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Thursday, 27 December 2012

The mysterious O’Neills

A period of twenty weeks had passed between the day of the auction sale of Woodsman’s Cottage and any physical sighting of people at the property. The time void was ended by the arrival of a team of non-local builders with their lorries, JCB excavator, scaffolding and other builders paraphernalia. The extensive refurbishment of the long time uninhabited property was completed in a time scale of another ten weeks.

Whilst the refurbishment was carried out, the many attempts by the inquisitive villagers at developing friendships with the unknown builders – they are normally a good source of information – had been unsuccessful. Under the control of a strict task master the workers behaved like members of a self sufficient secret society. They brought, or had delivered direct to site, everything they needed each day. When the work was completed the corps of tradesmen departed as suddenly as they had arrived. The testament to their temporary presence was the immaculate resurrected, building and gardens of the cottage; and the newly erected tall boundary walls with solid entrance gates.

For a further three weeks it stood waiting, expectantly, for the day Ryan and Fiona O’Neill moved into their new home. For the villagers their arrival was as if the cottage had given birth to twins at the end of a concealed pregnancy.

Since their arrival the O'Neills have been the subject of many discussions and speculations amongst the villagers. They have heard snippets of the many theories about themselves. The subject of conversations being quickly changed when they have entered the village store, with post office, or the Queens Head, the only village public house.

They are private people who are happy, contented, in their own company. That is not to say that they do not like socialising, reacting, with others, but on their own terms. They can be perceived as being overly reserved. This interests some of the villagers, who see it as a challenge to get closer to the O’Neills to unravel the mystery: to others it is a great annoyance and seen as snobbery by the unwelcome moneyed newcomers.

Ryan and Fiona's lifestyle means that it's necessary for them to leave the village very early in the morning and a long working day results in a mid-evening arrival back at the cottage. The villagers find it very difficult to regularly monitor arrivals and departures at the isolated cottage.

That is not to say that the O'Neills are not seen about the village.

The 'Queen's Head' has a reputation for excellent cuisine. Ryan and Fiona are often to be seen enjoying an evening meal in the cosy restaurant, once or twice during the week-days. Invariably Sunday lunch is also eaten there, after a stroll from their cottage to the pub across the village common. When ever it's possible they sit at the same table for two, in the corner, next to the window. There isn't a sign saying 'do not disturb' but their demeanour leads the other diners, and those at the bar, in no doubt that is the case.

When they use the village store to buy the week-end papers and groceries; forgotten during the trip to the large superstore in town, twenty miles away; conversations are kept to the minimum necessary for politeness: the weather, newspaper stories and purchases the only matters raised. The expressions on the faces of the staff and other villagers in the store suggest they have questions to ask about the O'Neills' but no direct interrogations are forthcoming.

Those that have lived in the village a long time are eager to know if the newcomers have information about the previous owner of Woodsman' Cottage, and his mysterious disappearance. But no direct interrogations are forthcoming.

The members of the village board of enquiry have managed to ascertain, to the best of their surreptitiously acquired knowledge, that Ryan and Fiona are a married couple, without children despite their age; Ryan was born in 1970 and Fiona in 1971. They do not have pet animals of any type. They have their own company, O'Neill Associates, but the nature of its business is unknown. Opinion is that it they must be 'doing very well' given the expensive make and model of each of the two cars they have, and the assumed high cost of the work carried out to the cottage. It's agreed by all members that not a lot of information is known [some of which is wrong]. At its latest meeting the members decided, over morning coffee and home-made chocolate chip cookies, that a more direct approach to gathering facts, and gossip, is necessary. If the O'Neills are to be accepted into the inner-circle of residents then they must be persuaded, or tricked, to release more personal details. Mystery in the village is unsettling.

The inquisitors have a problem: Ryan and Fiona don't want, or need, to be accepted into the inner-circle of residents. They enjoy, finding it humorous, being a source of mystery in the village. They are experienced at answering direct questions with indirect answers as part of their previous military careers and current business. They will continue with the current game of hide and seek until they become bored with being hunted by amateurs. The O'Neills knew more personal information about some of their new neighbours before they purchased Woodsman's Cottage than the villagers know about them now.

When that point in time comes, as it will, as it has in the two villages where they have lived before, Ryan and Fiona will, unbeknown to the villagers, reverse the roles. The new hunters will use their finely tuned professional skills to their omnipotent and financial advantage over their selected, vulnerable, victims.

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

How excess holiday eating disturbs your 'food clock'

If the sinful excess of holiday eating sends your system into butter-slathered, brandy-soaked overload, you are not alone: People who are jet-lagged, people who work graveyard shifts and plain-old late-night snackers know just how you feel.

A new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is helping to reveal how these activities upset the body's "food clock," a collection of interacting genes and molecules known technically as the food-entrainable oscillator, which keeps the human body on a metabolic even keel.

The work of the study has implications for understanding the molecular basis of diabetes, obesity and other metabolic syndromes in relation to a desynchronized food clock may serve as part of the pathology underlying these disorders.

Louis Ptacek, MD, the John C. Coleman Distinguished Professor of Neurology at UCSF and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator commented that "It may also help explain why night owls are more likely to be obese than morning larks,"he added; "Understanding the molecular mechanism of how eating at the "wrong" time of the day desynchronizes the clocks in our body can facilitate the development of better treatments for disorders associated with night-eating syndrome, shift work and jet lag".

Read further details in the ScienceDaily article:  How excess holiday eating disturbs your 'food clock'

Celebrating Christmas only changes waistlines and bank balances.

The Christmas – pseudo religious for the majority – festivity has come and gone for another year and the world with all its problems is almost – I use this qualification as the optimist in me hopes that somewhere there will be change – still the same.

There is still avarice.

There is still hunger and homelessness in all parts of the world.

There are still religious bigots spouting views as to how we should all conduct our lives; whilst religious based acts of violence continue.

There is still cruelty by mankind against human and animal victims.

There is still inequality shown against birthright, gender, skin colour, nationality and opinions.

There is still a lack of freedom and democracy.

So what is the big deal about the celebration of Christ's Mass? What difference will it make to the future? How will the world and its inhabitants change?

Does celebrating Christmas only change waistlines and bank balances?

Monday, 17 December 2012

Banco Santander is to absorb the Banesto bank.


 It was announced today that the Banesto bank is to be absorbed into the Banco Santander group, along with the Banif bank.
Banco Santander currently holds 89.74% of Banesto’s share capital.

Announcing the Board of Directors decision the Banco Santander Chairman Emilio Botín said: “This is a good transaction for everyone. For the shareholders of Santander and Banesto, who will receive a premium of 25% and shares with the most attractive dividend in the market; for customers of Banesto, who will have access to the Group’s 14,000 branches around the world; and for employees, who will be able to have international careers. Santander is the strongest, most solid bank in Spain.”

Santander, Banesto and Banif customers will also benefit from the integration through access to a broader branch network, with 4,000 branches in Spain under a single corporate brand. Brand Finance has ranked Santander as the most valuable banking brand in Spain and the fourth most valuable in the world. The merger of the two networks under a single brand will boost Grupo Santander’s growth in both loans and deposits.

Moreover, Banesto customers will benefit from the integration through access to a wider range of products and the largest international branch network in the world, with more than 14,000 offices in twelve markets: Spain, the U.K., Germany, Poland, Portugal, the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Puerto Rico.

The merger will be completed in May next year. The operational and brand integration will be completed in 2013.

As Banesto is our current bank I will follow this development with interest, especially as our local Banesto branch was closed on Thursday 13th December. When we were in there paying in some money, at approximately 10:30 a.m. we were informed that the branch was closing. We asked “when will that be?” We were told: “In about one hour from now!”

Banco Santander to absorb Banesto and Banif, combining its brands in Spain


Friday, 14 December 2012

Why bother to help neighbours save money!

I mentioned previously that I am currently the treasurer of our community of property owners having completed six years as chairman, or presidente as they say here in Spain.

Each property owner has to pay an annual community charge as a contribution towards the running costs of the communal areas within our group of houses. All fees should be paid in full by the 31st December. Any fees unpaid after that date will be immediately increased by the addition of a ten percent surcharge on the amount outstanding. In addition any debtor owners cannot vote at community meetings as long as the debt remains unpaid.

Continuing my practice, over the last six years, of jogging the memories of the forgetful owners I have sent out reminder letters, or emails, as the case may suit, to them as an aide-mémoire.

Having received 'shirty' replies from some of them, suggesting it is me who is at fault that they haven't paid, this will be the last time I try to help neighbours save money.

Saturday, 8 December 2012

Lost imagination

I'm worried!

I can't write a new short story because I've mislaid my imagination somewhere. I've looked in the usual places; under the cushions of the settee; under the driver's seat in the car; in the dirty laundry basket; in the paper shredder; under the bed; under the kitchen sink; in my 'man drawer' in the cellar and many more places.

Where else could I have left it: where do you find those items you've mislaid?

I've posted a 'Lost' notice on 'Twitter' and 'Facebook' as I'm at my wits end. If you find it would please return it to me, asap.

Friday, 7 December 2012

How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior

Toxoplasma is a common 'cat parasite', and has previously been in the spotlight owing to its observed effect on risk-taking and other human behaviours. To some extent, it has also been associated with mental illness. A study led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now demonstrates for the first time how the parasite enters the brain to influence its host.

Read more in ScienceDaily : How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior