Electric bikes for disabled riders…

Further to my original post on the subject of electric bikes for the disabled, I’m getting close to buying my electric bike.

Note that electric bikes are not made for disabled riders, but if you’re balance is OK and you’re otherwise capable, I see no reason why you shouldn’t give it a try (if you’re at all unsure of your balance, forget it). They’re way faster than scooters, for a start, but bear in mind, when going to the supermarket, you’ll probably need to use the store’s scooter.

My choice of machine has changed, and I’ve opted for the

Kikkoman is back!

Success! Kikkoman Soy Sauce is back in Sainsbury’s stores, so a big thank you to all those who clicked through to support Kikkoman from my original post and/or to complain directly to Sainsbury’s.

The dangers of aspirin are exaggerated…

The radio, this morning, was full of alarmist drivel about the dangers of aspirin for people who haven’t actually had a stroke or heart attack. This isn’t new, though, so why it’s surfaced now is beyond me. I wrote about it on September 1, when it was new.

Worth a read just to see what the real risk is.

Knock, Knock – who’s there?

“Spiritual healer” Joe Coleman’s visions of a Marian apparition on the exact spot, in the village of Knock, in County Mayo, Ireland, where villagers claimed they saw the Virgin Mary in 1879, have created what can best be described as an hysterical reaction  across the Catholic world.

Apparently  up to 10,000 fruitcakes pilgrims have descended upon Knock to see, according to Coleman, a vision appearing in a “dancing sun”. What? The sun – 93,000,000 miles away, and weighing roughly

Antibiotics – what’s a course?

This has popped up in my search engine list – “search list of one day course of antibiotics”.

One day is not a course, not in any meaning of the word. When I was younger a course was 14 days. Now, thanks to the interference of NICE, you’re doing well if you get 7 days, and then only after a sputum test. NICE are currently looking at reducing that by 50%. If they get their way, people will surely

The theft of DLA?

The government apparently has plans to steal – there is no better word for it – the DLA of over-65s and plough it into a proposed National Care Service.

http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/execsum/comment-page-53/#comment-6219

How that can possibly be legal when the bulk of DLA is paid, for most people, for MOBILITY – for help with getting around, to use the official description – I’ve no idea, but the whole idea of shovelling the DLA of over-65’s into the NCS is pure lunacy.

It’s not even logical. If

The lunatics are running the asylum…

In the Guardian, Jenni Russell writes about the plights of two teachers who wound up in court because, basically, pupils dishonestly accused them of assault. One was acquitted, one was found guilty by magistrates clearly in need of a reality check. Can’t say I’m too surprised, though.

I have one experience of the magistrates’ court – on a

The Times, fat people, and censorship…

India Knight, a Times columnist, has written an article berating fat people (ironic, given her own girth), especially those who have the temerity to complain of the prejudice, discrimination and abuse they experience. I won’t bore you with the whole, sorry, tirade – you can read it here should you wish to. In conclusion (more or less), she says this:-

“Abusing people is wrong, whether

When biscuits attack…

I have been made extremely ill by Sainsbury’s Digestive Biscuits.

I have just spent 5 days feeling dreadful, with acute gastric pain. It was somewhat amenable to antacids, though I thought I had food poisoning, as I also felt nauseous. In a nutshell, I felt as if I had a massive hangover, though I hadn’t been drinking.

I had, though, eaten nothing that could have caused food poisoning.

I looked at everything I’d eaten over than period, which wasn’t very much, and the only thing that wasn’t normal in my diet was

More Windows 7 thoughts…

According to PC World’s TV ad, Windows 7 makes laptop batteries last longer. That’s probably perfectly true – as long as you’re not actually doing anything with your laptop.

In my experience, what you do while on battery power governs how long it lasts – more than any other factor. Word-crunching