On the TV news this morning was one of the two Scotsmen who have allegedly become infected with swine flu. He said it felt like having a head-cold. In other words, he had the sniffles. Every year, flu viruses reduce the population slightly. As has been suggested elsewhere, the sales of potions to protect against such bugs generates much lucre; and the medicine itself also fills a few extra coffins. Every so often there really is a pandemic--or so history reports. Certainly right now the press is having a merry time predicting devastation from this pig-related flu, perhaps as it conveniently distracts people from thinking about the pig’s ear which seems to have been created in the world of finance. Medical folk keep telling us that stress reduces the ability of our immune systems to ward off viruses (and ill-health in general.) Worrying about pig flu could therefore possibly increase a person's susceptibility to it. Anyway, whilst busily peeling the veg for tonight’s dinner,

Apps seem to be everywhere now, spreading like rampant rabbits across cyberspace. Logging-on to a social network now requires extra time just to delete the latest invasion of apps which have arrived while life unfolded on the flesh-and-blood side of the computer screen. Altering settings to “ignore all” only works for those apps already jamming your inbox. An absence of only a few days results in an avalanche of new apps offering to perform a multitude of tasks, each a celebration of utter trivia. Trivia can be fun sometimes. And I too have been known to send people virtual flowers or improbable eggs out of which hatch all creatures bizarre and pixilated. However, an acceptance of all the cyber-gifts which I’ve been merrily sent would require profile pages so engorged with multitudinous apps that its downloading might result in the instantaneous combustion of my computer. I like my computer. Therefore, if I have declined your invitation to play Hangman, hunt assorted monsters,

What do you call a hedge-witch who eats too much cake?  A hedge-hog. I know; it's a terrible joke - but it's had me giggling throughout lunch. Blame Tal for emailing it to me. Its arrival was timely, as I was already relishing an evil chuckle or two following a conversation with a Wicaan acquaintance who is unemployed having walked out of a job. I won’t go into the reasons why she left; too long a story. Anyway, she was bemoaning her lack of cash so I suggested she perform a working to attract a job to herself. She stared at me as if I had grown a second head. “That’s not allowed!” “Why ever not?” According to X (as I shall name her here), Wicaan beliefs forbid the use or any magic to benefit themselves. “So if you were ill,” I said, “you wouldn’t use herb lore to help heal yourself?” That’s different, she said. That would be ok. So I likened getting a job to a form of healing; after all, she would have been healing her bank account. “But using magic to earn

"The taxpayer is required to pay £40m a year to cover the costs of having chaplains on call in hospitals. An obvious alternative...would be for patients to be visited by their own local vicar, rabbi or imam. "In a population of over 6o million, a little over 1.1 million regularly attend Church of England services. In hospital, even allowing for a few thousand panicky, injury-time conversions to faith, the non-believers are in a majority. "It is bizarre, and occasionally downright sadistic, that the grievously sick, the dying and the bereaved are forced into the arms of a priest, whether or not they happen to be believers." Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/terence-blacker/terence-blacker-why-is-support-for-the-sick-a-religious-issue-1666750.html I hadn't even realised that we tax payers were paying for hospital chaplains. Surely £40m would be better spent on training and employing more nurses, buying new equipment, or on providin

Tim Hulme 's short story, The Trunk in Granny's Attic , was published in this month's edition of Writers' Forum after winning first place in this magazine's competition. As winner, he was also awarded £300. Tim has been a member of Riverside Writers for something like seven years. He holds the post of Secretary and Co-Treasurer for the group. He is also a member of Port Sunlight Writers. Carol Falaki' s first novel, Birth in Suburbia , follows the experiences of three heavily pregnant women. Filled with factual information about pregnancy and labour gleaned from the author's career as a midwife. Midwifery student Gemma aids each birth and learns new things along the way. Carol has been a member of Riverside Writers for approx. two years. Read Carol's novel here: http://bookrix.com/_mybook-carolfalaki_1228743771.3955790997 The date of the forthcoming Riverside Writers evening event, New Tales for Old Byways, has been confirmed for 7pm, Wednes