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Call it a Cuba Libre or just a Rum and Coke, but for God's sake never ever make a drink using Pepsi! Ok, maybe that's a bit harsh; your dog may like Pepsi mixed in his water bowl.

The Cuba Libre is, however, one of perfect uses for that beverage created by the fine people at the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In fact, excluding the United States where the "Corn Lobby" has ruined the stuff, it is the consistency of the Coke that allows a character of a Rum to express itself. Rum, Coke, ice, and a slice of lime makes for a simple drink, so any differences in the featured ingredient become blatantly obvious after the first sip. Now, some purist (read: douche bags) may say that Rum is like Whiskey; one has to taste it on its own to appreciate it. This is utter bollocks, Rum has too much residual sugar to be that subtle. This is the drink of Pirates and Her Majesty's Navy, not some old man sitting in the leather club chair in the bay window of his oak-paneled study. The only similarity between a Cuba Libre and a nice Scotch is that they both complement a fine cigar, so light up that Churchill and drink a few Rum and Cokes. The combination of a good "rum drunk" and a nicotine buzz maybe one of life's greatest joys.

When Tinie Tempah said, “these haters couldn’t get to where I am with a full tank of petrol,” he must have been driving a diesel car, because range per tank is the only real advantage of a compression ignition engined automobile. You see diesel, despite the warped view of some European “environmentalists,” is slowly killing you. No, it is; the harmful emissions from oil burners are exponentially greater petrol/gasoline engines, which means that the current CO2 scare mongering is making everything much worse for everyone. Major ports around the world are installing high voltage shore-power in order to prevent large vessels from having to run their polluting diesel generators whilst in port, yet the powers that be want more dirty diesels on the roads near our homes? Clearly something is amiss here, and it’s not that marine diesels are that much more polluting than their road-legal counterparts. No, the need for greater MPG ratings and lower CO2 emissions has shockingly come at the expense of our collective health and that of our planet, which is why I truly hate diesel powered cars.

Of course, most them are utter crap anyway, since the French build a disproportionately large number of the polluting little diesel shit-boxes. However, good cars (when equipped with a proper engine) also fall victim to the ills of the much heavier and less versatile diesel. In simple engineering terms, the engine in a petrol/gasoline-powered car can be made much lighter, because it operates at much lower pressure. The same power plant by being internally lighter has a greater RPM range, which makes the car easier to drive and much more responsive, and having less overall weight over the front axle improves handling remarkably. Add to this the facts that diesels require specialized maintenance and have pressurized fuel systems, which makes running out of diesel a very expensive proposition, the slightly better MPG figures seem like a bit of a Faustian bargain.

In the United States, which is the actual home of the environmental movement for those of you completely unaware of modern history, the only diesel passenger cars currently available for sale (VW and Audi has put a sales hold on the TDI) require Urea Injection of their NOx-rich exhaust gasses to meet even minimal (non-CO2) emissions standards. That’s right, there has to be what is basically piss sprayed in to the exhaust, which has already gone through particulate filters and a catalyst. Even then it barely passes, and should you run out of the fluid, the computer has to be programmed to not allow the engine to start. Plus the particulate filters have a knack for clogging in lower (although. really not that slow) speed driving, which also causes the car to shut off. The Americans are also in the process of converting heavy vehicles to run on much cleaner natural gas power. The engine manufacturer, Cummings Diesel plans to make more of these engines than traditional diesels in the coming years, yet the Europeans are pushing for more diesels that produce more harmful nitrous oxide(s) and particulate emissions. These kill people, and with the advent of Socialized Medicine, we all have to pay for the treatment of the unnecessarily effected cancer patients. Therefore, help save lives and the planet by boycotting dirty, foul, and potentially murderous diesels...

Which one do you want to hear first? AGIHK suggests we start with the bad news, but no worries, you’ll love what is coming up.

  So BAD NEWS: One in eight people in our world don’t have access to the most basic of human needs. Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses.

     90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are of children under five years old. Many of these diseases are preventable. The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

    GOOD NEWS!  charity: water is a non-profit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. In almost three years, they've funded nearly 4,000 water projects in 19 developing countries. When complete, these projects will provide clean, safe drinking water for more than 1.9 million people. From deep drilled wells to water filtration systems.

  Give up your birthday, start a stand of lemonade, do a garage sale, sing for your friends, give up stupid red roses, give your lover a gift so big that it cannot be wrapped, run a marathon, grow a beard… Here: www.charitywater.org (they also prove every completed project using photos and GPS coordinates in Google Maps. See completed water projects and the communities they serve here > http://www.charitywater.org/projects/map/).

    Some days we go shopping, some days we do something more important – and that surprisingly – makes us, and somebody else, happier.

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