I Don’t Drink Enough
Sometimes research gives you a lift.
Spanish research has now shown that drinking a bottle of wine a day is good for your heart. It’s published in the magazine, Heart, so it’s probably been peer-reviewed.
I’ll drink to that!
But on the other hand if I drunk that much every day, I’d never get any work done!
Sophia Loren Looking Good
I just had to link to this article about Sophia Loren in the Daily Mail.
She’s looking very good at 75.
Aspall Cyder in Greene King Pubs
My local pubs, which are Greene King, have now started serving Aspall Cyder on draught. I’m not sure whether this is Greene King policy, but I suspect that as Aspall is a Suffolk brand and we tend to be parochial, you can’t sell Strongbow against a proper local cyder. So I suspect that Greene King have had to allow their landlords to stock a rival product, as Aspall is distributed by Adnams.
If you haven’t tried it yet, draught Aspall Cyder has made me forget all about trying to find any decent gluten-free beer.
Power to the Computer Programmer
I’m impressed by the article in The Times about the new scanner at the London Chest Hospital. The cost of each scan is around £500 which might seem a lot, but if it can detect a problem that saves a life, it’s peanuts! Incidentally, in its previous incarnation, this hospital was Bart’s, who did a wonderful job on my mother-in-law. And did it twice!
I’m also pleased that the next scanner goes in at my local hospital, Addenbrooke’s.
We will be seeing a lot more devices like this. Some will be big and massively expensive and will be limited to regional centres like Addenbrooke’s. I’d always prefer to travel to get the best treatment.
But think next time you are in the GP’s surgery. He, or in my case she, has massive levels of computing power on their desk. Could we not see equipment plugged into the USB ports on their computer to scan for such things as skin cancer?
I’m too old at 62 to develop ideas like that, but I know there are programmers out there who can create applications like that. The rewards would be massive for worthwhile applications.
Go and create!
Depression and Processed Food
There is a serious report in The British Journal of Psychiatry linking levels of depression with processed food. They are not sure that there might be other factors involved, but the evidence is fairly clear of the link. As it is published in a peer-reviewed journal, everything is obviously scientifically-correct.
On the BBC web site there is an article with a video, where a guy describes how he cured his depression. Watch it! The first thing he says is that he cut out wheat!
Here’s what I said in a letter to the author of the study.
I was very interested to read the summary of your research and hear about it on the BBC this morning.
I used to suffer mild depression, despite being a very successful scientist and engineer, who created two multi-million pound companies. My diet was good, as my late wife tended to believe in proper cooking and we did eat quite a bit in very good restaurants. However, on trips to the US, I always felt worse and often came home early. Could this be because North America has wheat in everything and I was living on burgers?
But in 2003, I was diagnosed as a coeliac and went on a strict gluten-free diet. Since then I’ve really not suffered from that type of depression, although I’ve had to get over the death of my wife from cancer of the heart and my youngest son is now suffering from serious pancreatic cancer. I may be very unhappy and almost desperate at times, but I can talk my way through the problems and it is very different to the depression, I’ve had in the past.
So the question I have to ask, is the missing factor in your research gluten and sensitivity to it?
Only one in a hundred of the UK population are coeliacs, but I understand that your study used middle-aged people. I have a feeling, that many when they approach fifty could benefit by going on a gluten-free or low-gluten diet.
Keep up the good work.
I certainly would prefer to try a natural and balanced diet, than indulge in a few chemicals for depression.
Catch Them Young
The second story on BBC Breakfast News is about dealers selling cheap cigarettes out of tab-houses. It highlights how many of these cigarettes are sold to children. My friend in Addenbrooke’s is there because of a smoking related disease. And she started as a child, because the local newsagent would sell her cigarettes because that was one of the ways he could make a profit.
Unfortunately, we can’t sue him, as the shop is now shut and I have a feeling it shut because he got lung cancer. I could say that the newsagent got his just deserts, but I won’t, as nobody no matter how bad their crime deserves that.
But we must do more to stop this evil trade.
In the BBC report, they suggest higher punishments for those caught smuggling cigarettes. It probably wouldn’t work, but I’d get a lot of satisfaction to see smugglers getting banged up for a few years.
Bankers and Bonuses
Years ago, I was part of team that created a technology company. When we sold it, we went to enormous lengths to avoid paying tax as it was then 80%. If you increase taxes then companies like this will set up in more favourable regimes and the loss of employment from these sectors will be great.
After all, I live near Cambridge and they’ve just announced a £900 million investment in research and facilities at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Some of those researchers will make a very large sum of money, but they will save a large number of lives and improve all out lot significantly.
So do we have one set of morals for bankers and accountants and another for scientists, doctors and engineers? Judging by the fact that crap like X-Factor is bread and circuses to most of the population, it would appear that reality TV stars rate a lot higher, than both groups. No-one complains when some Z-list celebrity gets a drug addiction. They just feel sorry for them!
You can’t tax bankers without taxing others who risk everything to create world-changing companies and ideas. And dare I say it the jobs we need for the future.
Free Hospital Car Parking
I’ve been visiting my friend in Addenbrooke’s a lot and the car parking is expensive. But at least I have a space to put my car. Even if sometime the charges are a bit weird. For instance, each visit on a Sunday costs three pounds no matter how long you stay! But if I have two short visit on a weekday, they are only £1.80.
Apparently, now in Scotland, the policy of free car parking is causing problems, as everybody drives and there is no money for more car parks.
I think years ago, when the parking was free at Addenbrooke’s people used to use the hospital car parks there and then go into town. So it may be a good idea to have free hospital car parking, but it is one of these things that people will abuse.
View From a Hospital Window
This view was taken from my friend’s room in Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
View From Addenbrooke's
Despite the rumours, Cambridgeshire isn’t all flat!
Notice too, the apostrophe!
The Power of Magnets
It may be simple in essence, but it does look that it might not be so simple to make work. On the other hand, if it does it could be a spectacular breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Effectively, you induce ferrous nanoparticles to lodge in the cancerous cells and then you blast them with a strong magnetic field. This raises their temperature and kills them.
For a more detailed (and better) explanation see The Times.
I do rather have this belief that the big breakthroughs in medicine in the future will come by combining the best of medicine, with the best of engineering, physics, chemistry and many more disciplines.
The Anonymous Widower 