14K WHITE GOLD BLACK DIAMOND RING

Salt: A World History

Homer called salt a divine substance. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. Today we take salt for granted, a common, inexpensive substance that seasons food or clears ice from roads, a word used casually in expressions ("salt of the earth," take it with a grain of salt") without appreciating their deeper meaning. However, as Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his world- encompassing new book, salt-the only rock we eat-has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind.


Until about 100 years ago, when modern chemistry and geology revealed how prevalent it is, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities, and no wonder, for without it humans and animals could not live. Salt has often been considered so valuable that it served as currency, and it is still exchanged as such in places today. Demand for salt established the earliest trade routes, across unknown oceans and the remotest of deserts: the city of Jericho was founded almost 10,000 years ago as a salt trading center. Because of its worth, salt has provoked and financed some wars, and been a strategic element in others, such as the American Revolution and the Civil War. Salt taxes secured empires across Europe and Asia and have also inspired revolution (Gandhi's salt march in 1930 began the overthrow of British rule in India); indeed, salt has been central to the age-old debate about the rights of government to tax and control economies.

The story of salt encompasses fields as disparate as engineering, religion, and food, all of which Kurlansky richly explores. Few endeavors have inspired more ingenuity than salt making, from the natural gas furnaces of ancient China to the drilling techniques that led to the age of petroleum, and salt revenues have funded some of the greatest public works in history, including the Erie Canal, and even cities (Syrac

Homer called salt a divine substance. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. Today we take salt for granted, a common, inexpensive substance that seasons food or clears ice from roads, a word used casually in expressions ("salt of the earth," take it with a grain of salt") without appreciating their deeper meaning. However, as Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his world- encompassing new book, salt-the only rock we eat-has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind.


Until about 100 years ago, when modern chemistry and geology revealed how prevalent it is, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities, and no wonder, for without it humans and animals could not live. Salt has often been considered so valuable that it served as currency, and it is still exchanged as such in places today. Demand for salt established the earliest trade routes, across unknown oceans and the remotest of deserts: the city of Jericho was founded almost 10,000 years ago as a salt trading center. Because of its worth, salt has provoked and financed some wars, and been a strategic element in others, such as the American Revolution and the Civil War. Salt taxes secured empires across Europe and Asia and have also inspired revolution (Gandhi's salt march in 1930 began the overthrow of British rule in India); indeed, salt has been central to the age-old debate about the rights of government to tax and control economies.

The story of salt encompasses fields as disparate as engineering, religion, and food, all of which Kurlansky richly explores. Few endeavors have inspired more ingenuity than salt making, from the natural gas furnaces of ancient China to the drilling techniques that led to the age of petroleum, and salt revenues have funded some of the greatest public works in history, including the Erie Canal, and even cities (Syrac

In Whistler in 1986 when they elected Bill Van der Zalm and sowed the seeds for the destruction of their party

Here's a story



It's a pretty safe bet that the video clips of a rather bemused looking Ted Nebbling staring at that wind-up phallus bouncing around on his desk in the Legislature a short time ago was featured by all the eastern TV stations on their 'lighter side of the news' segments. BC politics has always provided the eastern media with humorous material.
The legendary Ma Murray, publisher of the paper up in Lillooet for many years, appeared frequently on eastern news shows. Ma had a wicked sense of humour and was often interviewed by the likes of Barbara Frum when a bit on the politics of the absurd was required.
Ma Murray irreverently called past premier W.A.C. Bennett Wacky Bennett. His son, of course, she named Wacky Jr. She had a genius for explosing the ridiculous in provincial politics, although there are those who will argue that wasn't all that difficult.
Another ex-premier, perhaps the last real leader of the Social Credit party, William van der Zalm, provided journalists with many humourous anecdotes. The man lived in a theme park for crying out loud. The Zalmer was a leader who managed, much like Brian Mulrooney, to lead his party bravely into oblivion.
There's a definite Whistler association to the van der Zalm era- the gardener became leader of the party right in this valley. It could be argued that Whistler marked the beginning of the end for the Social Credit party.
It was back in the summer of 1986. Wacky Jr. decided to go out on the high tide that Expo 86 created. The political guru's that ran the Social Credit machine, and back then it was a very powerful machine, decided that the young resort town of Whistler would provide the perfect location for the coronation of their new ruler.
The convention center was the site of the final voting and the Whistler golf course driving range was where they chose to set up the circus that led to the voting. Bands, hot air balloons, and a myriad of other publicity stunts competed for the undecided delegates attention. Each of the candidates had hospitality tents pitched on the grass (they did close the driving range for the event) and the size of the tents acted as an indicator of the seriousness of the candidate, or at least as a guage of who was backed by money.
Grace McCarthy, for example, had a very big tent with lots of good food available. Delegates could even pan for gold in troughs salted with gold specs in front of her tent. The Zalmer's tent was equally impressive. Candidates like Cliff Michaels, with less money to play with, had rather more modest displays.
What became evident rather quickly to Whistlerites was that the convention offered interesting eating and drinking opportunities. Many of the would-be leaders didn't seem to mind wining and dining the locals in town and, not surprisingly, full advantage was taken.
Tapley's regulars could be found schmoozing with delegates over bar b q'd bison burgers. Citta patio dwellers migrated to the range to trade political views and and down beers with the movers and shakers of the Social Credit party. It made for some interesting exchanges.
A kind of poster war developed in the village. Rumour had it that local eateries were selling walls and pillars to candidates who would then paste their campaign posters onto them. A pillar in the right location was rumoured to be worth over a thousand dollars.
Posters sprung up all over the village. The weather vane above what was then Chez Joel's was apparently sold in layers - different candidates posters appeared at different levels until at last even the rooster was covered with political propaganda.
The action didn't stop when the sun went down either. Candidates took over local bars in the evening, offering hospitality nights. Let's just say the locals took full advantage.
Of course it couldn't last forever and after several days of enthusiastic electioneering the big vote was held at the convention center. Looking back at their choice now it might be tempting to say that the Social Credit delegates made a fatal mistake when they chose good old Bill as their leader but at the time almost everybody (with the exception perhaps of Grace McCarthy) wore great big grins as Bill and his headband-wearing wife smiled at their loyal subjects from the stage in the big meeting room. Balloons and cheers filled the convention center as the photogenic couple took their triumphal turn around the hall glad-handing their supporters. Little did they know...
Interestingly enough the Social Credit convention shared the valley with a Harley Davidson convention up at Base Two. That drew many Harley fans. For Harley fans, read bikers. Most of these dubious individuals were stopped on the highway and checked by the RCMP as they headed up Highway 99 into Whistler. Interestingly enough, most of

In earlier times, salt was sought worldwide for its use as a food preservative. One of the most active trade routes for this valuable commodity was trans-Saharan, with an active trade of gold for salt across the Sahara Desert. The Europeans sought gold from Africa and the sub-Saharan Africans sought the salt from the Sahara Desert. This salt caravan, or azalai, was most active from the 12th to the late 16th century.

Taoudenni is a mine in the middle of the Sahara Desert (within the confines of Mali) that was a major source of salt. It is located 600 km (400 mi) north of Timbuktu and continues to be mined to this day. Although salt from Taoudenni is now mostly transported by truck, the traditional method of camel transportation does still take place. In the heyday of this trade, caravans were as large as 10,000 camels. The Tuareg still use these routes, traveling 1500 miles through the desert during the winter months.

The salt is extracted from the mines in the form of slabs and each camel will carry four or five slabs, weighing 30kg (66 lb) each. In Timbuktu, the salt is transported by boat down the Niger River to Mopti, the major salt trading city in West Africa. In Mopti, the salt slabs are broken into smaller pieces and are sold throughout West Africa.

This photograph is of a re-enactment of the salt caravans at the Festival au Desert, a joint Malian/Tuareg celebration of music and Tuareg tradition.

Festival au Desert, 2011, outside Timbuktu, Mali

Best if you want to: Take time to cleanse, revive and revitalize your skin using a luxuriously pampering creamy salt scrub for the body with skin softening butters from Africa that will leave skin soft, smooth and subtly scented with our traditional Spa Wisdom™ Africa fragrance. Best for: all skin types, particularly those with dry skin who need to exfoliate regularly How it works: Community Trade organic beeswax moisturizes and conditions skin while acting as a barrier to help seal in moisture. Community Trade shea butter moisturizes and softens skin. Salt grains gently exfoliate skin. Ximenia, an oil extracted from the ximenia tree native to Africa, helps soften the skin....