Mediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presented

Mediterranean-style salad with feta, olives and walnuts.
ScienceDaily (Credit: © Barbara Dudzińska / Fotolia)

Results of the PREDIMED study, aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine. They show that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

Read more in ScienceDaily: Mediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presented

Despite reported dislike, older readers put in less effort when using e-readers

According to recently published research reading text on digital devices like tablet computers requires less effort from older adults than reading on paper.

The conclusion of the research found that when asked, both young and old adults stated a strong preference for paper books, but when they compared eye movements and brain activity measures, older adults fared better with backlit digital readers like tablet computers.

Being within the age group measured as part of the study, 60-77 years, I agree with the findings inas much as I read far more books now that I use my Kindle. I find it less tiring on my eyes.


Read more of the report in ScienceDaily: Despite reported dislike, older readers put in less effort when using e-readers

SabadellCAM bank reacts to my Weblog and Tweets

On Monday the 4th February 2013 I published an article entitled 'Do you wish to be charged in Euros or Sterling?' to this weblog. It is about a fault I discovered with the programming of the SabadellCAM bank's ATM cash dispensers.

As I normally do; I posted a Twitter-tweet with a link to my article as shown below.

Do you wish to be charged in Euros or Sterling? elliotsampford.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/do-you… @sabadellcam #Spain #spanishbanking #atmcashwithdrawal
— Elliot Sampford (@ElliotSampford) February 4, 2013

I included the Twitter account address of the SabadellCAM bank; knowing that it has a department that monitors tweets that relate to the bank; to hopefully generate a reaction. It worked. Just thirty-one minutes later I received the reply below.

@elliotsampford Hi Elliot! Can we help you? We are here at your disposal if you want to DM us the details of it. Thank you! ^NM— Sabadell CAM (@SabadellCAM) February 4, 2013

I didn't send a DM (Direct Message) as suggested because all the details are in my previous weblog article. I decided to wait and see what might materialize.

Just under six hours later I received the reply below in which SabadellCAM acknowledged that there is in fact a problem as I suggested.

@elliotsampford Hi Elliot! The incidence with the ATM is detected and being resolved. We remain at your disposal 24x7 ^ NM
— Sabadell CAM (@SabadellCAM) February 4, 2013

Today at 10:44 I sent the bank the following tweet.

@sabadellcam Pleased to read you agree there is a problem. Suggest you read new comment added to my weblog by Graham. bit.ly/14Bpoxw
— Elliot Sampford (@ElliotSampford) February 5, 2013

As I said the bank constantly monitors Twitter-tweets: just twenty-four minutes later I receive the following request.

@elliotsampford Thank you for notifying us! I'd love to talk to you on the phone if possible. Could you DM us your number? Thanks! ^TM
— Sabadell CAM (@SabadellCAM) February 5, 2013

As can be seen in the next episode, on this occasion I did DM the bank with my telephone number.

@elliotsampford Thank you! I'm getting in touch with you shortly ;-) ^TM
— Sabadell CAM (@SabadellCAM) February 5, 2013

I received a telephone call from TM (Tony) and we discussed the problem. The précis of the situation, as I understand it, is that the bank accepts that there currently is a fault and that it has existed since, on-or-about, the 8th December 2012 when the Sabadell and the CAM banks computer systems were amalgamated. The bank was not aware of the problem until this time, only having it drawn to its attention by my weblog article. It was suggested that the problem would be resolved within approximately seven to ten days. I pointed out that there should be no delay for a solution to be initiated as during any delay customers would continue to suffer financial penalties not of their own making.

Subsequent to the telephone call, I received the following tweet from SabadellCAM. The fault is to be fixed tomorrow, Wednesday 6th February 2013.

@elliotsampford Thank you for talking to me! I've been informed that the issue will be solved tomorrow. We continue at your disposal! ^TM
— Sabadell CAM (@SabadellCAM) February 5, 2013

It is a satisfactory rapid conclusion to a situation that should not have been allowed to have happen. The SabadellCAM bank I suggest needs to investigate as to why such an error, which financially penalised users of the bank's ATM machines, was not picked up by a pre-launch system audit and continued undetected for almost two months.

On the personal aspect, I am pleased with the conclusion for two reasons. First it proves that it wasn't an error on my part by misreading the options and I was right to report and pursue the matter. Second it shows again the power of modern internet social media; in this case my weblog and Twitter-tweets; to effect beneficial reactions.

Edit 12.02.2013: The Coastrider newspaper published the following article this week:  Local expat blogger gets national ATM problem fixed

Debriefing.

The police station front-counter sergeant was sitting behind his desk, day-dreaming about his allotment. The noise of the automatic entrance doors opening brought his mind back to reality. He got up from his desk and went to the counter. Waiting for him the other side of it stood an unkempt, unshaven vagrant wearing a dirty, ripped army greatcoat. On his head was a maroon beret with a Parachute Regiment cap badge. A rusty shopping trolley full of what looked liked rubbish was parked beside the reception area chairs.

“Corporal Richards reporting Sergeant. I'm here for my debriefing after the skirmish on my patrol this morning.”

“What are you going on about old man? What the heck is that shopping trolley doing in my reception area?”

“That's all my kit in there. That's the easiest way to move it about as I can't carry it because of my spine problems.”

“Well I'm not having that filthy thing and rubbish in here; take it and yourself back outside and go away.”

“I can't leave it out there; someone will try and steal it again. That's what the two men tried to do this morning. I warned them not to but they didn't listen. They attacked me so I had to kill them to save myself.”

“What are you going on about? I don't have time to waste chatting to you. Now out you go.”

“I was on my daily patrol this morning going through an alley towards the common when I was confronted by two men wearing hoodies. They blocked my way and tried to steal my gear. I told them to clear off and let me pass – but they wouldn't. They each had a knife and tried to kill me – but I was too fast for them.”

“So you ran away from them and came here to waste my time complaining and boring me with your story.”

“No! I told you Sergeant; I killed them and I've reported here for my debriefing.”

“That's it I've had enough of your nonsense! Get yourself and your rubbish filled trolley out of my reception and my sight or I'll find something to arrest you for, and lock you up. Now move!”

Ex-corporal Richards lifted his right leg, bending it at the knee, moved it next to his left leg, slammed his foot to the ground. Standing at attention he shouted: “Yes Sergeant, right-away Sergeant.” He executed a smart military about-turn, collected his trolley, and marched out of the building at double-quick-time.

The sergeant returned to his desk and his day-dreaming.

Awhile later a telephone in the rear of the office started ringing. A Constable standing nearby lifted the receiver to answer the call: “Hello?” He listened to the voice at the other end of the connection for a few seconds and said: “OK I'll tell him,” and replaced the handset, ending the call.

“Hey sarge two bodies have been found in the alley that leads from the high street towards the common.”

© Elliot Sampford 2013



If you haven't already, you might like to read my other short story on this theme: 'Utrinque Paratus'

Do you wish to be charged in Euros or Sterling?

This morning my wife and I went to the SabadellCAM bank in Los Balcones, Torrevieja, Spain to withdraw some Euros in cash from the ATM machine. We used our debit cards of our account in the United Kingdom.

As part of the normal transaction procedure we were asked which currency we wanted to choose to be charge to the card. If we wanted to be charged in Euros we were instructed to select the 'No' option. If we wanted to be charged in Sterling we were instructed to select the 'Yes' option. We always want the Euro amount we have withdrawn from the machine to be charged to the card. This means that the card supplier (Visa in our case) calculates the exchange rate rather than the bank operating the ATM machine. This results in a better rate of exchange and a lower final Sterling cost being deducted from our account.

I read the options offered twice to ensure I understood the choice to make. I selected the 'No' option. When the confirmation of the transaction was printed by the machine I was annoyed to read that the SabadellCAM bank had charged the Sterling conversion to my card: the opposite to my choice. On a previous visit, on the 13^th December 2012, to the ATM machine at the Playa Flamenca branch of the SabadellCAM the same thing happened; but, I assumed I had pressed the wrong option button on that occasion. We subsequently learnt that other people have experienced a similar problem of the options offered via the ATM screen do not correspond to the actual action carried out.

After I had completed my transaction, my wife then used her debit card to withdraw cash from the same ATM. When she was offered the choice of currency to be charged by the Sabadel/CAM to her card we read the options offered three times. Once again our conclusion was that for Euros to be charged the option is 'No'. We decided to test our theory that the bank has got the options the incorrect way around so we pressed 'Yes' to say that we wanted the bank to charge a Sterling amount to the card. The bank charged the Euro amount we had withdrawn from the card.

Prior to the take over of the CAM bank by Sabadell, and the introduction of the Sabadell system on the ATM machines, we never experienced any problems in choosing the Euro charging option for cash withdrawals over the past 6 years.

On a withdrawal of 300 € choosing the Sterling option of charging at today's rate of exchange means that the transaction cost us £0.51 more. Or putting it another way means the SabadellCAM bank makes an extra 0,57 € profit on this transaction.

We decided to go into the branch and report our findings to the staff there in the hope that the error in the programming of the ATM system would be corrected. From the response we received this morning I'm not that hopeful.

I wonder if other people using a SabadellCAM ATM machine in Spain to withdraw cash via a UK debit card have experienced a similar problem as we have.


Edit 05.02.2013: See my follow-up article: 'SabadellCAM bank reacts to my Weblog and Tweets'