The Poison is the Antidote

THE POISON IS THE ANTIDOTESome thespians in long-running medical dramas probably end up knowing as much about medicine as many junior doctors.  If a customer collapsed in a restaurant these days and you were to ask, "Does anyone have medical training?" three members of the actors' union Equity might rush to jostle each other for centre stage.

You’re not a computer

YOU’RE NOT A COMPUTERI seldom write here about other than Algarve/Alentejo issues. This time it is about an excellent book, YOU´RE NOT A COMPUTER, by Carlos Lopes, by Amazon. Lopes is an IT-engineer and pianist, married to Nela Vicente, who had exhibitions in many countries and designed this book-cover.

Avoid tragedies in the Algarve

AVOID TRAGEDIES IN THE ALGARVEIn 2018, the fire in Monchique was hampered by strong and changing winds, predicted by the IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere). The fire resulted in 41 injuries and consumed 26,885 ha of forests in Silves, Odemira, Portimão and Monchique. It burned 62 permanent homes, 49 second homes, and killed 5,600 animals.

Missing Out on No Fun At All

Photo copyright The GuardianPeople often claim they have "just missed out" on something, as if they were striving to attain a specific goal and were narrowly thwarted by the penalty shootout. The reality often turns out to be that they weren't even picked for the team.

Being Wealthy

BEING WEALTHYI do get feedback from my blogs. Here's one from New Zealand. "Hi John, I am a recent disciple of your youtube presentations, in short 'I Luv Em'. My request is: what is available to read which gives me the basics of how money works? There are quite a few concepts which you discuss that fly over my head. Is there an Idiots Guide I can read to get the basics of finance."

Fires in the Algarve!

FIRES IN THE ALGARVE!Congrats mayors Isilda, Rosa and Rui! In 2018 the fire in Monchique started on August 3rd, ended on August 10th. The action of firefighters was hampered by strong and changing winds, predicted by IPMA; also by difficult access by land. The fire resulted in 41 injuries, out of which 22 firefighters, and consumed 26,885 ha of forests in Silves, Odemira, Portimão and Monchique. It burned 62 homes of 1stdwelling, 49 of the 2nd, and killed 5,600 animals.

Get Your Hair Cut!

PANDEMIC PANACEASMy Primary 7 schoolteacher, Miss Macduff, had a smile that could make a drowning man decide to wave. She often told her pupils that almost anything could be solved by a smile, although that didn't seem to apply to me and mathematics.

A Plumber? During a Pandemic?

A PLUMBER? DURING A PANDEMIC?Most of us want things we know to be impossible.  And yet the most common dreams allegedly involve one's teeth falling out, flying through the sky, and being chased or hunted.  Were I a dream interpreter, I would say you wish you could afford a foreign holiday but are being pursued by a dentist waving an unpaid bill.  He clearly wants a foreign holiday as well.