresco terrace in similar style to one of London’s Hoxton haunts. Its slick, warmly lit interior is in direct contrast to the industrial carpark and the boqueria market that it looks out onto. The gourmands would prefer to venture into the commercial district to critically acclaimed Comerç 24 (closed in August), where the El Bulli trained chef, Carles Abellan, serves fantastic modern style tapas to a well-to-do professional crowd. For those of a more adventurous nature, a trip into Mount Tibidabo will provide views over the bustling city. A day at the theme park on high can be followed with drinks at Mirabelle and then completed with cocktails and dancing at the converted mansion known as Partycular. The sophisticated Eixample area offers a number of trendy escapes such as lounge bar Smooth, with its awesome selection of wines and Sherry, and velvet-clad Snooker, which won design awards when it opened a decade ago. El Ascensor in Ribera attracts the beautiful young things and with any luck you’ll be caught in the lift with one of them as you ascend to the modern designer club.
MADRID
It’s big and bustling, it’s loud and crowded, lascivious characters skulk in dark corners, and taxi drivers will try to rip you off. It’s a capital city and no mistaking it. Slap bang in the middle of the Spanish mainland, Madrid is hot – and with none of the forgiving sea breeze that blesses Barcelona, the teracotta cityscape looks practically kiln-baked. But it’s not all stress and strife. The best place to start relaxing is in Paseo del Prado, the expansive promenade that puts all of the city stress on hold. Down the spine of the Prado are three gurgling fountains that are fed by a subterranean stream. Adjacent to Prado is the beautiful, landscaped Retiro park, alive with street performers, bandstand and boat rides on its artificial lake. Sandwiched between the two is the botanical garden, an oasis of peace at the nucleus of the city. Café Miranda captures the spirit and colour of Madrid. Modern European cooking accompanied by a vampish dinner show with drag queens and a psychadelic decor. Drag queens feature at Gula Gula (Gran Via 1) too, where eating at the self-service buffet is a colourful and entertaining experience. A more sophisticated option is La Vaca Veronica where market-fresh ingredients are combined to terrific results.
For something on the fashionable tip, Larios Café is a glamorous spot and its delicious Cuban cuisine is popular with the arty designer crowd. But if you’re looking up-market then Salamanca is the area to head for. The Beverley Hills of Madrid, Salamanca is awash with high class restaurants and glitzy bars. El Mentidero de la Villa (C/Santo Tomé 6) or grandiose Pedro Larumbe (C/Serrano 61) for exquisite fish, Estay for contemporary tapas or Boulevard for quaffing with any A-listers that are in town. Another trendy getaway is El Viso Madrid (C/Juan Bravo 31) set on a number of floors with a beautiful terrace bar, basement club and a very well-heeled young clientele.
For a change from the norm, La Ida is a funky, chilled bar with no signage to give it away and an unconventional interior design. Frequented only by those ‘in the know’, it’s definitely worth seeking out.
SEVILLE
It is the flamboyant heart and soul of Spanish culture and a city that lives for tradition. From religion, which is embedded in its very essence, to football, politics, food and drink, the Andalusian capital thrives on its roots. Bull-fighting and flamenco are at the centre of its cultural calendar. And tapas is simply the done thing, for it was in Seville that the global obsession was born.
Languishing at Spain’s southern tip, the sun-baked streets bask in the glory of a near-tropical heat. It is explosively colourful and architecturally stunning, its foundations carved from a multitude of occupations that span three millennia. The people smile, things move ever so slowly and mañana never seems to come.
A weekend is simply not enough in Seville. You need time to stroll around from tapas bar to tapas bar, soaking up the atmosphere and the locally made Sherry; to meander along the river at sunset, stopping to crack open a bottle of Amontillado to mix with the rays of a sinking sun; to wander through the charming squares and the winding, cobbled streets of the Jewish quarter; and to drift from one hip bar to the next in trendy Alameda.
Restaurants are less commonplace than in Barcelona or Madrid and Tapas bars take precedence. Egaña Oriza (C/San Fernando 41) combines bar and restaurant with elegance blending Basque and Andalusian cuisine in an expansive early 20th Century terazza.
Another magnificient dining experience is La Albahaca – an exclusive townhouse which serves imaginative Spanish fusion dishes. Casa Robles serves gourmet Sevillian cuisine and is favoured by the Spanish royal family. Its sister restaurants Robles Placentines and Robles Tapas offer a less formal environment. La Colonial de Vinos y Viandas (C/Valpaiso 13) is the place to head for Spanish wine lovers – an amazing array of wines are accompanied by Cuban cigars and tasty tapas. Or try the inventive Mediterranean cuisine at La Madraza (C/Peris Mencheta 21), where you can titilate your taste-buds while gazing at the artworks on the walls which double as a gallery space.
BILBAO
Fifteen years ago, Bilbao was just a busy port and an old iron mining town. Fondly called ‘Botxo’ by the locals (Basque for ‘hole’), Bilbao escaped becoming a hole (literally) in the 90s with the gentrification of the dock area and the creation of such cultural magnets as the Guggenheim Museum and the concert hall, the development of the park, and the Sir Norman Foster designed metro system. The best way to get the most out of Bilbao is by way of a Txikiteo (the local version of a pub crawl) with a glass of Sherry and a plate of tapas in each bar. Alternatively, go top-end with Michelin-starred Zortzika – the lunch menu is best value. There’s also relaxed, but fashionable El Perro Chico, which looks out onto the recently cleaned river. Tapas bars tend to be more on the dark traditional side, but Harizki (Ledesma 7) goes against the grain offering gourmet style dishes in a slick, bright interior. As with other bars around Calle Ledesma, this place stays open a little later than the rest of the city. Worth a visit too is Artajo (Ledesma 4), where locals swear by the mussels in anchovy sauce.
JEREZ
The people of Jerez live for Sherry. Flamenco is a favourite pass-time and while drinking and dancing are woven into the fabric of life, it still remains a relatively peaceful and unspoilt part of Spain. Beaches and mountains are within reach at either side, vineyards and orange groves surround it and the ruins of once magnificent castles punctuate the landscape. It is a beautiful and ancient city, which despite being serviced by the no-frills airlines, still manages to evade mass tourism.
The wide avenues of the city centre are full of shops and tapas bars are everywhere. Pass by Las Bridas for the kind of portions that you can share around or head for La Abacerio (Plaza Rafel Rivero) for a lively evening in alfresco surrounds. Good tradicional cuisine is to be had at Gaitán or El Gallo Azul (Calle Larga) for something a little more experimental. And whatever you do, make time to visit one of a many bodegas that are open for Sherry-tasting tours. It’s an unforgettable experience and one that will ensure you go away itching to come back.
SAN SEBASTIAN
One of the most fashionable places in Spain to holiday, San Sebastian couldn’t be further removed from the cheap resorts of the south. Golden beaches are beautifully maintained, landscaped parks and gardens, majestic mountains and the thrashing seas of the Bay of Biscay combine to dramatic effect. Designer shops keep the spendthrift upper classes happy as do some of the finest bars and restaurants in the country. Arzak is at the top of the list of restaurants to visit for the foodies (you are recommended to book at least a month in advance). Chef Juan Mari Arzak is often at your side to help you decide on dishes which change daily. Akelarre with its mountain location and views over the Atlantic offers a combination of traditional local cuisine and modern Basque interpretations and is not to be missed. All of the late night action happens in Parte Vieja, where tapas bars line the streets (try La Cepa, Martinez, Ormazabel and Gaztelu all on C/Agosto) and you can dance and drink until the very early hours.

As part of your trip to Australia, you must make sure you experience some Aboriginal Culture.
Before the British and European settlers arrived to Australia, the only inhabiters were Aboriginal. The word Aboriginal or Aborigine means Indigenous to Australia.
Believe it or not, there were more than 300,000 Aboriginals in Australia before the European Settlement. With settlement, brought Old World diseases which the Aborigines could not cope with so many died. To make matters worse, they weren’t awarded any rights to the land so they were pushed out to make way for the Europeans.
Nowadays, Aborigines account for just 3% of the Australian population and many suffer from alcohol and poor health problems. But there are pockets within Australia where you can still see their old values and traditions which are very interesting indeed. There are certain places, such as Ayers Rock, that are very sacred to the Aboriginal community. These are key places to learn more about Aboriginal culture and beliefs.
Aboriginal Culture is complex with many beliefs and hidden layers to explore. Music and Art are however the most well known aspects. Did you know that the Didgeridoo is only used by those from the East? It is the clapping sticks which are more widely used by the Aboriginals.
Rock Art is the oldest of the Aboriginal Arts and can be found in places such as Ayers Rock and Kakadu National Park as these are sacred Aboriginal lands. It is the dot paintings that are particularly popular with tourists and these are generally easy to find throughout Australia.
Where To Experience Aboriginal Australia
There are lots of places you can go to learn about the Aboriginal Culture. There is not room in this article to explore them all. Arnhem Land which is near Darwin in the top end of Australia is in my opinion the best place to go. Numbers are restricted to this sacred area so you can guarantee a less touristy approach. You really do get to appreciate the real culture and see real Aboriginals dot painting and making crafts. You can easily incorporate a day trip here as part of your trip to Darwin or Kakadu National Park and I highly recommend it. Remember that this area has defined seasons so only come here between May and October.
If you want to incorporate some Aborigine experience into the more visited areas try the blue mountains walkabout tour as part of your trip to Sydney. The Rocks Half Day Dreaming tour which is taken by an Aboriginal Elder, Margaret Campbell is also very good.
As the Aboriginals would say, lets go Walkabout. Discover Aboriginal Australia and see Australia in a whole new light.
As part of your trip to Australia, you must make sure you experience some Aboriginal Culture.
Before the British and European settlers arrived to Australia, the only inhabiters were Aboriginal. The word Aboriginal or Aborigine means Indigenous to Australia.
Believe it or not, there were more than 300,000 Aboriginals in Australia before the European Settlement. With settlement, brought Old World diseases which the Aborigines could not cope with so many died. To make matters worse, they weren’t awarded any rights to the land so they were pushed out to make way for the Europeans.
Nowadays, Aborigines account for just 3% of the Australian population and many suffer from alcohol and poor health problems. But there are pockets within Australia where you can still see their old values and traditions which are very interesting indeed. There are certain places, such as Ayers Rock, that are very sacred to the Aboriginal community. These are key places to learn more about Aboriginal culture and beliefs.
Aboriginal Culture is complex with many beliefs and hidden layers to explore. Music and Art are however the most well known aspects. Did you know that the Didgeridoo is only used by those from the East? mazury hotele It is the clapping sticks which are more widely used by the Aboriginals.
Rock Art is the oldest of the Aboriginal Arts and can be found in places such as Ayers Rock and Kakadu National Park as these are sacred Aboriginal lands. It is the dot paintings that are particularly popular with tourists and these are generally easy to find throughout Australia.
Where To Experience Aboriginal Australia
There are lots of places you can go to learn about the Aboriginal Culture. There is not room in this article to explore them all. Arnhem Land which is near Darwin in the top end of Australia is in my opinion the best place to go. Numbers are restricted to this sacred area so you can guarantee a less touristy approach. You really do get to appreciate the real culture and see real Aboriginals dot painting and making crafts. You can easily incorporate a day trip here as part of your trip to Darwin or Kakadu National Park and I highly recommend it. Remember that this area has defined seasons so only come here between May and October.
If you want to incorporate some Aborigine experience into the more visited areas try the blue mountains walkabout tour as part of your trip to Sydney. The Rocks Half Day Dreaming tour which is taken by an Aboriginal Elder, Margaret Campbell is also very good.
As the Aboriginals would say, lets go Walkabout. Discover Aboriginal Australia and see Australia in a whole new light.