8-8-8 or no such luck?

It's a field day for numerologists. A once-in-a-century century occurrence, pinballing towards its orgasmic climax at 8.08 PM, as all eyes focus on Bejiing.
Forget the Olympics for a moment though. The Chinese are celebrating today for another reason. Their pronunciation of "8" sounds very much like the word "fah" or "fat" - an expression for fortune, wealth, and good luck. Convinced today's date will guarantee eternal love and romance, 9,000 Chinese couples will have been
herded through registary rooms in the time it takes you to read this blog.

What is it about certain dates and numbers that make people try to etch them into their life, in the belief that they will bring good fortune? Asians pay large fortunes for lucky telephone numbers, household addresses and license plates.

Alarmingly, thousands of women closer to home have been fine-tuning their pregnancy calendar, to ensure their child is born with the trendy 8-8-8 tag. Many have even been trying to delay childbirth till this hour, and maternity wards are inundated with caesarean bookings.

Can we influence are lives positively by scheduling key activities on specific days, or is it simply an atheist cop-out; a substitute, if you like, for prayer and the belief that we can achieve happiness and success only if we work hard for it?
Later today I'll be signing a contract for a new job starting next month. Seriously, I've not been putting it off all week. But it's lovely to think the date on the dotted line might just put my career under a lucky star.

Good lucky today, whatever you're planning!

Coffee mad

Coffee is my passion. I simply can’t start the day without an espresso, rapidly followed by a café au lait. I love my coffee machine.

Caffeine gets me going, revving me up as I contemplate the challenges of the day ahead.

Mostly I enjoy my early-morn fix online. I also love it when travelling – especially on the train or at the airport, listening to last-minute calls for far-flung destinations. Would Mr. Howe please make his way to Air Tropical’s flight to Madagascar? Certainly, just let me finish my latte please. Best of all though is the first cup sipped from a flask, and at one with nature; ideally after a morning swim at a local woodside lake.

So imagine my excitement on hearing about the world’s very first portable espresso machine. Coffee to go – not just any old high-street skinny-latte a la Starbucks, but fresh, aromatic – and anywhere you like. With “handspresso” just slip the coffee pod into the slot, pump up to 16 bar and you’re away.

Well almost. This pistol-like gadget – Retail price 79 quid – doesn’t make hot water. That you have to boil yourself and carry around in the same old battered flask.

So the price of about 20 cups of Starbucks froth buys you coffee wherever you wish to sip, but you still have to faff around the kitchen heating up water before taking off.

Funny. Man has the technology to split the atom or fly to Mars, but he can’t stitch together a simple hand-held coffee maker with built-in water boiler.

Personally, I’m just going to keep taking my fix the way I’ve always done. Pass the battered flask please….