BRAILLORAMA

Maart 2008

Jaargang 39 No. 3

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Gedruk in Braille

Deur Brailledienste van Blind SA

Privaatsak X9005

Crown Mines

2025

Tel. (27) 11 839-1793

Faks: (27) 11 839-1217E-Pos: philip@blindsa.org.za

Besoek ons tuisblad by:

http://www.blindsa.org.za

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Redaksie: Christo de Klerk

Martie de Klerk

Philip Jordaan

::::::::::::Uitgewers: Blind S.A.

::::::::::::Rig alle korrespondensie aan: Die Redakteur,

Privaatsak X9005, Crown Mines, 2025, Johannesburg, R.S.A.

InhoudSkaakmeester Fischer (64) sterfGENETIKA en die k-woordKoekenaap-windkrag kan verdubbel tot 200 MWKelder notasJaar se feite!

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Skaakmeester Fischer(64) sterf

Beeld, 19 Januarie 2008 Geniale, gefolterde baanbreker rus Skaakmeester Reykjavik (Ysland). ,- Bobby Fischer, die Amerikaanse skaak-genie wat 'n koue oorlog-ikoon geword het toe hy die Sowjetunie se Boris Spassky in 1972 in 'n epiese stryd in die Yslandse hoofstad as wêreld-skaakkampioen onttroon het, is in die ouderdom van 64 oorlede.Mnr. Gardar Sverrisson, 'n vriend, het gister gesê Fischer het Donderdag in sy huis in Reykjavik gesterf. Hy is aan lewerversaking dood.Fischer het in 2005 Yslandse burgerskap aanvaar om te verhoed dat hy na die VSA gedeporteer word. Hy sou daar vervolg word omdat hy in 1992 internasionale sanksies verbreek het deur in die destydse Joego-Slawië in 'n wedstryd teen Spassky te speel. Hy het destyds op 'n mediakonferensie op 'n kennisgewing van die Amerikaanse regering ,- wat hom gewaarsku het om nie sanksies te verbreek nie ,- gespoeg en daarna Spassky weer geklop.Op 13 Julie 2004 is Fischer op Tokio se Narita-lughawe in hegtenis geneem omdat hy met 'n Amerikaanse paspoort, wat volgens Washington teruggetrek was, gereis het. Terwyl Japan maande lank oorweeg het om hom aan die VSA uit te lewer, het die skaak-mal Ysland tot sy redding gekom en hom burgerskap aangebied.Fischer is op 9 Maart 1943 in Chicago gebore en was 'n wonderkind wat vanaf agtjarige ouderdom aan kompetisies deelgeneem het.Op 14 het hy die VSA Opekampioenskap die eerste keer gewen ,- nog sewe titels sou volg. Op 15 het hy 'n internasionale skaakmeester geword ,- die jongste persoon ooit om dié titel te verwerf.In 1972, toe hy Spassky in 'n reeks wedstryde in Reykjavik verslaan het, was hy 29 jaar oud en die eerste amptelike skaak-wêreldkampioen wat in die VSA gebore is.Hy is wyd beskou as die beste skaakspeler ooit en het glo 'n hoër IK as Albert Einstein gehad. Sy genialiteit het egter nooit tot sy reg gekom nie en sy eksentrieke en teatrale gedrag het hom van die meeste mense vervreem.Fischer, 'n uitgesproke kritikus van die VSA, het byvoorbeeld op 11 September 2001 'n Filippynse radiostasie gebel om die "wonderlike nuus" van die terreuraanvalle op die VSA te besing en toe vloekend met 'n anti-Joodse tirade losgebars.Hy het ook gesê: "Hulle gebruik die heeltyd die woorde eksentriek, eksentriek, eksentriek, vreemd. Ek is vervelig. Ek is vervelig!"Garry Kasparov, nog 'n voormalige wêreld-skaakkampioen, het gister gesê Fischer se opgang in skaak-geledere in die 1960's was "'n revolusionêre deurbraak" vir die spel.Sy vriend Spassky, wat Fischer deur die jare bly ondersteun het, het gister vanuit Frankryk gesê hy is "baie jammer" om van sy dood te hoor.Fischer word oorleef deur sy jare lange vriendin, die Japanse skaakspeler Miyoko Watai.

GENETIKA en die k-woordCHRIS CHAMELEONBeeld, Saterdag 19 Januarie 2008 GENETIKASo kom ek toe nou die dag op uitnodiging van 'n gesiene dokters-vriend by 'n geselligheid in Johannesburg waar 'n wye verskeidenheid mense ,- sommige in die mediese bedryf en baie ander nie ,- lag en gesels en sommer maar net mens is so tesame.

Êrens in die loop van die aand beland ek in die geselskap van 'n paar jong manne, almal so net in die twintig, sommige mediese studente. Ons praat oor jag, musiek, meisies, sport en k-ff-rs... Wat? Het ek reg gehoor?Dit is altyd 'n ongemaklike oomblik daai ,- wanneer iemand die k-woord gebruik en praat asof dit 'n algemene ding is en "ons almal tog in is op die ding".Toe ek jonger was, en veel weerbarstiger, sou ek daar en dan op my perdjie geklim het en my eie saak gestel het, en op so 'n manier dat die ou geselligheidjie ook nie meer daarna so gesellig sou wees nie.Maar intussen het ek 'n ding of twee geleer van sosiale gedrag en die subtiele verkryging van my sin, en dalk 'n bietjie verdraagsaamheid ook ,- ten minste genoeg om die kat mooi uit die boom te kyk (of te sien hoe hy sy eie stert byt).'n Mens moet egter, op een of ander manier, jou dadelik duidelik uitdruk in so 'n situasie, want van hier af gaan dit net erger raak. Eers is dit net 'n terloopse k-woord dít, k-woord dat. Dan word dit "die verdomde k-ff-rs" en dan, net voor dit voel of 'n nuwe oorlog voor jou oë gebore word, eindig dit met "'n ou k-ff-rgrappie" en almal lag lekker saam en begin dan maar weer praat van jag, musiek, sport, meisies... en genetika.Toegegee, laasgenoemde was my bydrae. Dit is moeilik om 'n groep jong, hormoonbelaaide, sportliefhebbende "k-ff-rhaters" na die onderwerp van genetika te stuur, maar dit is tog moontlik.GENETIKA sorg vir die fisieke superioriteit van sommige sportlui, die lang bene en groot borste van meisies en die verskille tussen swart en wit mense. Maar daar is 'n ander gevolg van genetika wat my veral interesseer: die invloed wat dit op ons gedrag het.Ek het nooit my pa geken nie, maar die familie verseker my ek lag nes hy en my handgebare is nes syne. Dit fassineer my dat 'n mens se gedrag, soos die manier waarop jy jou hande waai wanneer jy praat of die klank en ritme van jou lag, geneties oordraagbaar kan wees.Evolusie is natuurlik 'n voortdurende proses wat nie een miljoen jaar gelede ophou gebeur het nie ,- dit is steeds aan't gebeur. Trouens, die mens het in die laaste 500 000 jaar meer geëvolueer as in die 5 miljoen jaar daarvóór. Ons is dus steeds aan die verander (lees: ontwikkel) en die toekoms is 'n groot, oop, leë boek.Of dalk ook nie heeltemal so leeg nie. Met die geweldige vooruitgang in biogenetiese wetenskap (sommige slimkoppe beweer dat genetika in die volgende eeu so belangrik soos rekenaars in die vorige eeu sal wees) word dit stelselmatig duidelik dat ons daardie leë boek van die toekoms self met ons eie idees en ontwerpe sal kan vul.Al wat tussen ons en die uitteel van, sê maar, 'n geen met die neiging tot kankerontwikkeling staan, is die voorlopige etiese kwessies daaromheen.Ek glo dit is egter net 'n kwessie van tyd voordat die voordele van genetiese manipulasie die oorhand kry en die mens hom veroorloof om sy godspel oor homself 'n skuif verder te neem.Vergeet ook nie die druk wat die mens se geweldige ydelheid op sy moraliteit sal uitoefen nie. Pleks van die inplanting van plastiektieties kan ons groot borste dalk geneties teweegbring en dan sommer 'n slanke figuurtjie en vinnige metabolisme ook daar êrens inwerk; dankie, dokter!Net soos die sterrekunde 'n paar honderd jaar gelede gekniehalter is deur die geloof dat die aarde plat is en die middelpunt van die heelal is, en ook deur die vervolging van

diegene wat anders geglo het, so gaan die genetika tans weens morele redes onder beperkinge gebuk.Maar hierdie etiese voorbehoude geld nie plante nie en, wat sommige mense betref, ook nie diere nie. Gevolglik kan die wetenskap tog maar sy gang gaan in laboratoriums wêreldwyd.TERUG by die partytjie. Die jong man wat voor my sit, se pa het swart mense gehaat. Sy oupa en dié se oupa ook.Eeue lank al word daar só van pa na seun die persepsie oorgedra dat die swart man sinoniem is met gevaar, kompetisie, veragtelike waardes, onnoselheid en 'n barbaarse streek het wat, al dra hy 'n goue ring, hom altyd sal bybly.Ek wonder of dié houding, dié gedrag, nes my lag en my pa se handgebare, nie ook intussen geneties gevestig geraak het nie. Dalk het dié jong man nie regtig 'n keuse nie.In welke geval ek my afvra: Hoe lank voordat ons onsself moreel veroorloof om daai geen, die rassisgeen, te kry en uit te sny en in die hospitaal se verbrandingsoond te veras? Dankie, dokter!

Koekenaap-windkrag kanverdubbel tot 200 MW

Franscois Williams, KaapstadSake 24, 29 Januarie 2008 Eskom-projek se lewering oor twee jaar verwagWindkragDie windplaas wat Eskom naby Koekenaap aan die Weskus wil bou, kan in 'n tweede fase tot 200 MW uitgebrei word.Bouwerk aan die eerste fase van sowat 50 turbines of 100 MW kan in November begin, terwyl die eerste krag in 2010 gelewer kan word. Die verwagte opwekkingskoste word tans op 65c per kilowatt-uur geraam, is verneem.Eskom moet hierdie projek van die begin af reg bestuur sodat dit nie die toekoms en mark vir hernieubare energie bederf nie, het belanghebbers by 'n werksessie oor die jongste konsep-impakstudie gesê.Die omgewingskonsultantgroep Savannah Environmental het pas die studie voltooi en vir openbare kommentaar bekend gemaak.Dié windkragprojek sal die vrystelling van 225 800 ton koolsuurgas per jaar spaar, het mnr. Grant Little van Ecosecurities gesê. Ecosecurities werk saam met Eskom en die departement van minerale en energie om deur die Kioto-protokol se skoon-ontwikkelingsmeganisme koolstofkrediete vir die projek te verdien. Die huidige mark vir koolstofkrediete is uiters wisselvallig en die prys van 'n ton koolsuurgas wissel van €5 tot €13, het Little gesê.Me. Karen Jodas, direkteur van Savannah Environmental, het gesê die windplaas word beoog op 'n gebied van 37 km2, waarvan minder as 2% werklik benut sal word vir die nodige infrastruktuur. Die grond word tans vir weiding vir skape gebruik.In die eerste fase sal sowat 50 turbines in twee rye van 600m uit mekaar 2 km van die kus opgerig word. In die rye sal die turbines 300 m van mekaar wees. Die wind-turbine-torings sal 80 m hoog wees en die wieke 45 m lank.Mnr. Morore Mashao, kliënt-kantoorbestuurder vir gasprojekte van Eskom se kragopwekkingafdeling, onder wie se toesig die windplaasprojek val, het gesê die volledige projek van 200 MW sal nie noodwendig presies 100 turbines hê nie, dit kan

selfs net 80 wees, afhangend van die tegnologiese ontwikkelings en die prestasiewaarborge wat met verskaffers gesluit kan word.Mnr. Hermann Oelsner, ontwikkelaar van die Darling-windplaas, het gesê in Spanje word windplase verbied om meer as 49 windturbines op een plek te bou.Hy meen die honderde windturbines op een plek wat by sekere Amerikaanse windplase opgerig is, het 'n onooglikheid geskep wat tot die negatiewe sentiment jeens windkrag bydra.Mashao het gesê die windplaas sal in totaal vier rye turbines hê. As daar te veel rye is, verloor die agterste turbines tot 20% van hul doeltreffendheid.Mnr. Koos Pretorius van die Burgerlugvaartowerheid het gesê windplase is net 'n probleem as hulle nader as 35 km aan groot lughawens is, waar die bewegende wieke as vals teikens op radarstelsels registreer en kan inmeng met navigasietoerusting.Hy het gesê windturbines moet op 'n spesifieke manier belig word sodat hulle sigbaar is vir die ligte vliegtuie wat laag en stadig vlieg.Mnr. Trevor Cairns, eskom se projekbestuurder vir die windplaas, het gesê hoewel 80% van die toerusting ingevoer word, is daar geleenthede vir plaaslike sakelui in die padbouwerk, siv?le9g5ieurs"we en die nuwe kraglyn. Die onderste en boonste dele van die windturbine-torings word ingevoer, maar die middelste dele kan plaaslik vervaardig word.

Kelder notassaamgestel deur

Vickie de BeerROOI ROSE FEBRUARIE 2008sonderlinge somerwyneKelder NotasWaag dit om daardie bekende, bekroonde gunstelinge opsy te skuif en proe saam met ons aan die minder bekende wynmakers se interessante, nuwe wyne1 Raats Chenin Blanc 2006 Bruwer Raats is 'n passievolle ondersteuner van chenin blanc en dié enkelversnit is nie verniet die hoeksteen van die Raats Family Wines-reeks nie. Vrugte-aromas van pynappel en peer speel af teen ryk speserye, lemmetjies en anys. Die gebalanseerde kompleksiteit maak daarvan die perfekte pasmaat by gekruide garnale, oesters, tuna en marlyn, of selfs eend.2 Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2007 'n Vrugtige wyn met pynappel, sitrus en appel op die neus, sonder die oorweldigende hout wat kenmerkend van die versnit geword het. Sensasioneel saam met soesji of speseryagtige calamari.3 Fairview Viognier 2006 Die Fairview-kaas- en wynlandgoed in Agter-Paarl het die afgelope vyftien jaar met die kompleksiteit van Viognier geëksperimenteer en met 'n unieke wyn vorendag gekom. 2006 het 'n verleidelike, goue glans en 'n kraakvars boeket van kiwi, lietsjie en neutmuskaat.4 Hillcrest Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Hillcrest se pas uitgereikte 2007-oesjaar is 'n uitsonderlike sauvignon blanc. Die boetiek-landgoed lë teen die hange van die Durbanville-heuwels en sy sauvignon blanc-wingerde is van die hoogstes in die omgewing. Die koel, Atlantiese bries gee aan hierdie wyn 'n opwindende aroma van ryk vrugte en 'n verfrissende suurbalans.5 Villiera Brut Natural 'n Cap classique-vonkelwyn vir wynliefhebbers wat ekologies bewus is: slegs hand geplukte chardonnay-druiwe van Villiera se ekologies-vriendelike

wingerde word gebruik, die tweede fermentasie vind in die bottel plaas en geen swael of ander preserveermiddels word in die verouderingsproses bygevoeg nie. Kraakvars, met 'n ryp, romerige neus en volronde nasmaak.6 Domaine Grier Maccabeu Vilognier Die Grier-familie van Villiera by Stellenbosch se Frans vervaardigde wynreeks, Domaine Grier, is wyne met egte Franse flair, maar teen bekostigbare pryse. Die Domaine Grier Maccabeu Viognier-versnit met sy blomgeure en subtiele appelkoos-aromas op die neus en elegante minerale ondertone is perfek saam met seekosgeregte.

Jaar se feiteZoo, Januarie 2008

Jaar se feiteOm die nuwe skrikkeljaar te vier, het Zoo besluit om jou te bederf met feite wat jy absoluut moet weet!Maart1 Albert Berry word in 1912 die eerste dude om met 'n valskerm uit 'n bewegende vliegtuig te spring2 Die tuig Galileo stuur in 1998 data aan Nasa wat bewys dat daar water op Jupiter se maan, Europa, is3 'n Britse Overseas Airways vlieënier vlieg in 1996 nader aan Japan se Fuji-berg om almal 'n beter kykie daarvan te gee en almal aan boord sterf toe hy in die berg vasvlieg4 Prinses Elizabeth sluit by die Britse Weermag as 'n motorwerktuigkundige aan5 Natalie Mans van die Dixie Chicks sê in 2003 dat die band skaam is omdat die president van Amerika van Texas af kom6 Die hoogste boerpot ooit word in 2007 deur die Amerikaanse lotery Mega Millions aangebied: 'n hele $390 miljoen7 Alexander Graham Bell word in 1876 patent nommer 174465 toegestaan vir die telefoon. Nommer asseblief!8 Die Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galazy word in 1978 op BBC se Radio 4 uitgesaai9 Barbie word van 1959 af verkoop10 Ringe word in 1977 rondom Uranus ontdek11 Koekmeel word in 1845 deur die Brit Henry Jones uitgevind12 Coke word in 1894 vir die eerste keer in bottels verkoop13 Uranus word in 1781 deur William Herschel ontdek14 Jack Ruby word in 1964 aan die moord op Lee Harvey Oswald skuldig bevind15 In 1985 word symbolics.com die eerste internet-domeinnaam16 Ford vervaardig sy 50 miljoenste motor, 'n Thunderbird, in 195817 'n Vermiste VSA-water-stofbom word teen die Spaanse kus in 1966 gevind18 Die grootste kunsdiefstal in Amerika vind plaas by die Isabella Stewart-Gardner museum in 1990, waar 12 skilderye ter waarde van $300 miljoen gegaps word19 Pluto word vir die eerste keer in 1915 gefotografeer20 Martha M Place word die eerste vrou wat in 1899 in die elektriese stoel tereggestel word21 Volgens William Miller sou Jesus Christus op dié dag in 1844 terugkeer22 Franklin Roosevelt onderteken in 1933 wetgewing om die verkoop van bier en wyn te wettig

23 Aeroloft Vlug 592 stort in 1994 in Serwië neer nadat die vlieënier se seun die outomatiese vlugbeheer afskakel24 39 mense sterf in die Mont Blanc-tonnel in 1999 toe 'n trok aan die brand raak25 Air Holland gaan in 2004 bankrot ná gerugte dat die vlieëniers dagga gebruik26 Die "Melissa-wurm" vertraag netwerke in 1999 met 'n dokument wat wagwoorde vir 80 volwasse webwerwe bevat27 Die eerste ruimtevaarder, Yuri Gagarin, sterf in 'n opleidingsongeluk in 196828 Ragnar Lodbrok stroop Parys in 845 en gee pad nadat hy 'n groot losprys ontvang29 Dr. John Pemberton brou die eerste Coke in 188630 Hymnen Lipman patenteer in 1858 'n potlood met 'n uitveër aan31 Die basiskode van die internetbrowser Netscape word in 1998 bekend gestel en kry die bynaam "Mozilla"

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ContentsContentsInteresting STUFFYou know you a living in 2008 when...Sun, wind and dung roped in to ease power crisisSaving electricity begins in your homeYour Stars ForetellA bad case of euphemism creepDon't cry for me, Orania

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Interesting STUFF(received by e-mail)

Interesting StuffIn the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb" Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden" and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury.Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. Coca-Cola was originally green. It is impossible to lick your elbow. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38% The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $16 400 (R115 000)The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61 000Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades ,- King David, Hearts – Charlemagne, Clubs - Alexander, the Great, Diamonds ,- Julius Caesar 111,111,111 × 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321This is an unwritten rule amongst sculptors: If a statue of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? A. Obsession Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would use the letter "A"? A. One thousand Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All were invented by women. Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year? A. Father's DayIn Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight." It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's" Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice. At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

YOU KNOW YOUARE LIVING IN 2008 when...

(received by e-mail)You are living in 20081. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave. 2. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three 3. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you. 4. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses. 5. When you arrive home you use your cell phone to see if anyone is there to help you carry in the groceries. 6. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it. 8. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee. 9. You're reading this thinking "how true, how true!". 10. You are too busy to notice there was no no. 7 on this list. 11. You actually went back up now to check that there wasn't a 7 on this list.Enjoy 2008!

Sun, wind and dung ropedin to ease power crisis

Bobby JordanSunday Times, January 27 2008 Sun, wind and dungSA invokes the elements as conventional system failsWIND, tides waves, pebble-beds, even cow manure ... electricity is making way for elec-trickery as power-starved South Africans discover innovative ways of keeping their beer cool.Fuelled by the country's dwindling power supplies, top researchers, including nuclear scientists, engineers and Eskom's own experts, are working flat out to develop and improve new sources of cheap electricity.Steve Lennon, Eskom head of corporate services, said the embattled parastatal was pushing ahead with several innovations, including a massive 100MW wind farm outside Cape Town and a 100MW solar-thermal plant that uses SA mirror technology to reflect sunshine and generate power."Should we get the go-ahead from the authorities, we will start building that next year. It would be the biggest solar thermal plant in the world," Lennon said.Eskom was also "progressing very nicely" with a plan to gasify coal underground and feed it into its Majuba plant ,- hopefully by the end of the year, Lennon said.

Eskom had also launched a new solar heating project ,- to promote solar water heaters ,- and was working on an "intelligent metering system" to reduce the impact of widespread power blackouts.A smart meter tracks how much electricity you use, as you use it, and can communicate the information via a network back to the local utility for improved monitoring and billing purposes.The meters can also be set up to allow for remote connection and disconnection by electricity providers when a household's consumption exceeds a set level.Smart metering requires wireless technologies which would have to be fitted to existing conventional and pre-paid meters.This is a costly exercise, but a Department of Public Enterprises' cost/benefit analysis shows it will result in big energy savings.Consumers countrywide have started snapping up a new kind of locally assembled solar panel that fits onto a house roof, generates electricity from the sun, and can even sell excess energy to the Eskom power grid, according to businessman Kobus Carsten from Bridging Technology Solutions, who this week sold 15 large solar panel units to clients in Johannesburg."I'm so busy I can't think straight. Our factory has almost tripled in size. People want to go solar," he said.South African-led research into solar technology at the University of Cape Town has helped advance the efficiency of solar systems to the point where some experts say that, in the long term, it is cheaper than conventional power ,- particularly in the light of recent Eskom tariff increases.Powerful new types of batteries allow homes to soak up sunlight during the day and use the stored energy at night.There was also major interest in new "solar concentrator" technology that could see business investing in "mirror farms" that shine sunlight onto a single point and power turbines, Carstens said.Similar developments are moving ahead in the field of wind-generated power, according to Herman Oelsner, who runs a government-backed pilot wind farm in Darling near Cape Town. It aims to sell its power to the Cape Town Metro. Once fully operational, the wind farm is expected to generate power equivalent to 100 000 tons of coal and 60 million litres of water."We're the ideal country in the world for wind farms. People are queuing up to invest here," Oelsner said.Rolling countrywide blackouts have prompted farmers to come up with their own power supply ideas, including a plan to use cow manure to generate power.The chairman of the Milk Producers' Organisation, Koos Coetzee, said the organisation had recently held talks with an Australian company that specialises in biogas."The farmer uses the gas for heat, or in some cases even to run things."The cost of the new technology could be largely subsidised by the government's new system of carbon credits ,- a tradeable permit scheme aimed at promoting more environmentally friendly industry and commerce, Coetzee said.He said that diary farmers were particularly hard hit by power outages due to the need to keep milk cool.

South Africa's nuclear energy sector is also back under the spotlight, in particular the multibillionrand Pebble Bed Modular Reactor company which aims to produce nuclear power using a kind of "fuel pebble" made up of thousands of uranium powder kernels pressed together inside a graphite and ceramic shell.PBMR communication manager Tom Ferreira this week said a major international investor, nuclear technology group Westinghouse electric company, was considering increasing its stake in the company. ,- Additional reporting by Lauren Cohen

Saving electricity beginsin your homeLauren Cohen

Sunday times January, 27 2008 Saving electricityA BREAKDOWN OF YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL1 Water heating ± 25%TIPS: Reduce the temperature setting on the geyser. Shower rather than bath. Install solar heating2 Lighting ± 15%TIPS: Switch to CFLs ,- energy efficient, compact fluorescent lightbulbs3 Electronic appliances (TV, hi-fi etc) ± 15%TIPS: Switch appliances off when you are not using them, rather than keeping them on standby mode4 Cooking ± 10%TIPS: Switch to gas. Use the microwave rather than the stove5 Refrigeration ± 10%TIPS: Don't open during power cuts (it uses more power to cool down again)6 Heating and air conditioning ± 15%HITS: Ensure that filter screens are cleaned regularly. it will keep electricity consumption at its best and eliminate dust and pollen from conditioned air7 Other ± 10%SOUTH Africans need to change their behaviour and work together to bring the electrical system back into balance.This means cutting down on electricity usage ,- no more leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms. Local consumption is dominated by industrial and commercial demand ,- about 77% ,- with household demand making up only 17%.Various programmes are being implemented by Eskom and local government, including the Efficient Lighting Roll-Out Programme, the immediate restriction on the sale of incandescent light bulbs and a Solar Water Heating Programme.Incandescent lights, which glow when heated, should be replaced with compact fluorescent lights (CFL), which provide the same brightness but use less than half the power.It is estimated that 600MW of electricity could be saved if the 10 million plus electrified households in the country switched to CFLs.The programme also has a free CFL exchange for low income households until 2015. Legislation restricting the selling of lamps with an efficiency level of less than 20 lumens per Watt will be introduced.

Already under way, the Solar Water Heating Programme aims to install one million solar water heaters over the next three years. Solar heaters cost between R7 000 and R20 000 but a government subsidy of up to 30% will assist those who want to fit them. The potential national savings of this programme is 650MW and targets private homes, commercial and industrial buildings as well as army bases.The geyser is the guzzler when it comes to electricity usage at homes. People should switch off their geysers in the morning and turn them on again at night, said Department of Minerals and Energy spokesman, Bontle Mafuna."Use energy efficient lighting and turn off your geyser when you're not home. That's what we're targeting people to do," he said.Eskom offers the following tips:* Set the thermostat of electrical geysers at 55°C-60°C and make sure the geyser and all hot water steel pipes in the roof are well insulated;* Switch lights off when they are not needed;* Use fewer bulbs with higher wattages;* Dimming switches reduce electricity consumption;* Fill the dishwasher completely before operating;* Use sunny days for drying clothes outside instead of using the tumble dryer;* Use pressure cookers when preparing foods that take a long time to cook;* Match pots and pans to stove plates;* Let hot foods cool down before placing them in the refrigerator;* Defrost fridges regularly as a build-up of ice reduces operating efficiency and increases running costs;* Do not fill a kettle if only a small quantity of boiling water is required;* Solar heating units could reduce a geyser's electricity consumption by 40%-50%; and* Switch to gas for heating and cooking.

Your Stars Foretell:Received via e-mail

Your starsAries (Mar 21 ,- Apr 21): Things will be pretty dark for you today, unless you remember to buy new torch batteries. Taurus (Apr 21 ,- May 21): You'll probably eat cold, raw food again today. Try to remember to get that gas cylinder filled! Be cheerful, though, and remember that your ancestors lived like this and survived ,- 25,000 years ago. Gemini (May 21 ,- Jun 22): There will be a programme on TV tonight that you'll love. Bummer that you can't watch it 'cause it's on during your allotted "block" in the Eskom disco derby... Cancer (Jun 22 ,- Jul 23): Thought you were smart buying that generator? But we know you're going to run out of fuel tonight and the nearest working petrol station is 20km away. As you get there, we'll cut their power... Sorry. Leo (Jul 23 ,- Aug 24): Another morning without that essential cup of coffee awaits you... If you make it to 10am we'll reward you with enough power to make some, but by then you'll probably have killed 3 people and severely injured a 4th. (Don't worry, though. This is the New SA ,- you'll probably get away with it.) Virgo (Aug 24 ,- Sep 23): Not for very much longer... What else is there to do after dark?

Libra (Sep 23 ,- Oct 23): Your star-sign stands for fairness and justice. That's why we're going to hit your area with three 2hr outages a day, while the area where your local MP stays will enjoy uninterrupted power throughout. Scorpio (Oct 23 ,- Nov 23): Your area's assigned outage "block" is from 10:00 to 12:30.  Expect the power to go off any time before or after that.  And don't think it will only be out for two-and-a-half hours, either. Sagittarius (Nov 23 ,- Dec 22): Today you'll buy some food that is apparently within its sell-by date. What you won't realize is that the sell-by date is for food that has been stored in a constantly operating fridge.... Although you'll get severe food poisoning, we think you may survive if you can find an emergency ward that has back-up generators. Good luck! Capricorn (Dec 22 ,- Jan 21): Don't bother to go to work today. During the hours when you actually will have electricity, your network provider will not, so you won't be able to do anything anyway. Stay home and well... there's not much to do there either, is there? Aquarius (Jan 21 ,- Feb 20): Today you'll get so fed up with our incompetence that you'll decide to emigrate. We regret to inform you that this is no longer possible... The airports have all shut down, because ,- well think about it! They need electricity to run the place!! You ain't going ,- nowhere...Pisces (Feb 20 ,- Mar 21): Today all your hopes and dreams will come true. You'll have power during "Days of Our Lives". If today is your birthday: Use lots and lots of candles on that cake ,- even if they don't reflect your age. How else are you going to see to open the presents? You will receive the ideal gift ,- your very own miner's helmet!!

A bad case ofeuphemism creep

Sunday Times, January 27 2008 EuphemismDoublespeak has such an insidious effect that for a while there `load shedding` sounded like a good thing, writes Luke AlfredONE can only imagine what George Orwell, the English novelist and essay writer, would have made of the prevailing chaos in the English language as we hear and read it in South Africa today.If we aren't in a period of "load shedding", we are sitting down to watch Bafana Bafana play Botswana in a situation described by those jolly wits at the SABC as "delayed live".Then there's my personal favourite, "merit with bias", a ridiculous linguistic contrivance created by the mandarins of Cricket South Africa.Or perhaps you prefer the slippery "self-payment gap", a confusing phrase dreamt up by the medical aid companies ,- one that means you, and not they, are required to dip into your pocket to pay your medical expenses.In his 1946 essay, Politics and the English Language, Orwell bemoans the general ugliness and lack of precision in many people's use of written English.He describes a vicious cycle where the decline of the English language has an economic or political cause, but so intertwined are cause and effect that is if often impossible ,- or so Orwell argues ,- to distinguish between the two."But an effect can become a cause," he writes, "reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely.

"A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks."It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language also allows us to have foolish thoughts."It's difficult to know what exactly drives a phrase like "delayed live".Is it simply mental slovenliness, or is there something more sinister at work, the kind of institutional obfuscation intended to soothe fraying nerves but ending up doing exactly the opposite?When the phrase was used 10 days ago to describe the SABC's coverage of Bafana's last friendly before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, the match itself kicked off at 6pm.The SABC covered the match from 10pm, its customary build-up taking approximately 20 minutes.Fans watching television at home didn't get any football until well after the real friendly ended. Yet the experience was still packaged as being a live one ,- although a live broadcast with the difference in that is was over four hours late.Of course, there is no such thing as "delayed live"; either the viewer watches a live match in real time or watches a delayed broadcast after the proper match has ended.Trust the SABC, unable to reschedule soaps, unwilling to alienate advertisers, to come up with such an ungodly compromise.One of the salient features of phrases like "delayed live" and "merit with bias" is their self-cancelling nature.It is as though the words block each other, moving in different directions at the same time rather than reaching for ,- or creating ,- clarity. The result is not understanding, but ambiguity, inspiring a kind of mental double take.It's impossible not to agree with Orwell that such violence wrought upon the language ultimately serves economic and political interests.Viewers are being duped because the SABC cannot arrange its scheduling properly. Obfuscation has a political and economic end.Such political motives are most obviously apparent in Eskom's current catch phrases, the jargon of "load shedding", "power alerts" and "Brown Stage 3".If you were a gentle soul with a trusting disposition, it might almost be possible to understand "load shedding" as a good thing.For 24 hours, in a glorious post-holiday bubble of naivety, I certainly did. After all, I thought, if a ship or a donkey sheds its load, this is usually because it wants to move faster.The ship is suddenly quicker through the water, the donkey lighter and marginally more fleet of foot.Shedding might, in other words, be to the customer's benefit; the system might be in the middle of becoming leaner and so more efficient. Not so, as we have all found out to our dismay these past two weeks. Note: Eskom doesn't speak of "arbitrary blackouts" or simple "power failures" as, in more honest days, it did.

It speaks instead of the far more benign "load shedding", a phrase which could be mistakenly interpreted as a version of annual maintenance but one that causes considerable inconvenience to customers.The malign language of "load shedding" has another dimension. Quite cynically, the phrase implicitly focuses on the electricity system, the grid, and the power that is no longer in it.Who feels the effects of the shedding? It's not the system or the grid, it's the individual consumer, or individuals in hospitals, businesses, schools.The weight of the phrase, the direction in which it seems to go, is away from the inconvenience and frustration it causes individuals.To be more open about "load shedding" and its effects would be to use a more transparent phrase entirely.This language of institutional disrespect for the individual, the consumer, the little man, is everywhere apparent in South Africa today. At least we are not alone, although the local forms of doublespeak and euphemism can take some uniquely colourful forms.What, after all, is one to make of phrases like "positive discrimination" and "historically disadvantaged"?Britain and the US have brought a level of low cunning and callowness to euphemistic language that puts to shame the efforts of our doublespeak practitioners."Doublespeak practitioners" – now there's a euphemism for you. We might more accurately call them professional dissemblers, liars even.See how insidiously it can creep into the language of even the vigilant?The rest of the world has brought us some humdingers. In 2004 a Cabinet Office spokesman in the UK explained away the shredding of precious documents as "aggressive records management".It's possible nowadays to pop into hospital for a nose or boob job or a reduction of those love handles, but you won't be going in for a dose of cosmetic surgery, you'll be indulging in a bout of "prosthetic enhancement".Every facet of life seems to have its linguistic perversions, euphemisms and half-truths: property has its "fractional ownerships", business its "downsizing" and "corporate DNA", its "downward brand extension" and its "human inventories", "zombie funds" and "value audits".But no sector of life – if you'll excuse the pun ,- is quite as rich in material for large-scale deformation of the English language than war.The war in the Gulf and the "war on terror" have brought us "collateral damage", "embedded journalists", "Shock and Awe".They have also brought the seriously spooky and the plain unpalatable.In case you wanted to know, "deconflicting the airspace" means clearing the airspace.For the time being, South Africa could do with a little "deconflicting the language".On second thought, perhaps not.

Don't cry for me, OraniaSUNDAY TIMES LIFESTYLE, January 27 2008Don't cry for meStuart Graham travels to a dusty dorp in Argentina, where he finds an improbable colony – Afrikaans-speaking descendants of the Anglo-Boer War

She has never been to South Africa and knows little about the country's Afrikaners, but in the windy town of Sarmiento in Argentine Patagonia, Enriqueta van der Merwe sits on her verandah and says proudly, "I am a Boer. Yes, I am Argentine ... but I am really a Boer. I was brought up speaking Afrikaans. In my heart, I am a Boer."Enriqueta's husband, Osvaldo, is loading wood onto a big, blue pick-up truck with a cracked front window. "Osvaldo, kom kuier 'n bietjie," she shouts. "Ons het 'n Suid Afrikaanse gas." (Osvaldo come chat a while. We have a South African guest.) The conversation moves to the couple's lounge where they prepare mate. It is Argentina's national drink – a rich tea drunk through a metal straw from a small calabash. As per tradition, the mate cup is passed around the room. "My parents told a story that when the Boers first arrived in Patagonia, they were very thirsty," Enriqueta says. The locals offered them their mate cups, but the Boers said gracias (thanks). If you say gracias it means you don't want any more mate."Enriqueta and Osvaldo communicate in Afrikaans, but to their children and grandchildren they speak Spanish or Castellano, as the language is known in Argentina."Ons het die taal van ons ouers geleer," Osvaldo says: "Die ou mense praat Afrikaans. Maar vandag wil die kinders nie die taal leer nie." (We learned the language from our parents. But today the children do not want to learn the language).The Van der Merwe descend from Boers who immigrated to Patagonia in the early 1900s after the Anglo-Boer War (South African War). The immigrants were bitter after the use of concentration camps by the British ,- when thousands of women and children died, they decided to leave South Africa, rather than live under the English. Camillo Ricchiardi, an Italian who fought with the Boers and was married to the granddaughter of the Transvaal President Paul Kruger, helped arrange land for them in Argentina. The first group left Table Bay Harbour aboard The Highland Fling. They arrived in the coastal town of Comodoro Rivadavia in the Argentine province of Chubut in 1902, a two-hour drive from Sarmiento. More groups arrived in 1905 and 1907. The Boer immigrants were assigned 2 000 hectares of land by General Julio Roca's government, infamous for heading an ethnic cleansing crusade against Patagonia's indigenous population.In those days, Patagonia was still seen as a wild frontier. The Boers, who were thought to be experienced farmers, could help develop the land. They lived in tents, later built huts and then started to trek into the hinterland. Along the way to Patagonia they gave Afrikaans names to the koppies: Spioenkop, Spitzkop and Transvaalkop. Some went north to the towns of Rawson, Trelew and Port Madryn, where they bought sheep from the Welsch colonists who had arrived 20 years before. Today these Boer descendants speak an older form of Afrikaans, similar to the style used in South Africa in 1902. They often use words like voorgister (the day before yesterday) instead of the modern version, eergister. They never heard of eina or braaivleis and they enjoy regular Argentine barbecues known as asados. But other cultural aspects, like Boeremusiek, have survived.Enriqueta scans the room, thinks a moment and says, "Ja, ek sal `Kotie in die Rooi Rokkie` speel.". (Yes, I will play Kotie in the Little Red Dress). She adjusts the accordion on her lap before launching into a rendition of the first Afrikaans songs her mother had taught her to play. Her 20-year old grandson, Miguel, provides accompaniment on his small accordion. When the song is over, Enriqueta laments that she does not play her

accordion often anymore. She does, however, play it at the annual Boeresport Day, held in Sarmiento in February."These are great occasions," she says. "The festivities are held on a farm outside of town. Each family has their own fire and make a traditional Boer meal." Such food includes koeksisters, vegetables with sugar, lamb-rib dishes and nasionale poeding (jam tart). Sports include horse races and horseshoe-throwing. On Saturday night there's a sokkie, where couples waltz and sing songs like Sarie Marais.Later, Enriqueta suggests I meet local resident, Ricardo Kruger. She leads the way to his house a few blocks away. Kruger, in his 50s, lives in a small tin-roof house in one of the back streets. He also has a sheep farm. Tall, with broad shoulders and pale-blue eyes, he describes himself as a "kaalkop, soos my pa". (Bald, like my dad.)Kruger, who is married to an Argentine woman, shows off pictures of his daughter dressed in a kappie (bonnet) and a navy-blue Boer dress. She is hoisting the new South African flag at a cultural festival in Comodoro. "My daughter can't speak Afrikaans," he says. "She was never interested in learning, but she used to take part in the February festivities and Comodoro's cultural festival." Kruger says he enjoys Boerekos, but eats it seldom these days: "When my wife sees me sprinkling sugar on the vegetables, like my mother taught us, she says I'm making gringo (foreign) food."He still speaks Afrikaans to his wheelchair-bound mother, who now lives on the farm. The Afrikaans spoken in Patagonia has evolved through the years, he says; the locals now mix Castellano words like che (pal) with Afrikaans.The evolution of the language in Patagonia has captured the interest of linguists in France and the Netherlands – they have even travelled to Chubut to study it.No one is too sure, but Kruger believes there are between 100 and 120 Boer families left in Patagonia. "Most of them came here with just the clothes on their backs. But they taught themselves to be mechanics, horsemen, builders and farmers. Die Boer is 'n slim mens. Wat hy moet doen, doen hy." (The Boer is a clever person. What he must do, he does.)In the beginning, the Boers stuck to themselves and married among each other's families. "If a Boer wanted to marry a Spaniard, they would want to hang him," Kruger says. "Hulle het so geleef"` (That is how they lived.)Down the drag is the Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church). With its rusting green roof and pointy cement spire, it looks much like any other small-town Gereformeerde Kerk in South Africa. A Spanish sign on the door says there are youth meetings on Tuesday nights. Only about 15 to 20 people are said to attend the church on Sundays. The Catholic service, in the grand cathedral on the main road, is much more popular.Two blocks from Kruger's home lives Enriqueta's sister, Catalina Ferraroti, also in her 60s. Ferraroti is combing her granddaughter's long, dark hair; the child calls her ouma. "Ek het 'n slegte griep. Ek hoes en ek hoes," she says. (I have bad flu. I cough and I cough.)She also complains about the lack of rain. "Die grond is so hard. 'n Mens kan nie eers 'n gaatjie maak om iets te plant nie," she says. (The ground is so hard that one cannot even make a hole to plant anything.) Ferraroti, who feels more comfortable speaking

Afrikaans, still makes Boerekos now and then, but the children don't like it. They prefer Argentine food.A two-hour drive from Sarmiento is the large town of Comodoro Rivadavia, where the Boers arrived in 1902. Today Comodoro has a thriving oil industry, which started in 1907. There is also a monument to the Boers of Comodoro here, and bares the image of an ox wagon and the names of all the original settlers.In the village of Rada Tilly, a 30-minute bus ride from Comodoro, the name `Blackie II` is painted on the side of a house, based just off the main road that leads into the town. Inside the house is a bakery run by Martin de Blackie, a first-generation Boer descendant who was the former vice-consul for South Africa in Chubut. He is now in his 70s and heads the Associacion de la Colectivad Sudafricana de la Provincia del Chubut (Association of South Africans in Chubut).Blackie says the Boer descendants still shout for the Springbok rugby team, even when they play against Argentina. "Ons skreeu vir die Springbokke," he says. "Ook wanneer hulle teen die Pumas speel. Die kleintjies kan dit nie verstaan nie. Hulle sê, `Man, julle is Argentinos. Julle moet vir Argentina skreeu.`" (We shout for the Springboks; also when they're playing against the Pumas. The little ones don't understand it. They say, "Man, you're Argentine. You must shout for Argentina.")Blackie produces all the usual Argentine favourites, such as croissant-like medialunas (crescent-shaped bread) at his bakery, but his fridge also contains a selection of Boer favourites like koeksisters and nasionale poeding. Blackie says Afrikaners from South Africa have come to Rada Tilly to meet him, with plans of emigrating to Patagonia like the old Boers. "They come for a few weeks, but then they realise how difficult it is and they go home. They struggle to pick up Spanish and discover how expensive Patagonian sheep farms are."Sara de Langer arrives a little later to share mate with Blackie. The 50-something De Langer still speaks the Afrikaans her grandmother taught her when she was a little girl. She remembers how her gran used to talk about what happened in the concentration camps. "But is was so long ago now," she adds. "It's difficult to remember. But I do remember that she was very sad when she spoke about it." De Langer would love her children to speak Afrikaans – so badly, that she wants to find them an Afrikaans teacher "to keep the culture alive".Victor Rambau, an official at the South African embassy in Buenos Aires, is eager to build stronger relations with the Chubut Boers. "They are part of the African Diaspora – Nepad wants to use their skills to help develop Africa," he says. Back in Sarmiento, Enriqueta says she is eager to know about the Afrikaans culture in South Africa. She has relatives somewhere there. They have the name Grobbelaar, she thinks. One day she would like to travel to South Africa to meet them. "One day I will come back home," she says with a smile, before taking a sip of mate."Eendag."

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RecipesDown Mexico way

Sunday Times, February 3 2008 Summer braais can get an exotic Mexican zing if you serve up spicy salsas as dips or relishes. Bonnie Walker gives some ideas, but finishing off with tequila is optional!You can buy a bottle of oversalted, cooked, tomato-y salsa off the store shelf, or you can make it fresh at home.If there's time, the second option always makes sense to me because the freshest salsas are the best ,- even if it means hauling out a cast-iron pot or putting together the food processor or blender.The payoff is when you dip into it with crispy chips or spoon it over your hamburger or sausages.We're offering four salsas, wonderful in summer but deliciously appropriate any time of year.Once you've got the idea you can experiment with your own salsa by making them more hot and spicy, or sweet and fruity.

Fresh Tomato SalsaTomato SalsaThis all-purpose table salsa is as good for dipping with chips as it is spooned over a cheese omelette.Ingredients:3 to 4 ripe, medium-sized tomatoes14 medium-sized onion1 tsp olive oil1 tsp lime juice1 large or 2 smaller jalapenos, stemmed and seeded, or to taste1 small clove garlic, peeled14 to 12 cup fresh corianderSalt, to tasteMethod:Put tomatoes, onion, oil, juice, jalepenos, garlic, coriander and salt into food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely chopped, but not so much that it becomes foamy. Pour into a bowl and let sit at least half an hour before serving.Makes about 2 cups.

Tangerine-splashed avocadoPico De GalloPico de GalloThis is a familiar recipe with the unusual addition of avocado (never a bad thing) and tangerine juice.Ingredients:2 ripe avocadoes, peeled, seeded, diced2 medium tomatoes, diced small12 cup white onion, chopped1 to 2 fresh Serrano chillis, seeded and minced12 cup fresh tangerine juice

2 tsp fresh lime juice12 bunch fresh coriander, choppedSea salt, to tasteMethod:Combine avocados, tomatoes, onion, chillis, tangerine and lime juices, coriander and salt. Gently stir, then transfer to serving bowl, if desired.Makes about 3 cups.

Mango Tomato SalsaThe lightly sweet blend of mango, juicy tomato and hot jalapeno is good on grilled chicken, fish or pork chops.Ingredients:2 small mangoes, diced2 Roma or jam tomatoes, seeded and diced12 cup sweet onion1 jalapeno, seeded and minced13 cup chopped corianderJuice of 1 limeSea salt, to tasteMethod:Combine mangoes, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and coriander in medium bowl. Squeeze lime over bowl; season with salt. Toss and allow to stand until ready to serve.Makes 6 servings.

Salsa de MolcajeteA molcajete is a Mexican lava rock mortar, but an ordinary mortar and pestle will do. You'll love the smoky roasted flavours touched off by beer and a little vinegar. A good dipping sauce; also good on grilled meats.Ingredients:1 large clove roasted garlic, peeled14 small onion2 tomatoes1 tsp saltPinch of toasted cumin seedPinch of black peppercorns1 to 3 roasted serrano chillis or jalapenos, seeded14 cup beer1 tsp apple cider vinegarMethod:Roast garlic, onion and tomatoes by putting them on a cast-iron skillet or other flat, stove-top implement over medium heat. Dry-roast them, turning, until skin is blistered and the flesh is tender. Then, in a mortar and pestle, grind garlic, salt, cumin and peppercorns until well-ground. Then, add, one by one, chillis, onion and tomatoes, grinding each as you add. When vegetables are well-ground, stir in the beer and vinegar.Taste for seasoning. Pour into bowl.Makes about 2 cups.

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