Positive Steps

As I was waiting in the chemist the other day I saw a leaflet entitled Positive Steps for you mental health. I took a copy of it and here are the pain points of their message ... worth working at:

1. be kind to yourself
2. prioritise
3. if possible, look on the bright side
4. maintain a healthy, balanced diet
5. enjoy some physical activity
6. learn a new skill or try a creative hobby
7. set realistic goals
8. try to see the funny side where possible
9. keep your mind busy
10. make a little time for yourself each day
11. learn to relax
12. take one day at a time
13. take time to reflect
14. keep in touch with friends and family
15. talk about things
16. don't be afraid to ask for help
17. remember you are not the only one

I thought that was a good list and worth applying and sticking to.

DW

Taxi Date and Time: top tip

My first top tip for a while.

When ordering a taxi by sms or email, don't forget to tell the taxi driver the date and time you'd like him to come and collect you.

DW

It Pays to Graduate

I will never agree with the British Government's decision to make tertiary education students pay for their degrees and diplomas but it is worth considering the chart in the Daily Chart series in the Economist that shows the effect of potential benefits of graduating at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education in various OECD countries.

Take a look here:

Many of the comments following the article are also worth a read.

DW

Microsoft Innovations Know no Bounds

You might have seen the new hotmail interface on the web, Outlook. It looks modern and like many innovations, it takes time to appreciate all of its improvements.

I wonder how shrewd this innovation will turn out to be, however? Using Outlook and an iPad, I clicked on New Message and entered a subject and my message. Then I clicked on To: to tell Outlook where I wanted my message to go. I clicked again. And again. In what must be some kind of revolutionary anti spamming invention, no messages can be sent because no address can be entered.

I thought I'd cracked the system by clicking Add CC and BCC ... WRONG! That didn't work either.

Gatesed again!

DW

The Thick of it ... Utter Tripe!

For the first time the other night, I watched an episode of The Thick of it! I had heard that it was brilliant and true to life ... I found it utter tripe.

Then I heard the author, Dr Ianucci (sp?), say on the radio that he believes the programme is very true to life. I don't think so.

Yes, there are smarmy politicians. Yes, there are smart Alek politicians and civil servants. Yes, yes, yes; but these people were beyond caricatures in my opinion.

Lots of F word swearing too: not unrealistic but not needed.

I will not be watching this tripe again.

DW

Last Night of the Proms

It's on now ... they just sang You'll Never Walk Alone and that was great!

Land of Hope and Glory

Rule Britannia

Jerusalem

Back to normal this year. I don't think anywhere else on earth does such a thing do they?

DW

Golden Hannah's Tribute

Here's the gold post box outside Halifax Town Hall in honour of Hannah Cockroft's gold medal at the Paralympics. Look at the arty composition too!!

DW

A DIFFERENT BlackBerry!

Here is my new blackberry time!

DW

Perfect Home Made Bread

By accident I found a bread making tip that made me happy.

Using the same recipe as before and the same ingredients, I added SLIGHTLY too much water to my last batch of bread. I then added a LITTLE bit if extra flour to take the stickiness away. I ended up with the most fantastic dough and the resulting loaf and buns were the best bread I have ever made.

Can I replicate that?

DW

Gibb Lane is TOUGH

As part of my keep fit for life campaign I walk up Gibb Lane for lung busting exercise and it's tough going.

Up until yesterday I used to zig zag my way up it but yesterday I wanted to go straight at it and did it.

I felt happy to have done it. When I finished my walk and hit back home though, my legs were a but jelly like!

Keeping fit is a full time job and although this is my fourth good outing in six days, we have to keep on top of our fitness as we get older.

Young people can slouch around and then go and do something ... not the more mature types!

Take a look at an Ordnance Survey map to see why I think Gibb Lane is so tough!

DW

Another Moon Cake

Here's moon cake two from Malaysia: green tea with kidney bean and green bean paste. It's really good.

DW

Moon Cakes

My good friend in Malaysia sent me two Moon Cakes and I have opened and started eating one of them. It is excellent. Truly excellent.

This is why moon cakes exist: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooncake

This is a Lotus Paste cake and this is what it looks like:

DW

Livestock ... Dead!

My hallways seems to be a passage way, or is it rite of passage, for certain livestock.

Flies and spiders are always with us and there are a few spiders in residence in my hall.

Two weeks ago I found a dead common black beetle followed a day later by a live one: I guessed they had had a fight as the dead one did seem to be a little bit injured. Little bit for me, massive for it!

Every now and again some worms appear ... and all they do there is die. There are two there at the moment ... see one of them below.

Most surprising of all, however, is the other creature that seems to have died, stuck half way up the wall. It appeared over night. I would have noticed it before. Take a look at it, below, too. Notice the things that are stuck to it! Has it choked to death on the feathers or something? I think, though, that the feathers are stuck to its rear end!

DW

Just Love Home Made Bread

These are BIG but they are fresh and smell delicious! Made by yours truly!

DW

Another Power Cut

Since the power cut on Thursday I received two text messages and a phone call from the power grid company. Reassurances ... we are very sorry ... don't hesitate to let us know if this happens again ...

About an hour after the phone call, on Saturday, we had another cut: 90 minutes this time. When it came back this time, it was on, off, on off on off, then on. It's as if they are trying to blow our fuses!

I wonder if these people would pay if they fried any of my things.

DW

Here Kitty, Kitty!

The big story in Essex yesterday was that there was a Lion roaming the streets. Police caution, animal experts involved ... all due precautions in place. Better to be safe than sorry.

This morning I saw the photo that was at the heart of the search and my only and immediate reaction was, here kitty, kitty! I don't have a link to the photo but if you see it you might be struck by the position and shape of the ears. Ears almost on the top of the head and very pointed.

I took a look at a wide range of photos of Lions: male, female and cubs; and not a pointy ear among them.

One if those interviewed over this story also said they heard a big roar ... more likely to be an ear wax problem, I think!

Meow!

DW

Third World Rides Again

Less than two weeks ago I reported that I had had a power cut. Since I haven't spent more than three weeks at any one time in this house before, it's revealing to see how inferior the services are in some parts of this country.

The power has gone again.

My broadband service is among the worst in the UK. I know that almost every time I return from a trip away there has been a power cut of some duration. Now I am getting to experience them.

The big problem with power cuts is that they just happen. When the power goes, who can predict what might be broken by any on/off surge?

I have recently installed an NAS server drive and of course, when the power goes, that and the router it is connected to goes.

This morning I was in the middle of a Mac Time Machine back up that has now been ruined and no doubt will have to be started again. That back up takes around 24 hours to complete.

Rubbish services.

DW

Death by Fat

I have been sceptical of Heston Blumenthal ever since I heard about his wacky snot porridge and things. Yes, he has won three Michelin stars but testicle pie does not do anything for me.

Then again, I have never seen him cooking before ... until today. I have to say I was right about him.

He was demonstrating roasting chicken and potatoes in the programme I watched. The admirable thing about him is that he is very methodical and at worst pseudo scientific. He tested six chickens to find the best. He tested five varieties to find the best. He cooked the potatoes in salted water and another lot in unsalted water ... we could see the results.

What marks this man out as very dangerous is that he uses and abuses a LOT of oil, butter and other fats. He uses alarming amounts of salt.

I should also say, I can cook a chicken that has the meat very moist and the skin brown and crispy and it doesn't take five hours to cook, or anything like it either.

He cooked carrots and broccoli in this programme: carrots fried in butter. Broccoli blanched for a minute and then cooked in butter.

He finishes the chicken off by injecting butter under the skin of his roasted chicken.

I don't rate this way of cooking and even though his Fat Duck restaurant loses money, he clearly makes a lot of money from his wacky image and pseudo scientific tomfoolery.

DW

Cultural Day

I came across a performance of The Gondoliers on the telly this afternoon and was able to watch the first act of that: very enjoyable too.

At the moment I am watching Dvorak's New World symphony being performed at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. Very nice to see and hear.

DW

It Arrived: my Excel Book

Here is the proof copy of my Excel book. 585 pages :)

I will post the link to the eshop within a couple of days.

Duncan Williamson