:.Puzz1ed P1ace.:

I've now begun my new business as an Indepent Phoenix Trader, selling greetings cards and gift wrap.  The range of products and their quality and price are excellent.  See for yourself at http://phoenix.westrop.me.uk

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You may have already noticed that a few new features have been added to the site.  You should now see a print and email icon under every post… you'll never guess what they do   There's also a 'ratings' system, so you can rate posts, and the poll system has been fixed, too.

To make navigation easier, the number of pages is shown at the bottom of each page, and where there are multiple pages you can select a page to jump to.

The Skype block has been replaced by IM online status, showing whether I am on skype (puzz1ed1) or MSN (steve@puzzled.org.uk) at any time.  (Speaking of MSN, Windows Live Messenger (aka MSN8) has now been publicly released.) 

I've got quite a few random posts queued up ready to go live in the next couple of weeks, but think I may wait until there's been a bit more feedback on the present content :p

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Well, he already has!  It was good fun, too.  Mummy carried me most of the day, but I sat on Daddy's lap on his scooter-thing sometimes too and helped to drive it.  Daddy wasn't very happy when I pulled the key out though.

There were lots of animals there.  Some of them looked even stranger than Daddy.  The best bit was Mummy's ice lolly though

Mummy and Daddy took lots of photos but these are some of my favourites…  

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Research on bread indicates that:

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users.
2. Exactly HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.
3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.
4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.
5. Bread is made from a substance called "dough." It has been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month!
6. Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low incidence of cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and osteoporosis.
7. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water to eat begged for bread after as little as two days.
8. Bread is often a "gateway" food item, leading the user to "harder" items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter, and even cold cuts.
9. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person.
10. Newborn babies can choke on bread.
11. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.
12. Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to distinguish between significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.

In light of these frightening statistics, it has been proposed that the following bread restrictions be made:

1. No sale of bread to minors.
2. A nationwide "Just Say No To Toast" campaign, complete celebrity TV spots and bumper stickers.
3. A 300 percent federal tax on all bread to pay for all the societal ills we might associate with bread.
4. No animal or human images, nor any primary colors (which may appeal to children) may be used to promote bread usage.
5. The establishment of "Bread-free" zones around schools.

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Apparent movement of the streams is created by afterimages as our eyes shift to examine the picture.

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Just added another plugin to the system…

It's now possible to send a short message straight to my mobile from the sidebar.  Only the first 40 characters will be sent to my phone, though, the rest will be sent as email.

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Have now got Skype up and running on the PC again. If you use Skype then feel free to get in touch – puzz1ed1 - for a chat.

For those that don’t know, Skype allows you to make calls from your PC using your broadband connection. It also allows for text-based chatting similar to MSN, and allows you to send text messages. Calls between Skype users are free. Calls from Skype to landlines are charged at 1.2p/minute.

You can also contact me on Skype using the link in the sidebar, or by calling 020 7871 7321 from a normal phone.

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It's Monday morning again… and Dr day again, too.  Made the first trip already and have the appointments – now just need to find the energy to go back and actually see the Dr.  SJ seems to have a couple of infected spots on his shoulder, and I need certifying :s

May try getting to Rhyme Time at SLH Library this morning too – a break from the same four walls if nothing else – and have to get the Incapacity Benfit forms to the Job Centre, though that's not what they told me to do initially.  In fact, they specifically said that given my reduced mobility I would not need to go to the Job Centre at all.  But then everything else that they've said and done has turned out wrong anyway, so I don't hold much hope.

Bought new toys for SJ yesterday, so looking forward to playing with them.  May let him play too if he's lucky! He's having his mid-morning snooze right now.  Yes, I know it's not even 9 o'clock, but try telling him that!

Depending on how the day goes, I'm hoping to add some info on ME/CFS later.  May be later in the week rather than later today though.

Well, gonna make the most of the peace and quiet and grab some breakfast. 

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Sky News: Sun And Storms On Way

The UK is set to bask in more sizzling weather – but thunderstorms could also be on their way.

Britain enjoyed its hottest day of the year on Sunday, with temperatures just shy of 30C recorded in Norfolk – and it may be even hotter today.

Forecaster Emily Fell said the south east would be very warm and humid, but there was a risk of torrential thundery showers across other parts of the country.

She said: "We are expecting a pulse of showers moving in from the south west overnight, which will clear gradually but will reinvigorate over northern England in the afternoon.

"It could be pretty nasty, with thundery rain showers due to the hot and humid conditions.

"But across much of England and Wales it will stay dry and sunny for most of the week."

The hot spell prompted a boom for supermarkets, with barbecue food, beer, ice cream and suntan lotion flying off the shelves.

So it's official.  Sunday was the hottest day of the year!  We decided it would be a shame not to make the most of the day, and Hev started planning to do all manner of things.  What did we do in the end?  Went shoppng and spent the afternoon making and freezinbg food for SJ. 'tis a sad existence!

So how did you spend the hottest day of the year so far?  Click on 'comment' below and let us know  

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Sky News: The Afternoon Slowdown

People hit their lowest ebb of the day at 2.16pm, new research has shown.

A survey of 2,000 people found that respondents had least enthusiasm for doing tasks of any kind at this point in the day.

The second lowest trough happens at 11.37am, according to research carried out by TNS on behalf of tea company Typhoo.

Retired people collectively suffered a slump earlier, at an average 1.46pm, while workers tended to flag at 2.27pm, slightly later than the overall average.

The most upbeat, energised times of day among all respondents were 9.23am and 4.31pm.

Richard Nall, marketing director at Typhoo, said: "We've always known that there are points in the working day when people are in particular need of revitalisation, but until now it's been based on assumptions."

The study ignored actual levels of productivity to concentrate on respondents' levels of enthusiasm and energy levels.

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