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Pass the Salt - It's a Hot Collectible

Part of the attraction of any collectible is the story that surrounds it, and salt-cellars have a tale to tell. Heres what you need to know about this condiment collectible.

The Salt

Salt-cellars, sometimes called the salt, open salts or salt dips, have been around for centuries. They are the dishes from which salt was served with tiny spoons or the end of a knife blade. In informal situations, you could pinch the salt from the dishes.

Early salt was coarse and caked in humid weather. It had to be kept in open dishes so that the coarse salt could be broken up before serving.

Materials

Salt-cellars were made of many materials including wood, glass, pottery, pewter, crystal, sterling and Faberge. They ranged in style from unadorned, simple-shaped glass to chic decorative sterling silver.

History

In the Middle Ages, where you were seated in relation to the placement of the salt on the table signified your social stature. The desirable seating position was above the salt, a term that is still sometimes used. Wealthy Romans liberal use of salt, a precious commodity at that time, broadcast their social status.

One of the most famous salt-cellars is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper." It shows an upturned salt-cellar in front of Judas, which signifies bad luck or bad faith.

Salt-cellars became archaic in the early 19th century when new glass technology developed. Glass salt shakers were born and salt-cellars were obsolete.

Desirable Collectible

Salt-cellars are attractive collectibles. They are unique and decorative. You can have an assortment yet they do not take up too much space. Plus, they are not too expensive so you can develop a collection without breaking the bank, ranging in price from a few dollars to pricier crystal or sterling silver.

Antique shops, flea markets, garage sales and E-bay are all good sources for salt-cellars.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 5:42 PM 0 comments

Chelsea Set to Dominate European Football

There is a new heavyweight force in European football, they are being bankrolled seemingly by the Russian economy, they mean business, and their name is Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club have always been a decent club in the second strata of English clubs. In London alone Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have invariably been ahead of the Chelsea Blues, even West Ham have often put Chelsea in the shade. But no longer, for in the season 2004-2005, Chelsea won the English Premier League title for the first time in fifty years, their only previous winning season.

But they havent stopped there, in the new season 2005-2006 they are already well clear in the title race leaving all their rivals gasping, and now they have set their sights on the pinnacle of all the club trophys, the European Champions League. Chelsea have never won the Champions League, indeed no London club ever has. And it is clear that their charismatic manager Jose Mourinho is intent on winning the Champions League again, he did so with his previous club Porto, of Portugal.

So what of the traditional English giants? Manchester United, often described as the worlds richest football club, have fallen into the hands of the Glazer family of Tampa Bay fame, but they reportedly needed to borrow half a billion pounds to buy United, a debt the club now shoulders. Spending on new players has so far been thin on the ground and Uniteds brusque Glaswegian manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has admitted that United, for so long Englands most successful club, cannot compete with Chelsea when it comes to buying players. The hordes of United fans are not amused, the natives are growing restless.

Arsenal, Londons biggest and most successful club, lost their skipper and driving force Patrick Vieira last summer, he moved to Juventus in Italy for 12 million pounds and with their star striker Thierry Henry suffering fitness problems, they picked up some uncharacteristic defeats at unfashionable clubs like West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough. This is their last season at their famous old Highbury Stadium before they move to their new purpose built Emirates stadium almost next door. The increased capacity of 60,000 will undoubtedly give their French manager Arsene Wenger more money to spend next year, but of course they have to pay for that new ground too. Far from challenging Chelsea again, it would seem that Arsenal are more likely to fall further behind.

That leaves Liverpool and Newcastle. News comes through just today that the American Kraft Company and family are interested in investing in Liverpool F.C., perhaps even buying the club outright just like Manchester United fifty miles up the road, but that is some way down the line. And they too are seeking to build a brand new stadium on Stanley Park and of course that all costs big money. Despite last years freakish win in the Champions League, Liverpools league form this season has again been patchy, and that included a 4-1 walloping by Chelsea on their own Anfield pitch. The idea that Liverpool might challenge Chelsea for the title remains a far-fetched one. Newcastle, Englands second best supported club are gradually improving, and they have signed Englands centre forward Michael Owen, but they still remain unconvincing at the top level. They havent won the title since Noah was seen building his ark, or so it seems, and they arent going to do so this season either.

So though it is very popular for foreign investors to snap up the leading English (and Scottish) football clubs, it appears that only Roman Abramovich at Chelsea has the financial muscle to buy the best players around. He is the only one to put unlimited funds on the table. Top class players now command a transfer fee of 40 million each and whereas Manchester United might afford one of them a season, Chelseas purse seems bottomless. They have already spent 220+ million and are still in the market to buy again when the transfer window re-opens in January.

They have already achieved success by winning at home, now the European Champions League is the Holy Grail for them, a trophy they are now the outright favourites to win with the odds layers. And astonishingly they have achieved their success to date with an array of strikers who havent really cut the mustard. Mutu the Romanian, was promptly sacked for drug taking, Crespo the Argentinian, was sent out to Milan on loan last season, and though he is back now he is hardly setting the world afire,or even playing that often, Gudjohnson an Icelander, plays more often than not, the muscular Drogba from the Ivory Coast, seems to have finally claimed the number nine shirt as his own, yet many blues followers still remain unconvinced about him, so it would seem likely that Chelsea may yet be looking for another proven goal scorer come January, especially after a recent rare defeat at Manchester United.

It would take a brave man to back against Chelsea in any competition at the moment. But if youd like to, you can still have a free $30 dollar bet at Betfair.com by entering the code 6CHE3VPWJ when prompted. But one thing is for sure; no one would be surprised if this time next year the Premier League trophy AND the Champions League trophy were both on display in the Chelsea boardroom. It seems that only the Italian giants Milan and Juventus, and the Spanish top two, Real Madrid, and most especially Barcelona with their Brazilian superstar, surely soon to be the world player of the year, Ronaldinho, might stop the London blues. It really does seem as if we have entered a new era in European and world football, or if you prefer the ridiculous name that no one ever uses, Soccer. Chelsea fans have never had it so good while everyone else is left gasping in their wake, for it is a fact that Chelsea Football Club have raised the bar for everyone else to follow. Time will tell if anyone can.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 2:25 PM 0 comments

Be Aware of The Article Production Hype

It is maybe... No, it is too early to talk about the end of a hype when the hype has not really started yet. In this way this contribution is not really client focused. Never row against the flow...But it can do no harm either.

Not only some stock exchange experience will teach us that expectations are sometimes inflated. For some trends it could take years before they grow into a real hype. But then, when the expectations are no longer met you should be prepared... For those who are in the Article production business. The threat comes from on aspect which is easily underestimated.

A Hype Cycle is a graphic representation of the maturity, adoption and business application of specific technologies. Since 1995, Gartner has used Hype Cycles to characterize the over-enthusiasm or "hype" and subsequent disappointment that typically happens with the introduction of new technologies. (http://www.gartner.com/pages/story.php.id.8795.s.8.jsp)

Such a cycle consists of five phases;

• 1. "Technology Trigger"
• 2. "Peak of Inflated Expectations"
• 3. "Trough of Disillusionment"
• 4. "Slope of Enlightenment"
• 5. "Plateau of Productivity"

An important lesson of Gartner is that all that is new is fancy and gets (press) support. Then, when the enthusiasm is over, the disappointments follows and support (commitment) falls back. And this commitment is needed for projects to succeed.

The project in this case could be: article production and syndication. If you think that the hype cycle is only for introduction of new technology, you could use the wisdom of the stock-exchange; there too the stock prices are often inflated because of unreal expectations. Disappointment will also follow.

Now what could lead to such disappointment?

Quality.

What is very likely to happen is that the quality of the article production gets hurt by the demands of quantity. We want more and we do no longer bother about the quality. Quality is in danger when quantity gets all the freedom.

Interesting in this context is the economic law of Gresham:

bad money drives out good money

The universal reach of this law is debated. Yet for those who think this future threat is relevant might as well act with further investigation on the topic. Be aware...

2006 Hans Bool

posted by aasdas38493 @ 2:22 PM 0 comments