Monday, September 01, 2008

If you have just killed your favourite plant and are finding it a little hard to cope there is no need to suffer on your own. There is help out there from the Royal Horticultural Society. They offer a service that can help those who are suffering from plant grief. They have a dedicated team who have studied bereavement counselling. They will try to help you determine why your plant has died and you can even send them a sample to help determine the cause of death. According to an expert "That can help them reach the final stage  -  acceptance  -  and then they can move on." Apparently many of the people that use the service treat their plants like their family and these cases of plant grief are becoming more common.

posted on Monday, September 01, 2008 12:08:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback
 Sunday, August 31, 2008

I still don't know what bit me last weekend but the good news is that the rash has nearly gone and so has most of the swelling. Whilst this bite was different to the usual mosquito bites that I suffer from on a regular basis, it still seems to respond to the same treatment. Generally I find the best thing to is to open up the bite wound every evening and squeeze out as much of the pus as possible. Whilst this does really hurt, in my experience getting rid of the poison helps the bite to heal more quickly. It also seems to reduce the infection making the bite feel less hot and reducing the itching sensation. In combination with this I also find that using tea tree oil or a bite cream that includes tea tree overnight  tends to work quite well. Saying that the best thing to do is try to prevent getting bitten in the first place. Whilst I never know when the critters are going to get me at home, when going abroad I take a course of garlic tablets. These are available from most health food shops and I find taking them for a couple of weeks before you go abroad and whilst you are away does cut the amount of bites I receive, although some of the more determined insects will still get you.

posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008 9:46:30 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [1] Trackback
 Saturday, August 30, 2008

This article suggests that people who regularly enjoy a fry-up or the traditional English breakfast could have a 63% higher risk of bowel cancer. Researchers have warned that processed meat such as sausages and bacon increase the risk of bowel cancer as well as being fatty and high in cholesterol. The good news, however, is that it only seems to have a damaging effect if you eat it on a regular basis with the risk getting higher the more you eat. I think I can probably still justify having a cooked breakfast a couple of times a month especially if I combine it with exercise.

posted on Saturday, August 30, 2008 7:51:41 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback

Two delivery men definitely experienced that sinking feeling after sinking a £200,000 boat. The men were delivering the boat called the Sealine from Southampton to Ireland when the accident happened. They had stopped to refuel the boat but crashed it after hitting sharp rocks. The men both managed to get to safety on nearby rocks but the boat sank with a split hull and was abandoned to the sea. The men later took the bus home, I'm guessing they had a fair amount of explaining to do.

posted on Saturday, August 30, 2008 7:50:26 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback
 Friday, August 29, 2008

I have seen many articles about weird and wonderful sports, however, this is the first time I have come across bog snorkelling. Apparently there is even a championship devoted to the sport. It was held last Monday in Wales and 170 people took part. The sport itself involves dressing up in a snorkel and flippers with fancy dress being optional. The competitors then have to swim 120 years in a peat bog. Some of the competitors took part wearing pyjamas and one with an ironing board strapped to his back. The record time for completing the event is 35 seconds.

posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 8:17:23 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback

article-0-02475EF300000578-907_468x286_popup This is the Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car that can reach speeds of 125mph. The car is powered by an 185kw electric motor and batteries in its boot. Despite being virtually silent it is meant to provide the performance you would expect from a sports car. The car takes 3 hours to charge and can manage 220 miles on each charge. It costs £92,000 and I think its quite sexy for an electric car.

posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 8:15:41 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback
 Thursday, August 28, 2008

This is interesting, its a pillow that researchers claim can help reduce wrinkles. The pillow has a copper oxide case and is designed to help reduce lines and crow's feet. In tests people who used it for four weeks had fewer wrinkles and lines than those who used a conventional pillow. Apparently moisture from the skin releases copper ions from the pillow case which stimulate the production of collagen below the surface of the skin. If you want one, you may have to wait, however, they are currently not available in the UK.

posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008 7:28:59 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback
 Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I have a very swollen foot where something has bitten me. It started at the weekend when I noticed a small black beetle type creature on my ankle. At the time, I just brushed it off and thought little more of it. Now, however my whole foot is swollen and is covered by a very itchy and painful rash which surrounds a single puncture wound on my ankle. I'm not entirely sure what the creature was that bit me, but this is a different type of insect to the normal ones I have. It seems to be more painful and it is taking longer for the swelling to go down. Do you think you know what it was that bit me, if so let me know here?

posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 7:38:13 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback
 Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Two researchers that thought they had found proof of the existence of Bigfoot had in fact found a large gorilla suit. The researchers had said in a news conference that they had found remains of a creature in the North Georgia mountains. At first they thought they had found Bigfoot but as they thawed the remains it emerged that they were actually made of rubber. Since the discovery the two researchers have reportedly not been answering their phones but their answering machine message does ask people to call if they have seen any leprechauns, the Loch Ness Monster, big cats or dinosaurs.

posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 11:30:15 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback

An Italian priest is holding a beauty contest which is only open to nuns. He is expecting around 1,000 nuns to enter the Sister Italia contest. Unlike conventional beauty contests the nuns will not wear swimsuits or revealing outfits, instead they will able to choose whether to appear in their full habit and veil or to let their hair down. The contest will include an written account about the nuns life, personality and daily activities and the judges will be looking for someone with inner beauty.

posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 11:14:29 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback
 Monday, August 25, 2008

I took this picture of Willow and Oscar the other day. They look very cute now curled up together but they don't usually tolerate each other for long and it normally ends in a fight for control of the bean bag.


posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 2:16:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Comments [0] Trackback