Human Interests Archives

My Weight Is Reducing Slowly But Surely

Introduction

Since my last post on body weight (Excel Templates for Body Weight Records) I have continued to try and lose weight. Well slowly but surely my weight is reducing and I have my latest graph to demonstrate it below (select it to enlarge it):

I have struggled to lose 35 pounds (2½ stones) over a 10 year period. I recall saying I wanted to retire at the correct weight, but that never happened. Well I’m nearly there so I hope those struggling to lose weight can gain some cheer from this article.

Continue reading “My Weight Is Reducing Slowly But Surely”

Postures And Movements Requiring Agility

Introduction

As people grow older they often lose their agility and so lose their ability to take up certain postures and movements requiring agility. This article offers a list of postures and movements requiring agility which I have concocted and tried. I would expect these postures and movements requiring agility to be easily formed by healthy young people under the age of thirty, but not by older people over sixty, for example, unless they do regular exercises to maintain their flexibility. Continue reading “Postures And Movements Requiring Agility”

Bionic Prosthetic Hand For The 21st Century

Introduction

I listened to the BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show on 23^rd June and heard a great article about a young woman who had been given a bionic prosthetic hand for the 21^st century. Her name is Nicky Ashwell and here she is in the following video tweet being interviewed by Jeremy Vine who went on to receive this handshake. Continue reading “Bionic Prosthetic Hand For The 21st Century”

Using Bread Maker Panasonic SD206

Introduction

I made this video of myself using a bread maker (Panasonic SD206) in 2001 but had no means of publishing it back then. So I have decided to publish it now so that the effort wasn’t completely wasted.

I hope it helps people who are considering getting a bread maker but are not sure how one is used in practice. Continue reading “Using Bread Maker Panasonic SD206”

Oh No! Not Square Plates Again!

Introduction

Controversy rages over what shape of plate food should be served on: Square plates are an ‘abomination’ according to a report about MasterChef judge William Sitwell’s view in the Telegraph. Apparently Mr Sitwell is to hold a ‘Square Plate’ amnesty at the Towcester Food Festival on the 7th and 8th of June 2014. He doesn’t plan to destroy them Greek style. He’s going to give them to charity. This means they will still be in circulation and may be re-used. I can’t really stand a round plant pot on a square plate can you?

The square plate issue came to light in the BBC MasterChef competition when Mr Sitwell (a judge by invitation) made it clear he didn’t like a contestant’s food because it was served on a square plate. He is of the opinion that a square plate suggests a chef using one raises presentation above flavour. Continue reading “Oh No! Not Square Plates Again!”

After 40 Days My Merrell Boots Let In Water

Introduction

I bought a pair of Merrell MOAB boots for £115 (see featured image) from Millets in Derby 40 days ago and this morning I came back from walking my dog, Leo, and found my left sock was wet because those Merrell boots let in water. They were sold to me as waterproof. Every day I walk a minimum of five miles, 1.5 miles in the morning over wet grass when Leo chases a tennis ball, and 3.5 miles in the afternoon when he just walks. I cannot tolerate wet feet on a regular basis. I must have waterproof shoes or boots. Wellingtons are no good for walking a long distance. My last pair of walking shoes split where the upper and sole join on one foot. That was detected by a wet foot too. Continue reading “After 40 Days My Merrell Boots Let In Water”

One Pint Glass Tankards Seen In Dalston

Has a new era begun now One Pint Glass Tankards have been seen in Dalston?

“One pint glass tankards seen in Dalston pubs in East London such as The Shacklewell Arms.”

A lengthy report from the BBC tells that these drinking vessels may be returning to some pubs frequented by young people in London. They disappeared from pubs around 2001 when the company making them, Ravenhead Glass in St Helens, closed their factory. They are now made in Turkey apparently.

Not everyone is so nostalgic. Some think that the old glass tankard is not so good for the beer as a modern narrow glass. The old ones have a poor open surface to volume ratio, I believe, allowing the bubbles to escape too soon after the pint is pulled. Yes these pubs PULL their pints.

See the video below, from St. Chad’s College Bar, Durham (not in Dalston), which shows how a Real Ale should be dispensed. Unfortunately an ordinary beer glass is being used here, not a Glass Tankard.

St. Chad’s Bar, St Chad’s College, Durham University, 18 N Bailey, Durham DH1 3RH.

Flash Mob Opening at Derby Train Station Forecourt

On 16^th April 2013 Derby celebrated by way of dance to an appropriate tune “The Loco-Motion” from a Flash Mob Opening at Derby Train Station Forecourt after months of disruption and a lot of money spent. See the video below:

Other dances were performed too (at least one other) and the opening ceremony can be seen here (http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/VIDEO-Flash-mob-dance-marks-station-facelift/story-18745358-detail/story.html) in the article published by the Derby Telegraph.

This is how it looked before the latest upgrade:

Derby Station Forecourt Before 2013 upgrade

. . . and before that it looked like this:

CycloCable Gets Bikes Up That Hill

CycloCable

We all know it’s a bit of a pain cycling up steep hills especially on your journey to work, but CycloCable gets bikes up that hill.

Well the Norwegians have got that sorted, in Trondheim at least. Just watch this video:

You can see more detail about how the ‘CycloCable gets bikes up that hill’ at Gizmodo. Better still why not nip over to the Poma CycloCable® Page to read more about the system.

Earwax? What’s That All About?

What Is Earwax?

I’ve often wondered what is earwax all about but never specifically investigated it. Well today I just happened across this article on the BBC News website in the Health section and now I am the wiser.

It’s entitled: ‘Secretion secrets: things you didn’t know about earwax’. It discusses the following five issues:

How it gets out of an ear.
It’s anti-microbial properties.
It matters where your family is from.
A vacuum rather than a syringe might help clear it out.
It can be a pollution monitor.

I expect people with earwax problems may find section 4 of interest since it says ears can be cleaned with a specialised vacuum cleaner. See example below:

It goes on to describe how this is a more pleasant and more efficient procedure than syringing. If you haven’t seen it here is the featured image of the cross section through a human ear.

WARNING: Do not try using a domestic vacuum cleaner for cleaning ears.