I blame the tutorial system...

Years ago, sitting in an uncomfortable chair without arms, in an airless, windowless, cold, subterranean room, I'd patiently listened to a lengthy lecture of the so-so variety, about newspaper archives in our area, and at last Providence had granted my voiceless plea that it come to an end. I turned to my companion and embarked on a sentence bewailing the ghastliness of the chairs. I didn't want to rush it; I wanted to temper the expression of my discomfort and be as polite as possible since it had been at her suggestion that we had gone to the lecture. Before I reached the tactful point of my remark, however, she had interrupted me and agreed with what she had decided I was about to say. - " Yes," she said. "The chairs are extremely comfortable, aren't they?" (I blame the tutorial system...(o: - They're taught to be so confident and swift in their opinions that they're even confident they know yours as well! - Don't you just hate it when people finish off your sentences for you?)

Thus was I lured along the wrong path

When I bought my first fridge it arrived containing a free voucher for Blue Band margarine, along with some baking recipes which listed margarine as one of the ingredients. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they may have been Philip Harben's recipes. (Philip Harben was one of the first TV celebrity chefs.) And they included making a sponge cake by the all-in-one method. Thus was I lured along the wrong path. For the all-in-one method proved an easy way to make a Victoria sponge cake. I see that Delia has also been led astray by margarine's easy virtue in the all-in-one department. And I've read that Mary Berry too favours margarine for the Vic sponge. And have you been seduced by the baddie propaganda? - Well it's never too late to repent and reform! Read about why Butter's Better!

Don't deride it till you've tried it! - Losing weight by eating less salt, that is.

Don't deride it till you've tried it! - Losing weight by eating less salt, that is. - Very occasionally, foolish people write to me to deride my assertion that the easiest, fastest, safest way to lose excess weight is seriously to cut down on added salt/sodium. For one thing, they are usually naturally slim people who have never had the problem of being overweight/obese and never experienced the difficulties of losing that excess weight while living in a society that relies heavily on processed food products that are high in salt and other sodium compounds. For another, they tend to think of losing weight only as losing excess fat. - There is a strange idea around that to lose excess fluid as a means of losing weight is somehow 'cheating' and doesn't count! - What nonsense! When overweight people lose excess fluid by cutting down on added salt/sodium they not only lose excess weight, reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, depression, heart disease, arthritis, fragile bones, premature aging, cognitive decline, dementia and many other degenerative conditions, but also lower their likelihood of experiencing a stroke, heart attack, frailty and mobility problems. - What's not to like? - Go on! - Try it! - Lose weight by eating less salt and salty food! - You will feel sooo much better!