Burglars Secret Code Messages

Police have issued a warning to homeowners claiming that burglars are using a code to target the rich and vulnerable.

Officers in Lanarkshire and West Yorkshire believe they have uncovered a series of coded chalk symbols on walls and pavements – dubbed the 'Da Pinchi Code' - which criminals are using to send secret messages to burglars.

A previous list of symbols was published by West Yorkshire Police’s Facebook page for Pontefract and Knottingley, urging residents to report any chalk signs. “If you see any unusual markings on your home, low rise walls, pavement, kerbs or bins, take a photo, remove them and contact us,” the message read.

News item, BTInternet 7 July 2015

Be a Money Expert

Top ten pieces of advice on money matters.

• A basic level of maths know-how is essential if you want to get the best deals, make sure you are not being ripped off, and at the very lest, divide up a restaurant bill fairly. And with calculator apps these days, there is no excuse.
• Stand on your own financial feet. Don't rely on your partner or spouse 100%. Even if they are the best at money management, it leaves you in a vulnerable position (e.g. post divorce or break up).
• Everyone needs an emergency fund that can be accessed at short notice and without exit penalties. You need a float of at least 3 months income. Set up a direct debit at the start of each month with all other key expenses. The fund will help at times of job loss, long term sickness or big reapair bill on house.
• Be sceptical. (1) Take advice from bank and building society with a pinch of salt - the staff are there to sell their financial products. Always do your own research. (2) Loyalty doesn't pay. Use insurance renewal reminders as a prompt to look at comparison sites to get the best deal. (3) For energy suppliers use cross compare on two comparion websites and make up your own mind who offeres the best deal.
• If you need help, ask. It's frighteningly easy to get into a financial mess. If this happens, don't agonise, just sort it out before it gets any worse. Ask a savvy friend or family member to sit down with you and help you focus. 
• There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you see a deal for a free gift or holiday, check the small print. You need to know what's in it for the company (there is always something) and ask 'how much is it really costing me?'
• Look after number one. You may be the one who manages everyone else (children, partners, friends, elderly parents) but make sure you never neglect your own financial health. (1) Save money for you - put as much as you can in a cash ISA as you will pay no tax on interest you earn. (2) Don't underestimate the importance of paying National Insurance contributions, whatever stage of life you are at. NI gives you certain benefits and the right to a state pension. If you take a career break or don't earn very much, find out about paying voluntary contributions. (3) Don't kid yourself your state pension will be enough for you to live off. Go to gov.uk/calculate-state-pension/ to see what you will get. Hard to think about saving for retirement? Imagine what life would be without your current salary. (4) Auto-enrolment in your company pension scheme is a no brainer. Your employer contributes as well as you (and your savings benefit from tax relief). If you decide to opt out, effectively you are losing money.
• Do yourself a favour. Teach your kids good money management as soon as they start getting pcoket money and don't stop until they leave home. They'll be more financially independent as adults.
• Find a good money mentor. Someone who is financially astute and can learn from.
• Pick your plastic. (1) If you struggle to clear your credit card each month, don't use one. Otherwise a growing chunk of your monthly income will be swallowed up in interest, which is a pointless use of your hard-earned cash. (2) If you always pay off your card at the end of the month, get one that gives you cashback on spending so you make a bit of extra money for the zero effort. (3) Even if you are not a fan of credit cards, it's worth having one to use when buying big items and spending online. This way you can keep an eye out for fraudulent activity and get protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (redress against the credit card company as well as the retailer if anything goes wrong).

Caroline Bloor in Good Housekeeping October 2014

Energy Guzzlers

Problem: The wind whistles through yourdraughty windows and doors
Action:  Budget, self-adhesive foam strips are the cheapest and easiest to apply (from just a few pounds). British versions cost around the £10 mark. Alternatively call in the professionals and expect to pay around £100.

Problem: You've hoarded dozens of old-style light bulbs and you're going to use them.
Action: An energy saving LED lightbulb lasts 25,000 hours. So based on average daily use, one bulb should last about 30 years.

Problem: At night you go to bed and leave the tv on standby.
Action: Mains controllers are available from hardware and electrical stores from around £15.

Problem: Your windows are single glazed.
Action: Go to the Glass and Glazing Federation website (ggf.org.uk) to find an approved fitter in your area.

Problem: The loft has ancient or even no insulation.
Action: Go for the recommended depth of 270mm for the best savings.

Problem: Your water tank shivers through lack of a jacket.
Action: Modern jackets fit easily on to water tanks and boilers. Make sure surrounding water pipes are also insulated.

Problem: Your boiler could die any moment now.
Action: Replacing an old G-rated boiler with a new A-rated condensing boiler and full heating controls can cut your heating bills by up to a quarter.

Problem: You've had all your appliances for longer than you can remember.
Action: From fridges to washing machines and vacuum cleaners, check a new appliance's energy label before you buy.

Problem: You've no idea what lies behind the walls of your home.
Action: Cavity wall insulation saves up to £140 a year, but older properties built before the 1920s with solid walls stand to make even bigger savings with solid wall insulation.

Problem: Your shower makes Niagara Falls look feeble.
Action: By reducing the water pressure and flow, an energy-efficient shower head would save the average family of four £75, plus a further £90 on bills if they have a water meter. Note that these cannot be fitted with electric showers.

Feature in Good Housekeeping, February 2015

Potassium

Potassium is a mineral rather than a vitamin but is important for good health. Eating foods rich in potassium will help cut your stroke risk. It's protective effect is thought to be linked to its blood pressure-lowering properties.

BUT If you have significant kidney problems or are on some blood pressure-lowering medications, too much potassium can be harmful, so check with your GP first if you are in one of these groups.

Top potassium sources include: baked potatoes, salmon, bananas, broccoli, milk, oranges, green beans, carrots and apples.

Good Housekeeping, January 2015

Slow Breath for Less Stress

Count how many breaths you take in a minute. If it's more than 16, you are a shallow breather and could be depriving yourself of oxygen and reducing you energy levels. Slow down and you'll become more resistant to stress.

Longer, slower breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, which means you are naturally more calm.

Bowen Technique practitioner Caroline Kremer (carolinekremer.com) has created Just Breathe, a technique to get you into the slow breathing habit. Take a normal breath, but when you exhale, make a 'sss' sound and keep going until your lungs are empty - when you feel like stopping, try to keep the 'sss' going a little lomger. You'll then automatically take a deep breath in. Repeat 10 times. Do it in the morning to feel energised all day.

Item in Good Housekeeping September 2014.

What Insurance Do You Need?

A quick run down on various types of insurance.

• Cars, vans and motorbikes must be insured. Beware of calling the insurer after a small scrape to see if if is worth claiming - it will put up your next premium whether you actually claim or not.
• Life insurance is only worth having if you have someone who is financially dependant on you. If you have children, then term assurance, which pays out if you die while they are in education, is good value. If you have a joint mortgage, insure both your lives so the debt is paid if either dies. Otherwise only insure your life if your death would cause a partner/family member financial hardship. Factor in what your pension scheme will pay.
• Income protection pays you if illness keeps you off work for a long time. Check how much and for how long it will pay out and factor in what your employer will pay. Don't confuse this with critical illness cover, which is generally worse value.
• Buildings cover is compulsory if you have a mortgage. If you own outright, it is a good idea as it is relatively cheap and protects against disaster. Usually it does not cover fences, sheds or garden items.
• Contents cover. Most people have elecronic devices, clothes, jewellery and possessions which would cost thousands of pounds to replace. So insuring new for old is a good idea. Make sure your home is kept secure and that the insurance still applies when you are out of the house or abroad. That can be the best way to insure mobile phones.
• Travel insurance is vital if you are going to countries where medical costs are highm such as the USA. Make sure it includes any sports you plan to do. Lost luggage and cancellations may be hard to claim for. An annual policy can be a good idea if you regularly take several foreign holidays a year.
• Most other insurance is very expensive for what it offers. Read terms and conditions carefully.

Paul Lewis's Your RT Money feature in Radio Times 21-27 March 2015

Build Confidence

We all have something we don't feel confident about - and every bit of low-esteem holds us back, especially in the workplace. And it's worse for women. Some of the obstacles are:

• Sexist cycle. The lack of female role models at senior levels exacerbates the perception among women that they are unlikely to make it to the top. The UK is in the bottom 5 economies when it comes to female chief executives, with only four in the whole list of FTSE 100 companies.
• Attainment vs potential. Research shows that while women are promoted for their potential with their past mistakes overlooked, women are promoted for what they have already achieved, and any imperfections on their CV won't be forgotten.
• Not as likely to give it a go. Men overestimate their ability while women underestimate theirs; women are therfore even less likely to attempt the task.
• Appearance vs ability. A survey by the Girl Guide Association found that 87% of young women felt they were judged on what they looked like, rather than what they can do.
• The brain. Many neurological studies show that the shape of a woman's brain and the way hormones are excreted mean she is more likely to worry, to be less emotionally resilient, to cling to negative experiences and to be less focused on winning and demonstrating prowess.

Linda Kelsey: You need to be seen doing something. Volunteer to take on tasks you may not be sure you can satisfactorily complete - you may do better than you think. Prepare for meetings and interviews in depth; work out how you can incorporate what you want to say even if you are not directly asked about something. Put a proper monetary value on your services. Dare to ask for more (it is a measure of your confidence); at worst you may not get it, but no-one will lose their respect for you if you put up a good case.

Ten ways to build confidence (Margaret McDonagh, General Secretary of the Labour Party)

1. Speak up early. If your fear is speaking up, force yourself to do it. If you make a bit of a mess of it, do it again. If you are going to a big meeting, plan to say something early on - don't wait until the end, because fear will increase. And find a buddy you agree with - you can support his or her point, and she or he can speak up for you.
2. Know yourself. Make a list of all the skills you need and rate your confidence level from 1 to 10. Where you have a low score, look for these qualities in your team. While caution may be perceived as a lack of confidence, it can be beneficial to organisations. Hedge funds run by women outperform those run by men.
3. Build your brand. Developing your 'brand' is key to moving up in an organisation. It's about how you stand, behave in meetings, manage your boss and, crucuially, knowing what you do well.
4. Ask for feedback. research shows managers are less likely to feed back to a woman (she might cry). Men are taken to one side for a quiet word and given the chance to learn from their mistakes. So just ask.
5. Create your own opportunities. If you can't change jobs, start volunteering - become a magistrate or school governor, teach kids sport, do an Open University degree -anything to build confidence.
6. Think far ahead. Research shows young women tend to think only about the current job, or one step ahead - they don't have a long term goal. Men do. You can only get somewhere if you know where you are going.
7. Get a sponsor. Women are over-mentored and under-sponsored. Sponsors will speak up for you in public, put you forward for new opportunities and stand by you. Half the women with a sponsor will ask for a rise; at senior level, men are 50% more likely to have a sponsor.
8. Move on. Women tend to be more loyal to their organisations than men, but often you have to move to get a more senior role.
9. Build emotional resilience. Don't try to protect your daughters - they have to be able to pick themselves up and keep going. They need to know that talent is not enough. Make sure they get a summer job that boosts their confidence in dealing with people.
10. Feel the fear and refuse to give in. Speaking up and being strong is much better than living in paralysing fear. Change happens because you make it happen. There is no natural evolution to equality - you need to fight for it, stand up for it, and make it happen.

Feature in Good Housekeeping October 2014

Screen Wallpapers

To find a more interesting computer desktop background try one of the following.

The Lifehacker website has what it calls Wallpaper Wednesday and draws together collections of wallpapers for you to download and make use of yourself. Try it out at http://lifehacker.com/tag/wallpaper-wednesday

Alternatively use a favourite search engine with a search phrase and 'wallpaper' (e.g. fish wallpaper) - this will find wallpapers for computers as well as material to paper your physical walls.

The easiest way to save an image that you find is to right click on it and choose 'Set as desktop background'.  Alternatively do a search in the search engine's image function, limiting the size of images to that or your monitor, download your image and then set it as your background.

Phil Bradley in CILIP Update September 2014

High Hedge Problems

Problem hedges continue to blight the lives of many people. In 2003, the Anti-Social Behaviour Act was amended to create new procedures (Part 8 of the Act) to enable local authorities in England (and Wales, though the situation in Wales is slightly different) to deal with complaints about high hedges. While a step forward, it has its flaws.

It is best if disputes can be settled between the parties concerned, but where negotiation fails, a complaint can be made to the local authority who can assess the case, acting as an independent third party. Unfortunately, councils will charge for this service and you (the 'victim') have to pay a fee just to make a complaint. Sounds unfair but that is the way it works. Fees are set locally and vary a great deal; some give discounts, others don't. So far there is no sign of any way to claim back the fee from the hedge owner either.

• It is not illegal (though in my view irresponsible) to plant leylandii.
• It is not illegal (again in my view irresponsible in the majority of cases) to have a hedge more than 2m high.

You can complain if:

• The hedge in question is a line of two or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs.
• That is over 2 metres high.
• The hedge acts to some degree as a barrier to light or access (the Act specifically excludes other issues such as problems caused by roots).
• Because of its height, it is adversely affecting the complainant's reasonable enjoyment of their domestic property (i.e. their home or garden).

The local authority will decide whether there is an adverse effect on the complainant. They may decide that despite an adverse effect, arguments in favour of retaining the hedge are stronger. If the complaint is upheld, they decide the action required to remedy the situation and to prevent it recurring, issuing a formal notice to the person responsible for the hedge - though this cannot involve removing the hedge or reducing its height below 2 m. The hedge owner is free to go further than the remedial notice requires. Both sides can appeal against a decision. Failure to comply is an offence; if convicted in a magistrates court, they could be fined.

The action decided on by the council may fall short of that desired due to a loophole in the wording of the Act, which prohibits requirement for removal. It is normally bad practice to cut trees back by more than one third in any year, and some people work on the assumption that the same is true for hedges, though this is not necessarily true. A government statement gave the view that legal advice was that ordering work that might result in the death of the hedge would be the same as ordering its removal, which is prohibited under the Act.

As my sources (listed below) are now several years old, it is best to check your local council website and to also search the Internet for further information, especially the Hedgeline website http://www.hedgeline.org/.

On a personal note I suffered this situation for several years before the Act was extended. The original neighbour planted a row of leylandii (far too close to the boundary so they always hung over the fence separating our gardens) but kept them trimmed to about 2m. The next owners let them grow but when they were blocking the light from the back of our house did allow us to pay for them to be trimmed back. While the next two sets of owners trimmed them occasionally when we asked them to, they gradually crept higher. The current neighbours cut them down the week after they moved in, without us asking. Brilliant! I immediately sent them a Thank You card.

Feature in West Wilts Matters, October 2005
Webpage: Problem Hedges - the Anti-Social Behavious Act 2003. http://naturenet.net/trees/highhedges.html

Shoe Heel Height

Every woman has her own perfect heel height, depending on the structure of her feet. If you take this into account when buying shoes, you can improve overall foot comfort considerably.

The feet have 28 bones each. Where the foot connects to the leg, there is one bone called the talus. Between this and the lower leg bone is a natural recess known as the sinus tarsi, which allows ankle flexibility. The size of the sinus tarsi varies from person to person and determines how much your ankle can move - and your ideal heel height.

For women with a moderate sinus tarsi recess, a 1in or 2in heel is best but others need a 3in heel to elevate the foot into an arched position. A heel of up to 4½in is fine; anything more than that is bad for your posture as it makes your bottom jut out and overloads the toes and balls of the feet. These heels can be worn for short periods only, and are made for limos, not for walking. Wearing the right height of heel will help ensure you place your foot on the ground correctly  -  good old-fashioned 'heel, ball, toe' action.

How to measure your perfect heel height

• Take off your shoes, sit on a chair and extend one leg straight in front of you.
• Where would your heel touch the ground? With your leg stretched out in front of you and the knee supported, make an imaginary line from the heel to the ground.
• If your foot is at a right angle to your outstretched leg and does not dangle, you have a low ankle-joint axis and will be more comfortable in flat shoes than in high heels.
• If your foot points down, you need to measure the distance between the top of your big toe and an imaginary line from the bottom of your heel. This is the right heel height for you. Measure it against your favourite shoes  -  the ones you swear you are most comfortable in, no matter how high or low. It is almost guaranteed the heel will match it.

16 Jan. 2010: feature by Emma Supple in the Daily Mail - this includes diagrams: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1243726/They-neednt-flat--Our-guide-to-ideal-heel.html#ixzz3W3o680xO

Also featured in the blog Alterations Needed: http://www.alterationsneeded.com/2015/03/how-to-measure-your-ideal-heel-height.html

Headache Soothers

Some drug-free ways to soothe a headache.

• A drop of lavender essential oil rubbed into your temples, or a cold compress of peppermint or lavender on your forehead or the back of the neck can relieve a tension headache. A misture of lavender and peppermint is particularly effective, as lavender enhances the action of other oils when used in a blend. Lavender is sedative and peppermint is a stimulant. Since many commercial headache remedies combine a stimulant (usually caffeine) with an analgesic, this achieves a similar effect without synthetic drugs.
• For sinus headaches or those caused by mental fatigue, use cajuput, rosemary, eucalyptus or peppermint, which are all stimulants. An inhalation of lavender, peppermint, rosemary or eucalyptus from a tissue or a vapouriser can relieve the headache, combat the nasal infection and help clear the congestion that is causing it.
• Try acupressure: place your finger in the depression between your first and second toes and press firmly for 3 to 5 minutes.

Feature in Good Housekeeping September 2014

Air Source Heat Pumps

While solar panels are a popular choice to power and heat homes, another option is air source heat pumps (ASHPs). These can save on heating expenses and are more efficient than oil, gas and electric powered heating systems.

• Heat pumps are energy effcient making them carbon friendly.
• They work even when it is cold outside.
• They are compact and easy to install.
• They have very low noise levels.
• They can be connected to solar panels.
• They can be fitted to biomass systems.
• They can be fitted to traditional radiators.
• You don't need to be connected to the national grid.

One company offering heat pump systems is Panasonic www.panasonic-heating.com/

Newspaper advert 20 September 2014

Online Photograph Theft

Some people think (wrongly) that any image available on the Internet is fair game to be taken and used without permission and graphics packages can be used to remove watermarks. If you want to check if any of your photographs haven't been used by other people, try the following.

• In Google Images, click on the camera icon in the search box and either upload your photograph or link to a URL that points to it, and Google will attempt to find matches. It's actually very good at doing this, so a good place to start.
• Reverse image search engines are another option. Try TinEye at https://www.tineye.com/ or multi-service images search at http://www.iqdb.org/ or Yandex at http://images.yandex (in Russian but easy to work out). There is also a Firefox add-on 'Who stole my pictures' at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/who-stole-my-pictures/ which is excellent.

Phil Bradley in CILIP Update June 2014