This week the Alpine press carried a report about a 6 year girl who is being sued for 38,000 Euros in damages due to a accident during a ski course in Austria. In addition a duck parasite is wreaking havoc in the lakes in Bavaria with multiple outbreaks of Swimmers Itch. Read on….

Most of us are careful to ensure we are fully insured when we go on high-risk vacations like skiing. However a trial is currently in progress in Austria which may require those of us with young children to review our liability insurance policies to make sure they really do cover all risks.

This little girl was on a ski course and on her way down the slope she turned in a curve and didn’t see a woman who was also skiing. The two collided and the woman was seriously injured. The woman is now suing the child for damages which the local press reports are of the order of 38,000 Euros.

Those of us who have lived in Austria are well aware of the fact that children under 14 years of age can not be charged under civil law – the country considers them to be under the age of criminal responsibility. Instead the person looking after the child (e.g. the ski course teacher or a parent) would be held liable for negligence in their supervisory responsibilities. However, according to the reports a legal spokesperson believes children under the age of 14 may be held accountable for damages they have caused under certain circumstances.

The circumstances under which they may be charged are dependant upon whether the child is capable of discerning that it has done something wrong. In other words the prosecution is of the opinion that if a child knows it has acted incorrectly and as a result an accident ensues it can be held liable for the resulting damages.

The woman involved in this incident is, as a result of her injuries, now unable to ski. In addition she wants the child to be held accountable for any future damages she will incur as a direct result of this skiing accident. So the 38,000 Euro may just be the minimum liability the child will face.

The accident occurred in the ski area ‘Hochhäderich‘, part of the Bregenz Forest (Bregenzerwald) in Austria and the Civil case is being seen in the regional court at Feldkirch. On Monday 24th August 2015 the case was postponed for three weeks to allow the collection of more evidence before going into the next round. The ability of the child to discern whether it has done something wrong may then be evaluated.

This case has received quite a lot of attention in the Austrian and other German language press as it could set a precedent in which a child is held directly responsible for damages arising from its role in an accident – if the child can be shown to know it’s action was wrong. As a result this would require the insurer of the child to pay damages rather than the insurer of the person responsible for overseeing the child. Clearly if the child is not insured it will need to have quite a lot of pocket money available!

For German speaking visitors to www.chrisduggleby.com you can see an original article in the Austrian press using the link here.

Swimmers Get Attacked by Parasites

While I was enjoying the Alpine sun this weekend I came across another sports related alert in the local press. If you have been swimming in the lakes recently and experience:

• tingling, burning, or itching of the skin
• small reddish pimples
• small blisters

you may well have been infected by a duck parasite – courtesy of a fellow bathing snail.

In recent weeks about 10 cases of pustules caused by these infections have been reported by bathers in the following lakes: Tegernsee, Schliersee and Seehamer See. This condition is known as cercarial dermatitis or swimmers itch and results from an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that normally infect birds or mammals (e.g. ducks, geese, gulls, swans, and, particularly in the US, muskrats and raccoons). Don’t worry I am not going to subject you to more of my horrendous skin disease photos – however similar symptoms to those mentioned above can be found in my Laundry Additives Allergic Contact Dermatitis article using the link here!

The adult parasites normally live in the blood of the animals named above and their eggs enter into the animals poo which may then be deposited in or near an area where people bathe. As the poo enters the water the eggs hatch to produce small, swimming larvae which then infect snails. The snails then release the parasite as another form of larvae which tries to find a suitable bird or animal to infect and continue its life cycle. However, sometimes the larvae will come across a swimmer and mistakenly infect that person.

People infected by these cercariae larvae develop the allergic reactions mentioned above. Sadly the larvae do not feel at home in their human host and generally will die after a few days.

The symptoms of swimmers itch can occur within hours or days after swimming in water contaminated with bird faeces and infected snails. Secondary infections can be caused by scratching the infected areas. Generally speaking most cases do not require medical attention and the Centre for Disease Control suggests that relief can be obtained though corticosteroid cream, cool compresses applied locally, Epson salt/baking soda baths or anti-itch lotions.

In the Alpine press it is recommended that to reduce the chances of infection when swimming in the affected lakes (mentioned above) it is a good idea to quickly remove wet swimming costumes and rub the skin thoroughly with a dry towel. (For German readers a link to the press article is here and the guidance from the Centre for Disease Control – in English – is here). How about a nice photo of the crime scene (taken by yours truly):

If you would like to see more high definition photographs of the Schliersee please check out my Schliersee Photo blog using the link here.

Well that is enough of my risk focused holiday guidance for this week. You will now understand what is happening if you see German bathers rushing to take their costumes off after bathing and then starting to beat each other with bath towels. They are just trying to remove unpleasant parasites. As it is now over 30 degrees I think I will pop down to the local lake and pass on some of my health tips in person.

Have a great week.

Chris Duggleby

If you are interested in reading my other health focused articles try the following

Torture In The Shower – Face and Body Soap Allergies – Main Suspect: Pears Transparent Soap

Poison in your Washing Machine: Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Laundry Detergents, Softeners, Conditioners and Whiteners

Is Alzheimer’s caused by the Gum Disease Bacterium P. Gingivalis – A Dementia Prevention/Treatment Breakthrough?

Toxic Chemicals in Sex Toys – 18 Vibrators, Cock Rings, Love Balls Tested – Only 3 Get All Clear

My T-shirt Made Me Sick – Textile Allergies – Sinusitis From Your Underwear

Have you ever wondered how big companies go about managing the risks associated with their mega-projects? Having spent much of my career negotiating, planning or managing such projects risk management was very much a core component of my daily life. In fact in my final few years in the oil industry I developed new protocols for testing the risk management processes in one of the world’s largest organisations involved in some of the riskiest projects imaginable. Following the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe I found myself at the centre of the drive to restructure and redesign the BP Group as it strove to learn from its mistakes and put processes in place to try and ensure such a disaster never happens again.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

As a senior manager in the audit department of this global group I was in a position to influence a large number of people and processes and then test whether risk management was effective. The testing protocols I wrote for the group were designed to fill the gaps in these processes. I had the rather cumbersome title as the BP Group’s Principal Auditor and Subject Matter Expert in Transformation, Joint Venture and Commercial Compliance (e.g. competition law, bribery and corruption) risks (I didn’t bother with a business card!).

Now I have retired from oil and chemicals I would like to share some of my experience with the wider business community and with any organisation facing multiple risks to its success. Regular visitors to this site will be aware of the risk management text book I published in 2010 (Value TRAI based Risk Management). One of the problems with producing physical books is that many busy people either do not have the time to read them, or don’t have the room in their bags for yet more paperwork.

So my focus going forward is to use the internet to help improve people’s accessibility to my ideas about risk management. During my last few years in industry we move nearly all of our operations and communications over to electronic media – I found that I read very few physical books. So this weekend I launched my new site which provides a (free-of-charge!) introduction to the basics of risk management. the site is called RiskTuition.com and you can take a look at it by clicking on the picture below.

Not surprisingly the new site includes many pictures taken from some of the mega-projects I encountered working in the oil industry. I have also included some pictures from the businesses I managed for BP – including the petrochemicals plant I negotiated, built and ran on a man-made island in the middle of an Asian swamp (sorry – RiskTuition.com includes some rather dated pictures of ‘yours truly’ from his swamp days). As founding president of Formosa BP Chemicals Corporation I can claim to have first hand experience of implementing a new risk management process in a very challenging environment.

This swamp based project was actually a joint venture with Taiwan’s largest private industrial group, Formosa. In fact many of the big, complex projects in the oil industry are joint ventures which can increase the risks significantly. However the risks in even the most complex projects can be managed by following a fairly straightforward risk management process like the one I have presented on the RiskTuition site. If you manage the risks effectively the benefits of such joint venture arrangements can be considerable as illustrated in the following rather ‘uplifting’ video.

One of the great safisfaction’s of managing such projects is that they not only benefit the companies which own the venture but can also dramatically improve the development, economy, and local education/training of the countries where they occur. My partner in Taiwan was very clear about their reasons for wanting to do a project with BP – in addition to bringing in state-of-the-art technology they also wanted to learn from our health and safety practices and processes. During my 5 years building and running this plant we did not have any serious injuries on our site – despite employing about 700 people.

The RiskTuition.com site is a first small step. I still have quite a lot of experience I would like to share with organisations interested in learning about risk management. Over time I will launch some other web-based communications relating to risk management and as I do so I hope you don’t mind if I share my progress on this blog. By the way if you are concerned I have forgotten about my music please rest assured – my team across the Atlantic are working hard to get my new e-baroque album onto i-Tunes, Amazon, Spotify etc. I am also practising as hard as my ageing fingers will allow in order to master some new, interesting, musical instruments.

Have a great, and most importantly a safe and healthy, week

Chris Duggleby

This week I would like to share with you the best grilled fish in Bavaria (OK – ‘in my opinion’). I will also introduce you to one particular trout, Trevor, who enjoys good music and as a result gets protected status (from me). Finally I will describe with pictures how the Bavarians saw the last full moon in their official state colours – Blue and White.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

Let me start by setting the scene. The following couple of pictures describe the countryside around Bad Feilnbach where Bavaria’s best Steckerlfish restaurant is located. Steckerlfish are charcoal grilled fish which are rotated by means of a wooden stick (the steckerl) which is shoved up their bottom. The restaurant with its pretty beer garden is also conveniently very close to the V&LIUMM Alpine recording studios (another excuse not to bother doing any cooking!). If you want to see high resolution versions of these pics just double click on any of the photos.

Below is a foretaste of that Bavarian blue and white moon – the next two pictures were taken from my balcony looking east as the moon was just rising above the horizon on 31st July 2015.

Trevor features in the next picture and I will explain more about his ‘special’ status later in this blog (he will certainly not be getting a stick shoved up his bottom!).

The mountain stream where Trevor lives is in the next photograph. To the left of this picture is the path which takes you up this mountain stream past many waterfalls to the restaurant which is the main subject of this article. If you are in Bad Feilnbach you can find the path just to the right of the shoe shop in the high street (convenient if you have forgotten your hiking boots).

As you follow the stream (or ‘bach’) up the mountain you reach, after about 5 minutes, a sign for the restaurant Bärenstub’n (Bavarian for ‘the Bear restaurant’).

The reason this restaurant is featured here is because they serve excellent Steckerlfisch. Whenever possible I try and get early flights across from London to Munich on Fridays in order to be able to enjoy this local speciality (the Steckerlfisch are only served on Friday’s in the summer months). If you want to be sure to get your fish (demand can be very strong) it is a good idea to make a reservation in advance. Their website is here (they are also on Facebook).

Steckerlfisch is a speciality found in the Bavarian Voralpen region (Alpine Foothills) and Oberösterreich (Upper Austria). Generally it is prepared from white fish caught in the local Alpine rivers and lakes. Whitefish and bream are typical of the kinds of fish traditionally used. You can also find Steckerlfisch served in many beer festivals like the Oktoberfest. Due to the increased demand some places now also use farmed fish such as trout, char or mackerel

Good food needs to have a good setting to be enjoyed to the full. At the Bärenstub’n you can sit outside (weather permitting) in a beautifully laid out beer-garden benefiting from the local countryside and mountain views.

I had to take the following photograph quickly – the fish does not stay on my plate for very long. It tastes delicious – a perfect complement to some Bavarian Weissbeer.

Not surprisingly I am a regular here so it is not unusual to find my fellow international celebrity friends chatting away with the chef.

Once you have finished your meal you can also sample the local countryside walks. This is very pleasant on a long summer day, especially if you eat early. You can actually follow the mountain stream most of the way up the local mountain, the Schwarzenberg (‘Black Mountain’). It takes about an hour to get to the top but you don’t have to go all the way – the countryside is spectacular even if you just walk for a few minutes. If you like waterfalls you will not be disappointed.

At the top of the Schwarzenberg (in addition to cows) you will enjoy a panoramic view of this part of the Alps. If you decide to go early in the day you can take a picnic with you and eat it on the Schwarzenberg summit (there are seats at the top).

Now, getting back to Trevor. He has a favourite spot in the stream just below my recording studio window. In fact I think it is fair to say that Trevor was the TRANSFORMATES 變 Music Project’s first real fan. In particular he seems to like our e-Baroque music – if you look closely you can see him wiggling his tail when we play some Bach or Vivaldi.

If you would like to sample the e-Baroque music that Trevor enjoys just click on my You-Tube play list below:

Following my evening enjoying the delights of the Bärenstub’n I returned to the studio to do some more practicing and prepare a little nightcap. As I started to raid my fridge in the kitchen I noticed a fantastic full moon rising over the mountains to the East. I managed to capture this in the photo below.

This was the second full moon in this month (July 2015). As a result this second full moon is often referred to as a ‘blue’ moon. It does not occur very often and hence features in the saying ‘once in a blue moon’ which is used to describe some thing which happens infrequently.

The following picture is a close up shot (double click on it to enlarge the picture).

I have been so impressed by the full moon over Bavaria that I intend to use it on the cover of my forthcoming album – which should be available to download from all music suppliers in the next couple of months. Here is a sneak preview of the cover (with the full moon – this time as it was setting towards the west).

Finally – let me leave you with this weeks safety tip. If you do decide to walk up the Schwarzenberg keep an eye open for mountain bikers – they can often come down the mountain very quickly. Also don’t forget to give any cows a wide berth if they are grazing on the alm (mountain pasture) at the top of the mountain. A 77 year old German lady hiker was killed in the Swiss mountains this week when she disturbed a cow who feared for the safety of its calves (for German readers you can find an article here). Also make sure you dress suitably for the weather conditions (unlike the over exposed jogger in the photo below).

Have a great week,

Chris Duggleby

If you would like to read more about the Bavarian countryside (and see the stunning views) here is a selection of some of my other picture blogs about the area. Just click on any title below:

Spring arrives in the Alps, the snow returns (in April) – but real Bavarian ‘Men’ don’t let that stop them surfing in on the Isar River (Eisbach in Munich) – at night!

What a difference a week makes! Snow arrives in Bad Feilnbach

Schliersee: Calm and colourful scenery on an autumn day (Wunderschön auch im Herbst)

Schloß Neubeuern: A fairy tale castle in the Alps near the Bavarian/Austrian border

Achensee or Lake Achen: The largest lake in the Austrian Tyrol (and one of its best kept secrets)

Bayrischzell: Pit-stop on the way from the Deutsche Alpen Straße to the peak of the Wendelstein Mountain

Thiersee: a delightful Austrian lakeside walk surrounded by beautiful Tyrolean countryside (and some topless fun in a Merc SLK with Pink Lips and RISKKO)

Fungi: Max Planck scientist identifies their role in causing rain and fighting climate change in Brazilian Rain Forests (Photos of Pizza Trees in Alpine Forests)

If it moves ban it, tax it, or give it a fine (especially horses, cows, snakes and women)!

Up the Black Mountain (Schwarzenberg, Eingang zum Voralpenland)

Spring Mountain Trails and the Pedometer Challenge

Spitzingsee: A little wonder on the Deutsche Alpenstraße (even on a cloudy day!)

Alpine Forest Chapel: Small but Beautiful!

You can also see more pictures by visiting my Alpine Gallery using the link here.

Well don’t let it be said that I struggle to find medically interesting themes to write about (and in some cases even offer my own body to the further development of medical science).

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

This week I just want to post a short blog because I have done quite a bit of writing with my newly recovered wrist in a separate article. After 6 weeks I have almost fully recovered from the Allergic Contact Dermatitis that I mentioned in an earlier blog. Rather than repeat the gory details here why don’t you simply take a look at the article together with the many colourful photographs (including the ‘Michelin Man’). The link is here.

Although there is a slightly humorous dimension to most of what I do I have prepared this article with fellow sufferers in mind. In addition to describing my own case history and how I managed to overcome the problem it also provides quite a lot of information about this kind of allergy. If you know someone who has this problem (or thinks they may have it) they may appreciate it if you share a copy with them. If nothing else it provides hope that there can be light at the end of the tunnel – as these before and after the ‘allergen eradication‘ photos illustrate.

Before I managed to eradicate the cause of this problem from my life I had to endure several stages including swelling of most parts of my body (hence the rather unpleasant incident when I discovered in an airplane toilet what had happened to my scrotal sack). The scars caused by the allergy, mainly on my wrists, had prevented me from typing, playing music and using my recording studio facilities for over a month. Clearly if you are the main breadwinner in a familly this can be a disaster. The solution required the elimination of over eight dustbin bags full of laundry – not a minor expense. Lots more details and photos can be found here.

However the good news is that I an now back in business. My writing is back to normal (hence the article) and I have managed to complete the last track of my forthcoming album of electro interpretations of baroque classics. I even coped with editing my computer graphics software to provide some eye candy for the video. If you want to sample it here is the official video of my rearrangement of ‘Eja Mater, Fons Amoris‘ taken from Anton Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater (originally premièred in 1712). This classical baroque work describes Mary’s experiences as she watched Jesus being crucified. I have simply used the instruments that I am sure Vivaldi would have considered if he had been around today:

It will take me another few weeks to get the album ready and through my global distribution system. I need to use this time to remaster some of the tracks and do a bit of nifty compression so it sounds just as bad on an eye-phone as it does on an eye-pad and a lap-top (I think these are the modern terms people use). However before I do this you can listen to all the tracks and see the videos for free using the following play list:

…..and if you are really a glutton for punishment do not forget to check out my earlier album of ‘Songs of Fun, Deviants and Eunuchs‘ (already number one in the global indie eunuch charts and gathering momentum among other minority groups). Once again you can sample all of these hits via my ‘free to good friends’ YouTube playlist. This is VERY DIFFERENT to my Baroque Interpretations – here it is:

!!STOP PRESS!! – Songs of Fun, Deviants and Eunuchs by the TRANSFORMATES 變 is available from the following suppliers:

• iTunes – here
• Spotify – here
• Google play – here
• Amazon – here

So I think that is enough for this week. I need to work overtime now to make up for the lost time – I hope shortly to be able to share with you some treats based on my latest instrument. I just need to practice a bit more first. Watch this space.

Have a great (and hopefully itch free) week

Chris Duggleby

As the temperatures here in Bavaria are expected to reach 40 C (104 F) today I would like to provide a short article to inform travellers about a relatively new term being used by the German Emergency services: ‘Blow-ups‘. For those more familiar with the English language these have nothing to do with tyres blowing up – they refer to the surface of the autobahn ‘Blowing-up’ or raising dangerously during hot weather. As you may get some unusual photos if you try searching on Google for ‘hot weather blow ups in Germany‘ I have included some ‘appropriate’ photos to illustrate this problem.

The problem is found mainly in the South of Germany where the temperatures tend to get higher and occur on autobahns (motorways or freeways) which have been made from concrete. This method of construction was used in the past when the anticipated levels of traffic on these roads was much less than it is today. In addition the infrastructure in some areas has been damaged by the recent years’ heavy flooding. Some of the worst stretches in Bavaria, for example on the Autobahn A3 between Passau and Regensberg, have been overhauled in the last couple of years. However others, for example on the A92, A93 and A94, still have areas which are prone to the occurence of blow-ups.

The German motoring organisation ADAC has reported on its website that last year between June and July there were 30 blow-ups reported compared with only 5 in the previous last year. The frequency therefore appears to be increasing. One motorcyclist has already lost his life as a direct result of an accident caused by a blow-up.

The damage is caused where the concrete surface of the road expands due to the hot weather conditions and raises or buckles as shown in these photographs. According to a report from the Autobahn Direction for Southern Bavaria 160 Km of the local 1200 motorway network is affected (13%). Motorways based on asphalt are not so prone to these problems and those in the middle and North of Germany are unlikely to have to endure such extremely high temperatures.

The smaller road network (the B roads in Germany) is finished in asphalt and therefore blow ups are not likely to be such an issue.

Once the temperature reaches above 28 C the problems start to become critical and above 30 C speed limits of 80 Km/hour are imposed in the areas likely to be affected.

To minimise the risk of accidents drivers are advised to exercise extra caution during extremely warm weather and get local traffic reports. The link to the ADAC site for updates is here (the site is in German – you need to put into the box ‘name’ the name of the Autobahn you will use – e.g. A 92).

Motorcyclists are advised to try and avoid the dangerous areas. The worst time of day for damage to occur is in the afternoon. For German readers a link to an information article in the press is here.

If you are driving through Bavaria – welcome! Have a safe trip and enjoy the fantastic countryside.

Chris Duggleby

If you are interested in reading my other health focused articles try the following

Torture In The Shower – Face and Body Soap Allergies – Main Suspect: Pears Transparent Soap

Poison in your Washing Machine: Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Laundry Detergents, Softeners, Conditioners and Whiteners

Is Alzheimer’s caused by the Gum Disease Bacterium P. Gingivalis – A Dementia Prevention/Treatment Breakthrough?

Toxic Chemicals in Sex Toys – 18 Vibrators, Cock Rings, Love Balls Tested – Only 3 Get All Clear

My T-shirt Made Me Sick – Textile Allergies – Sinusitis From Your Underwear

This article may be of interest if you or your loved ones suffer from an irritating allergic skin rash – particularly if you think this could be caused by a recent change in your washing detergent or another fabric modifying additive like whitener/brightener or a fabric conditioner/softener. 

In this weeks blog I would like to share with you something which is close to my heart. In fact as I type this article the skin around my heart (and most of my body) is covered in a very irritating red rash, bumps and various other inflamed lesions which are typical of allergic contact dermatitis.

Many years ago a quarter of my first degree which I studied at the Manchester Medical School involved immunology or the study of allergic reactions and what can cause them. As a result I hope that as an informed layman I can transfer my understanding to you of some of the things that can cause these painful and irritating skin reactions and help you to consider what to do about them. Let me stress I am not a medical doctor – just another sufferer.

My first thought as my own symptoms occurred was that I had simply developed a heat rash. This was due to the arrival of summer in Europe and a recent increase in my aerobic exercises both of which might encourage a heat rash if the skin is unable to sweat properly.

I was able to eliminate the idea of heat rash as the cause by stopping my exercise routine and avoiding exposure to heat and sun (quite easy with the rather cool and wet ‘summer’ we are having here at the moment!). The symptoms continued to get worse and quickly spread across most of my body. Heat rash normally goes away after a short while (a few hours to a couple of days) once the causes are addressed. However my symptoms were getting worse. These symptoms included a red skin rash over a large area with spots/bumps, itching, and a burning pain.

Most readers will be aware of the skin irritation you get following a mosquito or tick bite. Although we know it is better not to scratch the affected area it is almost impossible not to do this as it appears, at first, to ease the irritation. However any relief is short lived and soon after you stop scratching the itchiness returns but now it is even worse. Clearly you can not keep scratching because you risk damaging your skin and perhaps causing a more serious infection of the area concerned. Well now try and imagine what it is like having 1000 mosquito bites all over your body – that is roughly how I am feeling at the moment. Much as I would like to scratch, I would have to scratch my whole body and the problem could be made far more serious. So don’t scratch Chris!

Another reason I was certain this was not simply a heat rash was that the symptoms were spreading to several parts of my body, like my arms and legs. Heat rash is generally localised and often occurs where two skin regions touch like under the arms, breasts or in the groin area. This contact inflammation can be exacerbated if you are overweight. The photo above is my left arm which is the part of my body that does not have to do much work (I am right handed). Therefore I decided this was not simply a heat rash.

The rash spread to my groin area with its somewhat sensitive appendages and to my legs (don’t worry I will not inflict ‘medical’ photos of these areas on you). By this stage I had started to avoid wearing clothes wherever possible and stay in the coolest locations I could find. As I felt I had eliminated heat rash I started to examine other possible causes. The symptoms and circumstances I describe below indicated to me that this was an allergic contact dermatitis.

Over the last month I had made 3 changes to the way I wash clothes:

1. I used a whitener (Dylon’s White’n’Bright) in 3 washing machines full of white clothes

2. I started adding Lenor Softener (Proctor & Gamble) which I had bought recently

3. I used a new box of Persil colour capsules (Unilever) to wash my coloured clothes

All of these types of products: soap powder, detergents, softeners and other washing additives, have been suspected of eliciting allergic reactions in sensitive people.

At this time of year I have very light bed coverings – often usually only a sheet. To avoid getting too cool at night I often wear long armed T-shirts in bed with long pyjama trousers. Both items had recently been washed using one or more of the three products above. I was surprised that my back and shoulders were relatively free of the allergy symptoms. However as I tend to sleep on my chest or sides I assume that my sleeping position forced the allergen (the stuff that causes the allergic reaction) from my clothes into the skin area around my chest and sides. This in effect sensitized these areas which led to a slightly delayed (about two days later) full blown response.

If you are trying to identify causes for similar symptoms you are experiencing there are a number of possible causes of allergic contact dermatitis.

The most common items containing allergic stimulants (allergens) tend to be clothes washing detergents, fabric conditioners/softeners, perfumes and perfumed soaps, colognes, make-up/cosmetic products, rubber clothing items like gloves, smoke and certain kinds of plants (like poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak), dyes and items containing precious metals like nickel and gold. Sometimes an everyday item may contain an unexpected allergen, for example nickel may be in bra stays, hairpins, eyelash curlers, frames of glasses, necklace clasps, zips, thimbles, watch straps, jewellery and insecticides. These are just some common causes – for a more comprehensive list you should consult your allergy specialist.

To identify the cause of an allergic contact dermatitis consider the exact location of the skin response. For example a reaction around the ear-lobes may indicate nickel in an ear ring as the cause. Reactions near the eyes may be due to cosmetics, finger nail products or something that is airborne (pollen, sprays, plant products). Allergens in toothpaste, lip-balm or mouthwash may cause reactions in or around the mouth. If your feet are involved perhaps something in or associated with your shoes is the cause (leather tanning agents, socks, glues, inserts or buckles) or a foot powder. The neck region could indicate an allergen contained in cosmetics, aftershave, cologne or perfume. These can often be made worse by sunlight. Antiperspirants and deodorants usually affect the underarm area as do certain textiles in particular wool. Detergents may be the cause of problems around the hands.

Also consider whether the area affected has been in contact with tars, fibreglass, rubbers (e.g. latex gloves), clothing dyes, chemicals or items treated with chemicals, adhesives (like tapes), soaps, detergents, bleaches, cleaning agents, vinegar, antiseptic or salts of metals.

As I am doing with the three additives above try to eliminate the cause of the irritation or the potential causes. If the dermatitis goes away and you have eliminated more than one substance you can gradually reintroduce the items one at a time to narrow down the culprit. If this doesn’t work your doctor or medical specialist may recommend doing a skin allergy patch test in which very small doses of potential allergens are brought in contact with the skin (under a patch) to see if they cause an allergic response.

Sadly the constant irritation means I have been unable to complete my last piece of baroque music to share with you this week. However you are welcome to share the tracks already produced by clicking on my play-list below. I will certainly be listening to this as I try and relax with a nice piece of non-allergenic chocolate.

Well that is all for this week – I need to save some time for the mountain of re-washing I have to do to try and clean out any remaining traces of suspect additives in my clothes. As soon as I have determined exactly which additive caused my problems I will add a more detailed report to the risk articles section of this website (including more photos). Have a great (and if possible soothing) week.

Chris Duggleby

If you found this article interesting please consider taking a look at some of my other recent reports on similar subjects.

Just click on the titles below:

Torture In The Shower – Face and Body Soap Allergies – Main Suspect: Pears Transparent Soap

Poison in your Washing Machine: Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Laundry Detergents, Softeners, Conditioners and Whiteners

Is Alzheimer’s caused by the Gum Disease Bacterium P. Gingivalis – A Dementia Prevention/Treatment Breakthrough?

Toxic Chemicals in Sex Toys – 18 Vibrators, Cock Rings, Love Balls Tested – Only 3 Get All Clear

My T-shirt Made Me Sick – Textile Allergies – Sinusitis From Your Underwear

This weeks blog features a new line in environmentally friendly underwear for Ladies, Men and Children and introduces Rent-a-Duck an effective biological approach to snail warfare in the garden.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

Germany likes to lead the way when it comes to promoting innovations with a strong ‘green‘ flavour. With this in mind I was particularly impressed this weekend to read in the Alpine Press about a couple of developments which I am certain will be of interest to the rest of the non-German speaking international community.

Rent-a-Duck

The first subject concerns an approach to dealing with garden snails which does not require the use of unpleasant and unnatural chemicals. Andrea Halbwirth from the Bavarian village of Untereichhofen has for many years been breeding a collection of Indian Runner Ducks like the ones below:

I do not need to tell any hobby gardener about the frustrations caused to their precious plants by snails. This year seems to be particularly bad here in the Alps where we have been blessed with an unusually high amount of early summer rainfall (including this weekend which is a total write-off for those wanting to work in the garden).

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the collateral damage caused by ‘slime warfare’ it is hard to imagine how much destruction a snail can cause to an unsuspecting lettuce patch or an innocent collection of seedlings carefully cultivated to hopefully fill the summer garden with a patchwork of beautiful colours. Sadly no amount of good words can dissuade a determined snail from pursuing his slimy life of vegetative carnage.

Over 30 years ago Frau Halbwirth simply didn’t know where to turn – the local snail population was making her life on the farm an absolute nightmare. Everywhere she looked there was vegetative devastation surrounded by little trails of slime. That’s when she decided to invest in the Indian Runner Ducks. Since then she has not had to worry about snails. Every morning the ducks are turned out of their barracks and march through the farmyard searching out unwanted intruders. When they find them they gobble them into their beaks and throat and when they have collected enough specimens they head for water to wash their tasty escargot breakfast down. This continues throughout the day as long as they can find free roaming snails.

The Halbwirths’ ducks are so hard working that they keep the whole village free of snails. They are also quite industrious when it comes to breeding and now the farm has started to rent them out to others faced with snail warfare. Currently they require a €15 deposit for each duck and charge €10 per week rent (€30 per month). The business has proved to be very successful and some renters become so attached to their ducks that they adopt them permanently (following a suitable financial arrangement with the owners). For German readers the link to the original article is here.

Such industrious duck heroes deserve to have a piece of music dedicated to them. With this in mind you might like to hear my rendition of the TRANSFORMATES 變Anthem featuring Doris the Digital Duck on Vocals:

Bavarian Bio-Undies

Another interesting Bavarian business venture was mentioned in the Alpine Press this weekend. It featured a start-up venture created by Thomas Vatter und Marcus Faulwasser. These gentlemen prefer to wear bio-textiles but found it quite a challenge to find bio-undies which were not passion killers. Therefore they decided to design and market their own range of Passion promoting Bio-underwear for ladies, men and children.

I was particularly taken by the names they have given to their products. What lady could not resist putting on a pair of ‘Easy Emma‘ boy shorts or a ‘Steady Suzie‘ bikini slip. Likewise what fashion conscious bloke could say no to a pair of ‘Tight Tim‘ trunk shorts or in the boxer range he would have a choice between the free fitting ‘Loose Larry‘ shorts or the ‘Classy Claus‘ boxer briefs. The range is completed with the children’s ‘Naughty Nic‘ baby body. For environmentally conscious fashionable families the Naughty Nic range also coordinates with the parents undies.

Rather than steal their eco-undie pics you can take a look yourself at their website. The link is here and there is an English language option (no I am not on commission!). Interestingly they have named the company after one of the founders “Vatter” which when pronounced in English comes out as “Fatter” – no doubt they intend to be fully inclusive when it comes to larger eco-customers. Actually if they had named the company after the other founder (Marcus Faulwasser) I suspect this could have proved challenging in the German market. ‘Faulwasser‘ translates roughly as ‘Putrid Water‘ and somehow I couldn’t imagine the discerning German customer wanting to buy their eco panties with the words ‘Putrid Water’ on the waste band! The link to the original German article is here.

As pictured above I certainly know of one one sports celebrity who will be keen to pose in a pair of ‘Tight Tim’ trunk shorts. If you have missed his musical debut here is the song dedicated to Lycra Larry‘s unfortunate ‘exposure‘ incident:

Well I think that is enough environmentally friendly news for this week. As it’s still raining I think I had better get back to composing some more hits for the TRANSFORMATES 變 Music Project. I just need to finish one more Baroque Interpretation to complete the next album. Hopefully I will be able to share this track with you in the next blog.

Remember now – Bio does not need to be at the expense of passion!

Chris Duggleby

Time for the ducks to take a bow……

If you would like to get a sneak preview of the other tracks on my forthcoming ‘Baroque Interpretations’ album why not take a look at the play list below….

• The German supermarket chain Aldi is giving the likes of Tesco and Morrison’s a tough time in the UK but they have recently had some serious problems of their own in their home country following the discovery by authorities of highly contagious norovirus in Aldi frozen strawberries.
• In Bavaria a moose has been spotted for the first time posing for a selfie in the state’s national forest (see picture…).
• English troops overseas forced to eat dead horses and drink water from puddles (sanctioned by the House of Lords). Details below…

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

 

Lord Willoughby’s Battlefield Leadership Skills

Let’s start with the troops eating horse meat and drinking puddle water. For those who are unfamilliar with Peregrine Bertie the 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (1555-1601) here is a picture of this handsome chap:

He was so popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) that a ballad praising his exploits in the battlefield circulated throughout England. I think we can consider this to be one of the first national UK pop songs. The ballad “My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home” is rather long but here are a couple of extracts:

The fifteenth day of July, with glist’ning speare & shield,

A famous fight in Flanders was foughten in the field:

The most couragious officers were the English captains three,

But the bravest in the Battel was brave Lord Willoughby.

His ability to motivate his troops to eat their horses and drink water from puddles was particularly impressive:

For seven hours in all mens view the fight endured sore,

Until our men so feeble grew that they could fight no more,

And them upon dead horses full savourly they eat

And drank the puddle water, they could no better get.

At about the same time Elizabethan England had another celebrity named John Dowland (1563-1626). He was a very accomplished Lute player and singer and therefore the renaissance equivalent of today’s most famous rock guitarists/vocalists.

Although Dowland was a gifted player and composer of the Lute he was also very active oversees working as a court musician in Denmark and later back in England (under James I). Whilst working in Paris for England’s Ambassador to the French Court he converted to Catholicism and his income was, for that period, so astronomical that it is almost certain that he was engaged in international espionage. Try to imagine a cross between Eric Clapton and James Bond! Even Queen Elizabeth I remarked of Dowland that he “was a man to serve any prince in the world, but was an obstinate Papist.”

Inspired by the ballad “My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home” Dowland composed a beautiful lute duet. I have taken the original music and rearranged it to be performed by the TRANSFORMATES 變 Synthesizer Ensemble (part of the TRANSFORMATES 變 Music Project). Why not click on the video below to listen to this and watch the accompanying video (hot off the press from the V&LIUMM Alpine Studios)? As the synthesizer ensemble joins in don’t forget – this piece was written over 400 years ago!

With this soothing renaissance music playing in the background let me now explain about those noroviruses found in Aldi strawberries and the sighting of Bavaria’s first posing moose. In the next couple of weeks I will add an article to the Transformates 變 own website (link here) which will provide you with much more information about the fascinating lives and adventures of both John Dowland and Lord Willoughby (including the full text of the ballad about Lord Willoughby’s battle prowess).

Moose Caught Posing in Bavaria

Regular visitors to my website will know I like to keep non-German readers updated on the latest developments coming out of the German language press. In particular I try to give prominence to news items that we do not get to see in the international press. Well the posing moose is just such an item. Here is the selfie!

There have been earlier reports of sightings of moose in Bavaria but this is the first time that one has actually been captured on camera. It is believed that the young male animal came over from the border from the neighbouring Czech Republic and unless some lady moose also crosses the border into Bavaria it will have to return home in order to mate. The animal was captured with a forestry monitoring camera set to automatically take photos of (suitably posing) wildlife. So for readers who have not yet visited the beautiful Bavarian countryside here is another reason to come – and bring your camera. Next time he comes he may be fully grown:

..and perhaps even bring his wife with him?

German Aldi Strawberry Investigation

If you have never had a Norovirus infection consider yourself lucky – I picked it up during a business trip to Spain a few years ago. The combination of stomach cramps, general pains, fever, weakness and the tendency to throw up at very little notice made it one of the worst illnesses I have had to endure. The virus is extremely infectious and there are many strains so even if you develop immunity to one you could quite possibly find yourself on your back again when the next wave of suffering comes to your neighbourhood. Since it is a virus infection antibiotics are useless – you can merely try to mitigate the symptoms, take care of yourself and hope it passes quickly (with me it took over a week to get over the worst). The illness left a lasting impression on me because I was just about to hand in my boarding pass to board a plane to the UK from Spain when I had to immediately run to the nearest rest room and empty the contents of my stomach into a convenient lavatory bowl.

Early in my career I had the good fortune to study virology when I was working towards by first degree in the Manchester medical school. As a result I have always had an interest in news about viruses and this probably explains why an article in the German press about the discovery of Noroviruses in Aldi strawberries caught my eye.

Unlike the home grow strawberries in the picture above those investigated in Aldi stores by the German Health Officials were deep frozen. They were part of a 25 tonne lot imported from Egypt. Specifically stores in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt where involved and Aldi has immediately withdrawn the products and offered a refund to customers having already purchased the products. Packs of strawberries and of mixed berries were involved. They were sold under the trade mark “Golden Fruit” and imported by the company Frost Import GmbH – the batches involved had sell-by dates of 28.4.2017 and 5.5.2017.

Fortunately the German Authorities are quite vigilant in their random spot checks on the quality of food sold in German supermarkets. You can actually get the official information from a Government website – Lebelsmittelwarnung.de (Translation: ‘food products warning‘). If you would like to take a look at the official warning for this incident the link is here. It might be worth checking whether the safety checks practised in your own country are sufficient to pick up such contamination. Fortunately the management of Aldi Nord in Germany responded very quickly once the authorities advised them of their discovery.

So that’s all for this week – a rather varied bag ranging from an Elizabethan James Bond, a posing moose and strawberries that make you vomit. If you want to be kept informed why not add your name to the subscriber list?

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Chris Duggleby

Chris Duggleby started his scientific career in the Bacteriology and Virology department based in the Manchester Medical School. From there he went on to spend over 35 years in the chemicals and oil industry which included setting up a polymers research and development group in Geneva, Switzerland. Following an MBA at Warwick University he went on to lead a number of international manufacturing and marketing operations in the Chemicals, Plastics and Oil industries. He has lived and worked in the several countries including UK, USA, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Russia and China. More recently he was invited to take on a senior leadership position in the Audit Department of one of the Worlds largest oil groups. Here he used his global change and risk management experience to help the group through a major environmental disaster. He has now retired to focus on writing about risk management and producing music in his studios near London, in the Alps and Cape Town.

If you found this article interesting why not try the following?

31st May 2015: German Concern about Potentially Carcinogenic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Cosmetics

11th May 2014: Product Development Risk: Poisons in Vehicle Fires – New Air Conditioning Coolant Gas Produces Carbonyl Difluoride (Highly Toxic – Related to WW1 Gas Phosgene) in Vehicle Fires

16th April 2014: Ethical Pricing: Withdrawing cancer drugs to make more money in other applications Same Drug – For Leukaemia 21 Euro (Now Withdrawn) – For Multiple Sclerosis 888 Euro

6th April 2014: Product Quality Risk: Carcinogens in Footwear Shoes Sold On-line By Zalando Recalled Due To Chromium 6 Contamination – Known Allergen And Carcinogen

Pandemic Risk Management Article by Chris Duggleby (February 2012) (or ‘How to Prepare for the Consequences of Microbial Sex!‘)

More RISK ARTICLES can be found by checking out the list on the page here.

If you fancy reading some of my more humorous reports why not check out the list on my Alpine Press page which can be found here.

Have you checked out my other interpretations of baroque musical masterpieces using contemporary instruments? If not try the play list below (it is of course free!):

More information on my music production activities can be found on theTRANSFORMATES 變 Music Project website via the link here.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

Bavarian Beavers Bite Bathers Bottoms – It’s not every week that I get a chance to practice my alliteration skills but then again it is not every week that a bather gets bitten near his nether regions while swimming in one of Bavaria’s beautiful lakes. Especially when the creature doing the biting is a ‘protected’ beaver.

The area in question is the Bavarian region of Stockdorf. Specifically a very pretty and well loved bathing and relaxation area about 100 meters south of the Grubmühler Wehrs (Grubmühler weir). At 7:15 p.m. on June 3rd a 26 year old youth cycled to this pleasant spot with his girlfriend to do a spot of early evening summer bathing.

After about a minute in the water he felt something on the surface which he thought was probably a tree branch. Just as he tried to move out of the way he felt a very sharp pain and shortly afterwards noticed a 60 cm long beaver diving next to him. The beaver simply swam beside him and looked the bather straight in the eyes for about 5 seconds.

Only when the young man returned to the shore did he notice that there was a blood stain on his shorts. He had acquired a 3 cm deep, 4 cm wide wound near his bottom which needed treating in the local hospital in Starnberg. If you think this amount of damage is slightly exaggerated take a look at what the average beaver can do to 25 cm (10 inch) thick trees.

However this bather was relatively lucky. Those of us who go bathing regularly in Bavaria will be well aware of the large number of local FKK bathers (Frei Körper Kultur or Free Body Culture is the German term for nude bathing). If you are in doubt of this take a walk through the English Garden in the middle of Munich on a warm summers day. Nudity is part of the culture here just like the white sausage (Weißwurst) and pretzel. Now imagine the potential damage a beaver could do if he got his teeth into a tasty morsel on the ‘opposite side’ of a bather’s bottom. Male genital mutilation is not a popular past-time even among Germany’s more adventurous FKK brethren.

The official responsible for beaver management in the South of Bavaria was quoted in the local press as saying that although generally beavers are peace loving animals they will stop at nothing to protect their new offspring when these are still so young that thay are unable to escape potential predators. This is the second ‘biting’ incident in the Grubmühler Feld area in recent weeks and it is recommended that people give the animals a wide berth.

Currently there are about 17000 Beavers in Bavaria and although they have been known to attack dogs this is the first year that people have been bitten. Although the beavers are a protected species the authorities do catch and destroy about 1200 a year. This is usually a last resort when the animals threaten technical facilities or cause serious damage to agricultural areas. Until now aggressive behaviour has not been a ground for ‘dealing with’ beavers although the situation is being carefully considered by the local officials.

If you are going bathing this summer then why not listen to some of my fun songs? If played loudly they are sure to discourage beavers from biting your sensitive parts. The link to my fun songs page is here.

If you do get bitten then try listening to the soothing tones of my baroque interpretations. The playlist is below (and of course it is free to all beaver fans):

There are also some more interesting articles to read in my Alpine Press section.

Enjoy your summer bathing and keep an eye open for cute but aggressive swimmers.

Chris Duggleby

How sure are you that the products you apply to care for your skin or lips are safe? This week there has been something of a furore in Germany due to the publication of a report about cosmetics containing mineral oil constituents. The research from a well respected foundation indicates that these products may contain potentially carcinogenic mineral oil based aromatic hydrocarbons. Have you recently checked the ingredients list of your favourite face cream or lip care product? More details below.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

In 1964 the German government set up the independent foundation ‘Stiftung Warentest’ to help consumers by providing impartial and objective information using scientifically based comparative investigations of goods and services. This week they published an investigation under the heading ‘Mineral Oils in Cosmetics: Critical Ingredients in Creams and Vaselines‘ (translated from the original German). In it they presented the results of tests on 25 selected cosmetics. All the products tested were found to contain what they describe as ‘critical substances‘ (kritischen Substanzen), some of which are believed to be potential carcinogens.

Specifically the investigation focused on the presence of Mineral Oil based Aromatic Hydrocarbons and concentrations upto 15000 times those normally measured in foodstuffs were measured. These cosmetic products may be used on the lips or skin and the take up of such substances into the human body and their effects are as yet uncertain.

It is not possible for me to go into all the details of this investigation in this short blog. However I am sure a number of visitors to ChrisDuggleby.com will be interested to learn more details about these German investigations and I have therefore included a special more detailed English report on my Risk Articles page. You can read that report by using the following link:

31st May 2015: German Concern about Potentially Carcinogenic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Cosmetics  

To get a flavour of the cosmetic brands involved (which included body lotions/oils/creams, products for babies, lips, hairstyling and vaselines) please take a look at the photographs on the link to the German article here. If you are particularly interested in one or more of the products in these pictures you might want to take a closer look at my English summary of the German research using the link above. Well established names like Nivea, Dove, Penaten, Bebe, Scholl, Blistex, Lobello, Satina, Schwarzkopf and Florena were evaluated.

Purcell – Amazing colours even at cold temperatures!

In addition to checking out the latest German research into cosmetics this week I also completed another track for my forthcoming album of contemporary interpretations of baroque masterpieces. This week’s contribution to the project was originally performed in the UK by it’s composer Henry Purcell in the early summer of 1691. Specifically my new arrangement was based on some incredible music from the Frost Scene of Purcell’s King Arthur Opera.

I will produce a more detailed description of the history behind this fascinating piece of music on the TRANSFORMATES.com website in the next couple of weeks. It is believed the work was inspired by the Frost Fairs on the Thames shortly before the music was written. When I  first heard it I thought ‘Wow he must have borrowed some bits from Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto’. Then I realized that Purcell wrote this piece about 30 years before Vivaldi penned his famous four seasons!

In my interpretation I have rearranged the classical string instruments to play in staccato in order to reflect the freezing scene intended as the backdrop to this part of the opera. I have also added a harpsichord to try and enhance the baroque feel. The TRANSFORMATES 變Digital Choir also played a role to try and recapture the atmosphere originally performed by a solo tenor voice (the ‘Cold Genius‘). Actually I was very tempted to have a go at this part myself but I have spared listeners the pain of having to endure my vocal performance in this version (but I might still have a go and add it to my ‘techno’ collection later in the year!). I have named the recording ‘What Power Art Thou….!‘ which is taken from the first words of the tenor part.

All of the above uses pretty much standard Baroque type instrumentation. To try and ‘transform’ the piece I then connected up my more contemporary instruments. Right from the beginning you will notice a synthesizer playing one of the main themes. Although a lot of modern musicians get the computer to do a lot of the fancy stuff I prefer to play the whole piece manually on the keyboard from beginning to end. This piece includes many complex key changes which proved a bit of a challenge for my rusty playing skills. In addition, in order to create the classical synthesizer modulation effect (the wah-wah sound) I needed to use my right hand to turn the various knobs. This meant playing the music with my left hand which is not really my best.

Anyway to cut a long story short it took nearly a hundred takes to get the synthesizer part to a place where I was satisfied. Fortunately the distorted electric guitar which comes in a little later (with the choir) only required about 50 attempts – again playing the whole piece from beginning to end – no cutting and pasting clips or using fancy loop technology here! Here is the finished product:

Once again I have tried to provide a little eye candy with some flashy visual graphics. If you haven’t clicked on the video yet here are some screen shots of the graphics to try and wet your appetite.

So that is all for this week. Keep in mind that if you intend to use some skin or lip care products you should check the ingredients to see whether they contain any mineral oils. Likewise if you intend to kiss someone already coated with a lip-care product – ask them if you can take a look at the ingredients list first (the same applies to any intimate contacts in which Vaseline might play a role – we don’t want you getting inappropriately contaminated).

Have a great week.

Chris Duggleby