Digital Rectal Massage
According to QI, this is a cure for hiccups. I didn’t believe them, but I found this on the New Scientist‘s web site.
So next time you have hiccups, you can either try this or that other favourite remedy of drinking a pint of beer from the other side of the glass!
My Gluten-Free Diet
I think it is true to say that as time has gone on, I’ve cut out more and more manufactured gluten-free foods.
Take tonight after a trip to London to look over my new house, I needed a quick supper, so I warmed through a Moroccan chicken casserole and cooked some rice. None of the ingredients are specifically processed to be gluten-free and most of the basic ingredients can be obtained in most good food stores. So I did use rice. chicken and apricots that were organic from Waitrose, but that has nothing to do with being a coeliac.
I got to thinking today, about obtaining my gluten-free supplies, when I move. The nearest shops to where I will be living are in Kingsland Road in Dalston.
So what specific gluten-free food do I buy?
- Genius bread
- Greens gluten-free beer.
- Doves farm pasta and flour.
- Waitrose gluten-free cakes and biscuits.
- Life free-from Worcester sauce.
I suppose you can include St. Helen’s Farm goats milk and yoghurt, Wilkins jams, marmalades and tomato sauce, and Aspall cyder, but these are a matter of personal taste rather than a strict diet.
In a quick recce of Sainsburys in the Kingsland Road, I found that they had a free-from section, that was even selling the Greens beer, which is something my local one in Haverhill doesn’t. So for some products, I may need to go on an expedition to Waitrose in the Holloway Road or at the Angel, but it will be nice to have some basic products within ten minutes walk. I haven’t lived close to a supermarket, since we lived in St. John’s Wood in the early 1970s. Although we were close to Whitecross Street Market when we lived in the Barbican.
Farewell Bernard Matthews
It has been announced today that Bernard Matthews has died at the age of 80 on Thanksgiving Day. Rather appropriate in that his company is one of the largest producers of turkeys in Europe. I think it is true to say, that we’ll never see another like him, which is a pity! His company may have sold the infamous turkey twizzlers, but that is more than offset many times by his charity work.
Kodama Chemical Industry
I haven’t seen one of these for some time and this new one uses a Japanese company as the bait.
But it’s still a fraud.
Kodama Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
1-12,Ueno 1-chome,
Taito Ku,Tokyo,
Japan 110-8508
This mail is serving as an invitation to treat with the above named company.
Our company was established in March 8, 1946. Over the years we have accumulated invaluable experience in our business and we are proud to claim we are second to none.Due to the increase in demand of our products in America, United Kingdom and Canada. We have decided to move our products fully into the continent of America, United Kingdom and canada. By so doing,we are searching for reliable persons/companies who can act as a RECEIVING PAYMENTS AGENT who will act as medium of reach between our customers and us in their area of locality.
Note that, if finally aprroved as our Representative, you are entitled to Salary of $5000.00USD and 10% of whatever amount you receive from customers who aremaking payments for outstanding invoices on behalf of the company. Our account officer in Japan will convey to you the medium which you will use to remit any funds received on our behalf.If you are interested in being a REPRESENTATIVE AGENT in the above location and your locality, please send the following information via email to: E-mail:
contct_ssusumuakuwa1946@hotmail.com
Please also let us know the best time to reach you on phone especially as we have a different time. Thank you for your time.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
MR. SUSUMU UKAWA
PRESIDENT- Kodama Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
So use the Delete key every time you see one of these.
It should be noted that there does appear to be a real and totally legimate company of the same name in Japan.
The Unusual Art Collector
I like art and have a few paintings, but quite frankly there are only two that I treasure. They are drawings and were both done by my uncle Leslie. I think one is my mother as a child and the other is his wife, who was also my mother’s and his first cousin. That doesn’t happen now, but two of my mother’s brothers married cousins.
But all the rest is for sale at the right price.
Last night though they told the story on The Culture Show of Tom Alexander, who was a shopkeeper on the Isle of Arran. He got a payment of £40 each year as a reservist and spent it on a painting of the day. He purchased a Lowry and a Hepworth to name but two. There has just been an exhibition in Edinburgh and it is described here.
Talk about a canny Scot!
The Anonymous Widower 