Mobile Phone Tips

A few things will make life easier.

Assign different ringtones to different contacts, such as your partner, boss, children or school, so you'll know if it's someone important calling before you've even got your phone out of your bag.

When you go on holiday, turn off your voicemail so callers can't leave a message, which you'll be charged for listening to if you're abroad.

To conserve a phone battery, turn the screen brightness down, cloase any apps running in the background that you don't need, and turn off 3G/4G, as these all sap power.

Various sources

Christmas Fun on the Internet

There are various sites to look at for Christmas fun.

The North Pole site includes ideas for fun activities, easy recipes, ideas for parents, and a section for teachers: www.northpole.com/

The Elf Yourself site offers a download in which you can add face photos of people to the dancing elves. The site is only available in the holiday season; when the site is inactive, OfficeMax provides the website with a placeholder image informing viewers that "the elves have left the building".

The Norad Santa tracking site allows you to follow Santa as he makes deliveries on Christmas Eve. The site is only active from 1st December: www.noradsanta.org

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Burglar Proof Your Home

Burglaries are never pleasant experiences and you may lose valuables and items of senitmental value. Here are some tips.

• Install an alarm approved by your insurer.
• Have the right locks on your doors (mortice type).
• Lock your windows.
• Look after your keys and valuables. Put away things like laptops and tablets.
• Be clever with lighting and fit outdoor security lights or motion sensitive lights but don't be a nuisance to your neighbours.
• Join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
• Insure your possessions.
• Avoid sharing on social media the news that you'll be away. But do let your neighbours know so they can keep an eye out for unexpected visitors.
• Put away electric power tools and lawnmowers.
• Some plants (the prickly ones) are good burglar deterrents.
• Trellis panels on top of fences are too flimsy to support a person's weight.

Write It Down, Read From Paper

Keep writing by hand - e.g. thank you letters - as hand-writing can improve thinking skills. In one trial, students who took notes on their laptops understood less about their subjects than those who jotted things down. The act of writing seems to make us think harder and remember more.

Recent research also shows we are less likely to (literally) lose the plot when reading a real book rather than the same text on an e-reader. This might be because we use mapping skills to read and remember, which is easier when we turn a real page. That gives us more brain space to concentrate on the meaning, so improving comprehension.

Good Housekeeping, January 2015

Frost and Ice Removal Products

Snow and ice on doorsteps, paths and pavements are traditionally tackled using rock salt, but salt can attack surfaces and surrounding vegetation.

Crystal Clear "is a non-corrosive and biodegradable product. It is a tiny frost and ice removing pellet made from urea, which continues working considerably longer than other alternatives and is non-flammable, low in toxicity and easy to use. To achieve maximum protection, should be applied before snow has fallen or surface water has begun to freeze."

(Note: I've not tried this out, but it looks worth investigating.)

http://chemaide.co.uk/product/Crystal_Clear_non_corrosive_de-icer.html

Turkey Sizes for Christmas

Many people will be buying turkey for their Christmas meal, but how big a bird do you need? A rough guide is:

• Small (4 kg) for 6 to 8 people
• Medium (5 to 6 kg) for 10 to 12 people
• Large (8 kg) for 12 to 16 people

Good Housekeeping, December 2014

Deep Vein Thrombosis

How do I recognise a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?

One in nine people will develop a DVT in their lifetime. If it travels to the lungs it can cause a pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal. The three main risk factors are: sticky blood (e.g. caused by illness, old age, pregnancy and medication), vein damage (including surgery) and immobility.

Red flag indicators, combined with one or more of the above factors:

• Discomfort, which can often masquerade as something else such as muscle strain.
• Swelling – measure your calves, and if one is 3cm or more wider than the other, then that is a very important red flag.
• Redness and tenderness

To significantly reduce our chance of developing one in the first place:

• Sitting for 90 minutes can reduce blood flow in the legs by half, so get up from your chair every 30 to 60 minutes.
• Stay hydrated, make sure your seat is comfortable and appropriate for your height.

BBC2 Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, July 2015 How do I recognise a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?

UK Pension Regulation Changes 2015

New regulations about access to your pension funds are aimed to give people more flexibility but be careful about what you choose to do. From 6 April 2015, anyone over 55 can take their entire pension as cash, with 25% tax-free. Get professional financial advice before doing anything.

Example:

• Someone born on 1st May 1953 so just turned 62.
• There is £30,000 in your pension pot.
• You are not yet retired and are on an average income of £27,000 per year.

Option A: Take out the entire £30,000 - but you'll only get £21,428 as only £7,500 is tax free and an emergency tax of £8,572 has been deducted from the rest by HMRC. You can claim back £2,651 of that (using form P53) as you are still working (different forms if you are not), leaving a net charge of £5,921. Around £2,845 of that tax will be paid at 40%. Although you have never earned enough to pay higher-rate tax, the taxable part of the pension pot is added to you income, taking you over the £42,385 threshold for higher-rate tax. So you could have around £24,000 in your pocket but no pension to come.

Option B: Take the tax-free £7,500 and buy something. Either use the remaining £22,500 to buy an annuity income (taxable) of £92 per month fixed for life or £57 a month rising with inflation. Or put the £22,500 into a drawdown scheme and take out amounts on occasion for a holiday or treat; the sums would be taxable when taken out but as long they are modest would only be taxed at basic rate. There would also be charges but hopefully not more than the amount the money earned.

State pension: If you do either of these, you'll be relying on the state pension for your retirement income. When you reach pension age for someone born on 1st May 1953 (6 July 2016 for a woman and 1 May 2018 for a man - ages are still changing till the goal of a single pensionable age is reached) you would get a state pension of around £8,000 a year to live on, assuming you qualify for the full state pension.

[My note: The state pension age is presently 65 for men, while the age for women is in the process of being increased from 60 to 65 (parity at the end of 2018). The age for both will then be raised in stages to 67 years by 6 April 2028 and to 68 years by 2044-2046.]

Paul Lewis in Radio Times, 16-22 May 2015

Bio-gas Powered Bus in Bristol

Wessex Water produces bio-gas at its sewage treatment works at Avonmouth in Bristol, where around 75 million cubic metres of sewage waste is treated and 35,000 tonnes of food waste, collected from households, supermarkets and food manufacturers, is recycled.

Through a process known as anaerobic digestion, 17million cubic metres of biomethane a year are generated. Some of the gas is injected into the national gas grid network to power homes, but a new venture is to use it to power a bus in Bristol (the no. 2 service from Cribbs Causeway to Stockwood).

The 40-seater Bio-Bus is produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel engines. On a full tank of gas the bus can travel 300 km - which takes the annual waste of 5 people to produce. The tank is filled at a specialist gas refuelling plant at Bristol sewage treatment works.

As well as producing bio-gas for national grid and bus fuel, the treatment plant also produces nutrient-rich fertiliser offering farmers a safe and sustainable alternative to inorganic chemicals.

Feature in Wessex Water Magazine, spring/summer 2015

Hearing and Deafness

Some ways to look after your hearing.

• Turn it down. Loud music accelerates hearing loss that starts as early ad 40. Wear sound-filtering earplugs at festivals and concerts, where noise can reach danger levels in 15 minutes.
• Detox your ears. Wax can muffle sound but prodding it can drive it deeper into the ear. Swap cotton buds for bicarb-based ear drops to soften it, so it clears on its own or is easier for GPs to remove by irrigation or micro-suction.
• Check your medications. Diuretics and anti-inflammatory painkillers can damage hearing. Though it usually recovers, sometimes the problem is permanent. Tinnitis is a warnign sign, so it your ears start ringing, see your GP.

Item in Good Housekeeping March 2015

Rose Hip

Rosehips are a common sight in hedgerows in autumn and winter.

• Rose hips work in a similar way to aspirin. They hinder an important group of enzymes (known as COX-1 and COX-2) involved in the pain and inflammation process.
• A substance found in rose hips has also been shown to inhibit the activity of inflammatory white blood cells, while lowering levels of inflammatory markers in blood.
• In addition, rose hips are a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, plus carotenoids such as lutein, beta carotene and lycopene.

Osteoarthritis: several studies have investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of rose hip extracts, showing that it not only improves overall pain levels but can also increase the range of hip movement.

• More than 80% of people taking rose hip extract report noticeable benefits after just three weeks, with reductions in discomfort scores. For ongoing benefit it can be taken long term.
• No significant side effects have been reported, but always check with your GP before taking if you are on any prescribed medication.

There is no official recommended dosage for rose hip, but experts suggest between 250mg and 62mg of the extract daily.

Healthspan magazine, Spring 2015

Note: 

• It is possible to make rose hip jam, jelly and syrup at home. Look on the internet for recipes. Remember it is important to remove not only the seeds, but also the tiny hairs inside the hip, as these can irritate the throat.
• Do not use aluminium utensils when preparing rose hips as they destroy the natural vitamin C.
• Don't use rose hips for consumption if the plant has been treated with pesticides not labeled as being safe for food crops.

UK General Election 2015 Facts

Figures given are for 2015 with 2010 figures, where found, in brackets for comparison.

• Overall turnout:  66.1% (65.1%). Around 30% of MPs are now women.
• Percentages of votes cast nationally: Conservative 36.9% (36.1%); Labour 30.4% (29%); Liberal Democrat 7.9% (12.9%); UKIP 12.9% (3.1%); SNP 4.7% (1.7%). [Could not find figures for all parties.]

• First past post voting: Con 331; Lab 232; SNP 56; Lib Dem 8; Plaid Cymru 3; UKIP 1; Green 1.
• If a form of Proportional Representation (alternative voting) was in place it is estimated this would have resulted in: Con 256; unspecified number for Lab; UKIP 83; Lib Dem 50; SNP 25; Green 20.

If votes cast for each party are divided by the number of seats won, then it takes c. 300,000 to elect an SNP member, 1.2 million to elect a Green member, 3.9 million to elect a UKIP member. Numbers not found for Con, Lab and Lib Dem seats but thought to be less than 300,000.

Key factors in the Conservative victory were (a) incumbent governments usually have an advantage, (b) the economy is ok even if not brilliant, (c) their strategy relied on the fears of a formal or informal Labour/SNP alliance and (d) that a Labour government would threaten continued economic recovery.

In a study of 599 of the 650 newly elected MPs:

• 32% went to private schools (48% of Conservatives, 17% of Labour, 14% of Lib Dems and just 5% of SNP); of these almost one in ten went to Eton. By contrast, only 7% of the general population went to private schools.
• Female MPs were less likely to have attended private schools at 24% (men 35%).
• 49% of MPs were educated at comprehensive schools (up 43% in 2010). The study shows that almost 66% of Labour MPs and 33% of Conservatives, 57% of Liberal Democrats and 90% of Scottish Nationalist MPs went to comprehensives.
• Some 19% of the new House of Commons went to state grammar schools (from 24% in 2010).
• 9 out of 10 MPs are graduates; 26% hold degrees from Oxford or Cambridge; a further 28% hold degrees from the highly ranked Russell Group of universities.

BBC News website (1 June 2015): The 2015 general election was the "most disproportionate in British history", the Electoral Reform Society has said. In a new analysis the society - which campaigns to change the voting system - has assessed how the make up of Parliament would have differed had other voting systems been used. Read article.

More on the 2015 election.

• Before the 2015 election, 27 of the 59 richest hedge fund managers sponsored the Conservatives. Once in power, they then gave special exemption on stamp duty on stock market transactions by hedge funds resulting in lost tax income of £145 million.
• Government plans to build 200,000 new homes for first time buyers resulted in no new homes being built. Announced in 2014, the legislation was never passed. While £175 million was spent on acquiring sites, all are now being used for housing more generally.

Various sources

Look After Your Teeth

A two-part documentary on BBC1 in 2015 focused on oral hygiene and tooth care. So here are the latest tips on what we should be doing.

Brush your teeth before eating. If you clean your teeth within an hour of eating, you will brush off your enamel. So brush your teeth before breakfast, and drink a glass of water or chew sugar-free gum afterwards to remove sugar, acid and debris and to restore your dental pH levels.

How to brush properly. If you do this, a manual toothbrush and basic fluoride toothpaste are as effective as an electric toothbrush.

• Spend two minutes twice a day on the task.
• Brush systematically, working from one corner of the mouth to the other, making sure you brush all surfaces.
• Use just a smear of toothpaste and don't brush too hard. Tickle the teeth and gums - that's all the pressure you need.
• Don't rinse with water - just spit out what's left in your mouth. That way the fluoride stays in your mouth longer doing its job.

Live longer. Clinical trials show gum disease affects overall health. Tooth and gum infections cause inflammation that spreads through the body - bad for our hearts, brains and blood vessels. Non-smokers are ten times less likely to suffer gum disease.

Avoid snacks and acid attacks.After you eat, your mouth becomes acidic for roughly 40 minutes. Snacking regularly (food and drink) means your mouth is 60% more acidic - menaing more chance of tooth decay and gum disease. So cut down on drinks and snacks between meals.

Cucumber mouthwash. Bacteria cause bad breath when our mouths dry out. Drinking water, or eating fibrous vegetables with a high water content (e.g. cucumber, celery and carrots) are just as effecive as shop-bought remedies.

Don't fear the dentist. Phobias and fears can be tackled at any age. Try not to arrive too early for your apppintment. Ask for your first visit to be pain-free. Let the dentist know in advance you are nervous. Many dentists have special training in treating patients with fear and phobias, so ask if your practice offers this.

Win new friends. people with good dental health are perceived to be better educated and more friendly, to have a successful careers and relationship, and winning personalities.

Treat sugar as the enemy. Watch out for hidden sugars and acids and try and alter your diet to reduce them. Substitute porridge for sugary cereals, or eat an orange instead of drinking a glass of orange juice. Drink peppermint tea instead of red berry tea, which is high in acid. And avoid lemon alcopops, which have the same acidity levels as stomach acid.

Look after baby teeth. Almost 25,000 five to nine year olds were admitted to hospital in 2014 for dental cavities. One third of children in the UK have rotten teeth. It is important to retain 'baby' teeth until the adult teeth are ready to come through. Teach your children to brush teeth properly. Get a timer as children can't judge two minutes.

How to save a tooth. If you knock out a tooth, don't rinse it in water or wrap it in a tissue - you'll kill the fragile cells that can help it survive. Instead, lick it, then stick it back in the cavity - and get to the dentist as fast as you can. If you can't replace the tooth, submerge it in milk, which will buy you a few hours.

Dr Chris van Tullekan and Daniela Soave, Radio Times 30 May - June 2015