Subway Are Against The Tax On Toasted Sandwiches
Surprise! Surprise!
I saw this in the window of the Subway next door to the Harris and Hoole in Southgate.
Toast The Tax
I can understand their corporate anger, but it still doesn’t get round the fact, that their shops have nothing to offer a coeliac like me.
So how about a gluten tax, based on the amount of poison in the product? Or even just a simple bread tax? The latter would only be applied to non-real bread of course.
The Red Sock Code
This article is both tragic and sad, but funny and gives a good feeling.
So what’s wrong about bring ladies, or men for that matter, of easy virtue, into a care home to help with the caring?
Let’s Tax Fizzy Drinks!
There has been a call this morning, for a tax to be put on fizzy sugary drinks. It’s reported here on the BBC.
I would not be affected by such a tax, as I suppose the only high sugar drink, I take is the odd smoothie, when I need to take my pills out.
I did however chat to someone yesterday, who has retired from a job, where they looked after obesity and diabetes in the community. Judging by that pair of jobs, there is a serious connection between being overweight and getting diabetes.
So perhaps, it would be a good idea to try to cut down on all that sugar! On the other hand, we perhaps shouldn’t go for artificial sweeteners, as many like the outspoken, DogtorJ, believe them to be a problem. He incidentally is a vet, who is a coeliac, and has come to some interesting research-based conclusions.
I doubt we’ll ever see a tax on fizzy drinks, as the industry wouldn’t allow it and I suspect, it would be a vote loser.
Deaths From Asthma
The previous post on asthma got me thinking, so I looked up if there was a site, that gave asthma deaths by country.
There is and it’s here.
The site is interesting , as it gives an awful lot of ways you can die. just select and click go.
For example, one of the sections is falling from trees. No-one actually died that way in the statistics they show.
Smoking Bans Lead To Fall In Asthma
This report on the BBC, says there is a link between the smoking ban and a drop in the number of children admitted to hospital with asthma. Here’s a relevant paragraph.
We increasingly think it’s because people are adopting smoke-free homes when these smoke-free laws are introduced and this is because they see the benefits of smoke-free laws in public places such as restaurants and they increasingly want to adopt them in their home.
I also think, that children are also badgering their parents not to smoke.
When we were developing the metered dose inhaler for drugs, like those for asthma, I came across some research that showed any naked flame in the house increased the oxides of nitrogen in the air, that might be causing asthma. This page from the US EPA outlines the problem and gives advice.
So I would never have a gas cooker or fire in my house. There was one when I bought this house, but I sold it.
Breaking Bad News WIth Style And Dignity
The Reverend John Graham is one of Britain’s leading crossword puzzle setters. As reported on the BBC web site, he used one of his own puzzles to announce that he is dying of cancer.
What a dignified and stylish way to break bad news!
Am I Allergic To Coffee?
I’ve not been feeling well the last few days and it reminds me of a time about thirty years ago, when I thought I got a mouth infection from a dentist. I had a very sore mouth and ate fairly soft food for a couple of weeks. In the end, I think the doctor gave me some antibiotics to clear it up. At the time, I also found that coffee seemed to irritate my mouth, so for twenty years or so, I never drunk coffee, until I discovered cappuccino.
My mouth now feels the same and for the last two days, I’ve stayed off the coffee and I’ve just been drinking beer, cider, milk, water and tea.
It seems to be getting better.
It’s strange that this problem has returned, but I have moved to London in the last couple of years and it so easy to get a coffee.
Dyslexia
They were talking to Charlie Boorman on the radio this afternoon and dyslexia came up.
I was brought up in a letterpress print works, where of course all the letters are backwards.
An expert once told me that playing with these letters could have made me dyslexic.
It didn’t and even after a bad stroke, it all works reasonably well. I’ve met others, who have had a similar upbringing to me and it has enhanced rather than hindered the brain. For instance, I have a very powerful image mirroring ability.
The brain is a strange wonderful thing. Where would be without it?
A Victory For Patient Safety
I have followed the Ubani case for some years. I am glad to see he’s lost the case to clear his name.
Let’s hope he gives up and goes back to where he came from.
The outcome of this case and hopefully it’s the final one, gives me hope that in the end good law always triumphs.
A Proper Bath
Today, I had my first proper bath since I had my stroke. It was deep and I was able to dip my head under the water to wash my hair. I’ve never been brave enough to do it since I’ve moved. The previous bath was so dangerous, that one slip and I might have been a goner.
Now that bath is a Christmas present!
I was also able to get out of the bath and successfully take my INR. It’ll be interesting to see if the value changes after all those sprouts. Hopefully, I won’t have this guy‘s problem.
I also took the INR from my left hand, which is only the second time, I’ve done that! Perhaps the hand is getting better?
The Anonymous Widower 