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Sci-fi becomes reality—again!

11/5/2015

communication - pixabay.com

A year or so ago, I wrote a draft of a new novel set in 2027. Every citizen used a 'handie', a smart device attached to the wrist, connected globally and to the government. I have yet to edit the story—busy at the moment with writing my memoirs.

But, technology has overtaken my brainwave.

Are you a 'millenial' who wants information at a flick of the wrist? Well, someone actually made a wearable "tablet." The new device, dubbed Rufus Cuff, features a 3.2-inch screen. Rufus Labs, the company behind it, has promised to be more than a smartwatch.

The product is aimed at ending the era of the watch and ushers in the wrist communicator. It features a TI Cortex A9 processor, front-facing camera for pictures/video, GPS, WiFi and a 1,1175mAh battery. (A bit of double-Dutch to me, but you might know about such things.)

You can use an iPhone to take calls with the device. A built-in speaker, dual microphones and Bluetooth support helps with this. The Rufus Cuff is powered by Android Kit Kat.

According to the co-founder and CEO of Rufus Labs, the wearable will appeal to many people. The company envisages everyone ditching their phones eventually. (The device ties in with the basis for the plot in my novel.) "This will replace the need for smartphones, wallets, watches, fitness trackers, everything."
If you want to pre-order one, you can do that now for $249 and up depending on type. Take a look at Rufus Labs.

As for my novel—I can't find it. I've looked through all my files and even pulled out my back-up CDs. It's been so long since I thought of it. I hope I haven't lost all my work on the story. Grrr!

Sometimes, I wish for the old days. The time when we wrote everything on paper.

What do you think of ballooning technology?

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How do you plan to age? Glamorous or natural?

11/4/2015

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Dame Joan Collins - en.wikipedia.org

A veteran star told a reporter she turned down a huge sum of money to appear in a reality television show a few years ago. Well. I don't blame her. Who wants to show wrinkles and all to a gaping audience?

Dame Joan Collins is maintaining her glamorous image despite her declining age. And the appearance she turned down: I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!, which she said was not her cup of tea.

She spoke to a reporter at at Selfridges in central London while signing copies of her latest book,
The St Tropez Lonely Hearts Club, which she dedicated to her sister, Jackie, who died of breast cancer in September aged 77.

As a celebrity ages, it takes her a huge amount of time and effort to look good enough to be photographed and interviewed. Heck! I should know.

Or maybe not.

I'm rarely seen in public because I find it difficult to walk. When I go out, which I'm planning to do soon on my weekly Health Walk with a local group, I appear without make up just the same as usual. I like my face. Any wrinkles around my eyes show I've lived, laughed and cried.

The most precious experiences in life relate to those you love. Dame Joan has dedicated her book to her sister. I'm lucky my two younger sisters are still alive. Although they reside on the other side of the planet, my love and admiration for them remains as strong as if I see them every day.

As for glamorous, I'll leave that for the stars.

Glamorous or natural: How do you plan to look when you age?

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Metal detector finds another treasure trove of coins.

11/3/2015

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A man, who almost did not join the Weekend Wanderers, discovered a huge hoard of silver coins dating back 1,000 years. The 60-yr-old found a lead basket containing the 5,248 Anglo-Saxon silver pennies with his metal detector.

Experts value the find at £1.3million, of which the finder can expect to receive a large share.

The important collection dates back to the reign of Ethelred the Unready in the 990s.

King Ethelred - commons.wikimedia.org

Records reveal Ethelred II, byname Ethelred the Unready, was born around 968 and died April 23, 1016 in London, England. He ruled English from 978 to 1013 and from 1014 to 1016 in two separate occasions. Called an ineffectual king by many, he failed to prevent the Danes from overrunning England. The epithet “unready” is derived from unraed, meaning “bad counsel” or “no counsel,” and puns on his name, which means “noble counsel.”

The coroner ruled the exceptional hoard of coins, found underground with the aid of a metal detector, treasure, meaning it goes to the Crown.

The value will be decided in January. Detector Man and the landowner can expect to receive a reward. Source: Mirror.

I love these stories where modern people uncover relics from a past age.

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Should people give up their seat for a 'baby on board'?

11/2/2015

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Baby on Board, standing - www.flickr.com

A thirty-two year old pregnant UK commuter wearing a Baby on Board badge was left humiliated after a fellow tube passenger demanded R prove she was expecting.

After one man saw R's badge and gave up his seat, another woman dived in before her until she was made aware of the pregnant woman's condition.

But a man already sitting down butted in and asked R why she was taking the seat from the woman.
When she displayed her badge, he demanded to know where the baby was.

R told a reporter she was shocked about the way he spoke to a pregnant lady. In the early stages of pregnancy, R is yet to develop a visible bump. “Do I have to carry my maternity notes with me all the time?”

Baby on Board badges are issued by Transport for London to make it easier for mums-to-be travelling around the capital. No proof of pregnancy is required. Source: Mirror.

Apparently, many pregnant women wearing Baby on Board badges are being ignored by commuters.
In my experience, living in Australia in the 60s when I was pregnant or otherwise, gentlemen gave up their seats to a lady. Perhaps that's an antiquated system of behaviour.

Do you think women deserve special privileges when they are pregnant?

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Looks like super rats are here to stay.

11/1/2015

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rat - pixabay.com

Britain faces an invasion of super rats. And the huge rodents carry bugs which can be passed to humans.

The number of rats resistant to poison has soared in recent years due to a naturally-occurring mutation of genes. The current rat population is estimated at more than 100 million.

Even the coypu, a giant rat usually found swimming in the swamps of South America, arrived in Ireland last year.

Testing by Huddersfield University revealed the animals have mutated and can survive over-the-counter poisons that are making them bigger and stronger. Immune to the toxic pellets, the rodents are actually increasing in size and strength.
Pest control methods are gradually killing off the normal-size rat population, allowing the poison-resistant species to take over.

The British Pest Control Association has issued a warning that the mutant rats, some as big as cats, will start nesting in homes in the lean winter months.

There are many ways rats can get into homes through gaps as small as 15mm, such as pipes and vents or gaps in the eaves and roof edges.

Home owners are being warned to listen out for noises under the floor, in the walls or loft. They breed rapidly and will soon invade occupied areas of the house in search of food.

Apart from the health risks, they will foul water tanks and chew on wood or electrical wires, causing damage and starting fires.

About ten years ago, rats got into our pantry through a ventilation shaft. They chewed a hole in the paper vent and crawled over all our dry goods. Luckily, the rats couldn't open the door or squeeze underneath. A council health and safety expert set traps and laid poison outside.

It's scary to hear the little creatures inside your home. My worry was only relieved when workmen sealed the air gap between the walls so they couldn't reach the repaired pipe. Also, they ripped the ivy off the outer wall, removing access into the loft. The rodents in this case were country rats.

I think all creatures have equal rights, except when they invade our homes.

Have you ever encountered a rat?

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Want to know the ratio of caffeine between tea and coffee?

10/31/2015

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We see plenty of reports telling us we shouldn't drink too much coffee, but what about tea? That contains caffeine too, but not much is published about the strength of the potion.

A recent study revealed a third of workers are putting their health at risk by drinking more caffeine than recommended. Research found that 30 per cent of us drink five or more caffeinated drinks during a typical working day.

Gulp! How much should we drink?

The European Food Safety Agency advises a daily limit of 400mg of caffeine, equivalent to four mugs of instant coffee. An average mug of instant coffee contains around 100mg of caffeine while a filter coffee may contain up to 140mg.

pixabay.com

Now, we reach the facts on tea. A cup of tea is likely to contain around 75mg. Okay I see the ratio. A mug of coffee delivers 100mg of caffeine; a mug of tea transfers 75mg (a bit less, but not much).

One female psychology student took tea drinking to the extreme when she decided to put herself to the test and only drink tea brews for a whole week. The third year student at Lincoln University, stocked up on 1,200 tea bags and vowed not to touch any other drink for seven whole days.

Don't ask my why she tried this venture—she's a student, prone to wild ideas.

But her self-experiment made her feel permanently sick, and giddy from caffeine, after downing an impressive 60 cuppas. She said she craved a simple glass of water.

I've settled down at last after 73 years of wild living. I only drink three cups of caffeine tea a day. The rest of my imbibing consists of herbal tea and water.

How about you?

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The Great Pumpkin hurtles toward Earth.

10/30/2015

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A newly discovered asteroid dubbed the Great Pumpkin will shoot past Earth on Halloween.

The size of four football pitches, the rock will come will come within just 300,000 miles (480,000 km) of Earth. Astronomers will get an excellent opportunity to gather data, capture radar images, and measurements from the passing asteroid. Scientists expect to learn about the asteroid's shape, dimensions, surface features and other characteristics.

Scientists said the fact they did not know the asteroid was meant to come so close until just three weeks ago showed the importance of vigilance.

Normally they rely on expensive robotic space probes to gather information about such rocky bodies.
Small space rocks rain down on Earth constantly, with most disintegrating as they blaze through the atmosphere. In February 2013, a 65-foot-wide (20 m) asteroid broke apart over Chelyabinsk, Russia, shattering windows and damaging buildings. injuring more than 1,000 people.

NASA is working to map potentially dangerous asteroids and comets that pass within 30 million miles (48 million km) of Earth. Source: The Mirror.

Of course, we all know about the asteroid or comet roughly six miles (10 km) in diameter that crashed into what is now Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. That catastrophe about 65 million years ago caused global climate changes that killed off the dinosaurs along with about 75 percent of life that existed at the time.

NASA had better keep a sharp look out.

You might not be aware of the dystopian Higher Ground series I wrote with a co-author Edith Parzefall. They are based on the premise of an asteroid strike in 2027. At the beginning of every novel, an excerpt of a diary hints at events.

Here's a taster for you:

Journal of Tallulah McBride

March 23, 2027.
As the world ends, I've assembled my vellum and proper ink and pen. Vellum lasts longer than paper. I don't think anyone will survive the flood and devastation. The water is rising higher all the time and I haven't seen the sun for forty-eight hours. No light penetrates my room. I'm writing by candlelight. I'm not sure why I'm writing except that it might help me get a grip on what happened. And just maybe, someone will survive and read this journal.

Corn World. Britland.
Far in the future after the great flood.

Chapter 1

On the bed next to her mother, Cerridwen snuggled further into her sleeping furs. Wind roared over the town, and rains lashed against the thick wooden walls of the house nestled half way down a steep slope above the quiet village. Built in the before times when men knew how to construct things properly, the house resisted continual rain. A lightning flash lit up the small room. Thunder roared. In the cot beside her, Mother whimpered and turned in her sleep.

Cerridwen concentrated on creaking noises followed by a thud. A tree struck by lightning? Aware of possible danger, she bolted upright. Her brother Ivan had left before sunrise with a group of Red Roof men to hunt deer in the first light. She hoped for their safe return.

A mighty growl jarred her out of her drowsiness. What could it be? Not thunder. The sound lasted too long and grew into a rumble.

You can see all five books at an Amazon near you. I noticed the UK site is offering the paperback at the same price as the e-book right now, £3.48.

Universal links for Amazon books:

Wind Over Troubled Waters: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B007X57XMS
Knights in Dark Leather: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00A3EYR0M
Golden Submarine: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00C8T4O0I
Long Doom Calling: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00DT6QHFO
Seaweed Ribbons: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00Q3IVJ1M

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My experience on my first Health Walk.

10/29/2015

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Scientists have said a brisk daily walk of just 20 minutes could add years to your life.
They blame lazy lifestyles and the lack of exercise for shorter lives.

The Cambridge University study of 334,000 people found even a modest amount of activity prolonged life. And the least fit had the most to gain.

I come into the least fit category, left disabled after a hip operation went wrong. Doctors ordered a special hip with a metal shaft to insert into the femur after it shattered in 2002. The inner support is held in place with bolts and twists of wire. After the operation, I was reasonably fit and continued working on my feet for 8 hours a day. However, since retirement, my walking ability has deteriorated.

I decided to do something about it. Yesterday, I took my first organized walk. I live in Elstree, Hertsmere, UK. If you live in England, you should be able to find a scheme near you. Here's the one I joined:

The Hertsmere Health Walks is part of a countywide programme of free, volunteer - led walks, which aims to help people get outdoors, get more active and reap the benefits. The walks are all sociable and you don't need any special equipment to join in, just comfortable shoes. The free programme runs all year round and offers choice of different walk grades, start points and times. Source: Hertsmere Health Walks: Walking for Health.

Health Walks - pixshark.com

Well, I found the pace too strenuous on the short walk for disabled people I chose. Seeing as I only walk alone up and down a hill outside my home, I didn't have the fitness of the six regular walkers who turned up yesterday. They took off at a good pace, and soon they were small figures in the distance. The early rain had ceased, leaving the gravel walk beside flowing water littered with wet autumn leaves. My rollator rattled over loose stones and shook my arms, while jacket-wearing volunteer kept me company for as long as I felt comfortable to continue.
“Do you stop walking in winter?” I asked, during out chat.

“We carry on rain, snow and cold,” he said. “We walk every Wednesday of the year.”

After crossing a street, I admired the Canada geese, ducks, and moor-hens where the waterway widened beside the smooth path. But, I turned back before the end. And I was glad I did because my legs dragged on the approach to the finish.

The volunteer driver, a retired doctor and gentleman arrived to take me home shortly after we stopped on the street outside a local café. He lifted my muddy-wheeled rollator into his spotless boot and then held out his elbow. I tucked my arm into his firm support on the way to his car, seated myself in his luxury car and he helped my legs in.

“Thank you. I'm so sorry about the mud,” I said. “I should have brought plastic to line the boot.”

“That will clean off. Don't worry about it.” He handed me the seatbelt strap, and then went around to his side, climbed in, and drove off. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“I did, thank you. It's a treat for me to get out. Sometimes, my husband takes me shopping, but he has trouble lifting the heavy rollator. So I decided to do something on my own. I hope to do it again, but the man at Community Transport said I wasn't priority, so I might not be able to come often.”

We parted with the understanding that he would drive me again if possible.

Have you ever thought to join other walkers in your area? The social contact changes a lonely walk to an event.

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Victorian diseases are reappearing in old London town.

10/28/2015

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Cases of malnutrition and other “Victorian” diseases are soaring in England, malnutrition being the worst.

NHS statistics show over 7,300 people were admitted to hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition between August 2014 and July this year, a rise of more than 50 per cent in just four years.

The Trussell Trust, which runs a nationwide network of foodbanks, reported tens of thousands of people have been going hungry, missing meals and cutting back on the quality of the food they buy.

The Malnutrition Task Force, and the charity Age UK, said the rise in hospital admissions for malnutrition was deeply distressing.

A spokesperson said, “Older people and professionals often incorrectly assume that losing weight and having a reduced appetite are just a normal part of ageing. Much malnutrition is preventable, so it is totally unacceptable that estimates suggest there are at least one million older people malnourished or at risk of malnourishment. Cuts to social care mean many older people are being left to cope on their own.”

Since 2010, cases of other diseases rife in the Victorian era including scurvy, scarlet fever, cholera and whooping cough have also increased, although cases of TB, measles, typhoid and rickets have fallen.

And yet, parts of London have higher rates of tuberculosis than Rwanda or Iraq, according to a report by the London Assembly.

One in three boroughs in the capital suffer from high rates of TB, with more than 40 cases per 100,000 people. Prisoners, homeless people, substance abusers and migrants are particularly at risk, according to the report. Source: The Independent.

My husband and I are facing money worries as we age. While we were working, we ate well. Now, we cut costs wherever we can just to scrape together a nutritious meal.

General price rises apply to everything—food, power, heat and rent to name a few.

Most elderly English people have paid into the national pension fund through their wages for their whole life, expecting to live well after they retire. But costs are rising and the rate of the Government pension is not in line with everything else. Even my service provider is charging me extra for basic broadband, and now bills me, if I use more than the allowable quota, for any pictures I download to use for this blog.

So, I'm cutting costs today—hence no illustration. I'll paint a word picture instead. Envisage hospital waiting rooms. Under bright lights, skinny old men and women are seated in rows of chairs with hopeless expressions on their wizened faces.

Do you know somebody who might be at risk of malnutrition?

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Do speeding tickets etc. keep us safe or raise funds?

10/27/2015

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Parking restrictions:

A 64-year-old retired Rover worker from Birmingham, UK, suffered an angina attack while driving through the city. He pulled over and went into a shop nearby to take his medication, but when he returned, he discovered that he had been given a parking ticket. The council sent him a £35 fine.

He appealed, and sent a doctors' letter, which stated he should stop what he was doing, take medication and rest. The letter took a while to organize. For his trouble and because of the delay, the council increased the fine to £70.

There was no way he could drive safely while suffering agonising chest pains. When his first appeal was rejected, he took his claim to a second independent appeal. The council accepted the second appeal and cancelled the fine.

Here are other cases from the UK in recent years.

1. Last November, a woman who had pulled over at 11am on Armistice Day to pay her respects, after hearing Big Ben strike. While she was standing by the car, observing a minute's silence, a traffic warden slapped her car with a ticket. She was urged to appeal.

2. In February last year, a motorist was ticketed for being stationary beside a bus stop: he was stuck in traffic at the time. The fine was later cancelled.

3. A month later, a man was fined for stopping for 90 seconds to check the parking restrictions. The photo sent with the fine clearly showed him checking the sign beside his car. The fine was eventually dropped.

4. In 2013, a woman was fined for pulling into a disabled bay on a city High Street. The warden ignored the fact she was a few feet away giving first aid to a woman who had collapsed in the street. The council withdrew the fine.

5. A year earlier, traffic wardens ticketed a lifeboat, after a crew member left it on a trailer outside the lifeboat station to pop back in for some paperwork. The ticket was eventually cancelled. Source Aol Money.
Speeding tickets:

Okay, here's my story. My husband was driving along a street close to home when he was struck with a sudden urge. He wears a catheter and when it plays up, he is gripped with agonizing pain. He had to decide, whilst in pain, weather to return home, thereby doing a u-turn, or continue to the closest pub. Unable to think straight, he chose the latter.

When a fine came in the mail, he was staggered. There is a camera part-way along the street, which consists of steep rises and dips. In order to slow down on one hill, the driver has to ride the brakes and turn on the incline before the next dip. There has never been an accident on Allum Lane, nor do people cross the road.

He sent a letter of explanation. The council expressed their sympathy, but his claim was rejected and he's paid a £100 fine, which we can ill afford because of financial circumstances attached to his cancer.
This fine has nothing to do with public safety. Extenuating circumstances have no bearing on the money-making scheme of some hungry municipal councils.

Do you have a story to tell?

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Francene Stanley
From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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