Forum Topics

Con-man or sloppy supervisor?

A man was ringing my doorbell yesterday morning about 10.40, as if there was an emergency.  I opened the up stairs window and he shouted up "Oh just checking that your gutters are OK". As I looked puzzled he continued, "We did them, our company did them"  I asked which company would that be and he  responded with " We did the soffits and gutters. I informed him that the owner wasn't at home and I asked why would it be necessary for him to ring the door bell, as the guttering is clearly visible from the street and asked again which company was he from and he replied " Just checking them - that they aren't leaking or anything" ( as if I stand outside checking them when it rains! )  I asked again which company was he from, he responded with "When will the owner be back" and I told him tomorrow.  "I'll call then" he replied.   I asked if I could have the name of the company that had called, he replied "I'll come over and check them to-morrow then". ( I shall wait with baited breath, for his return ). Meanwhile, his passenger had moved over to the drivers seat and drove up the road a bit, then when our master builder, was getting back into his small white van, the driver moved back to the passenger seat and they drove very slowly down the road ( possibly looking out for other guttering/fascias or windows that looked as if they had been finished recently. Either a con man or a very sloppy supervisor, as the guttering had been done in 2009!  However he did show some potential as a (bad) politician!

Mari Austin ● 5408d0 Comments ● 5408d

Daylight Savings Bill Could Cut Night Flights at Heathrow

No it won't.And frankly only a complete idiot could believe it would. It would just shift the night flights to the end of the day, making the last arrival after midnight!

Ian Fillingham ● 5410d1 Comments ● 5409d

Any idea where this bunker/basement is?

Following on from the Great Expectations thread, I was looking at the film location site for the area, and found this:http://www.reelfilmlocations.co.uk/NEW%20Search/searchres.php?Location_ID=331&Borough_ID=13Any idea where this is?

Andrew Tierney ● 5412d8 Comments ● 5409d

Jack Russell Terrier Found

A very small Jack Russell Terrier bitch has been brought to the dog pound this morning after being found wandering Ealing Road by the refuse collectors. All enquiries to animalwarden@hounslow.gov.uk.

Tony Bull ● 5410d4 Comments ● 5409d

Mystery of the disappearing EPG

I have a Toshiba hard disc DVD recorder with built-in Freeview, model RDXV59DTKB. In the last few days the 8-day EPG has gone awol, giving info only for the current programme and meaning that I have to schedule any recordings manually.Anyone else having this problem or got any suggestions? I've tried googling the model number and EPG but nothing similar comes up.

Susan Kelly ● 5410d0 Comments ● 5410d

Market Stall update in Market Square

I have been trading now in Brentford for 5 weeks and during that time I have made new friends and got to know the local community in Brentford.However from a business point of view I am sad to report that the stall is not attracting enough customer's and has been running with a loss during the last two weeks.Even although my prices are well below my main competitor ( Morrison's ), and I strive to offer first class produce,it still hasn't attract enough customers to be viable in the long run.As a last ditch attempt I will be offering free home delivery within the Brentford area, and in doing so hopefully generate enough business to keep the market stall going until it is viable.The stall will be closed until Thursday the 8 of December 2011.This will allow me to compile a price list and a leaflet to take advantage of free home delivery's to my customers within the Brentford area.It would be a sad day indeed after a 40 year absence to see the return of a market stall on market square die due to lack of interest.I would appreciate feedback to this posting, be it positive or negative so that I have a better understanding as what the general feeling is to having a market stall in Market Square in Brentford.This will allow me to understand what it is people really are looking for in terms of service, price and produce.Kind regards,Marcel Greve   

Marcel Greve ● 5446d24 Comments ● 5410d

CANNABIS TREATMENT THREATENS DEADLY PAINKILLER INDUSTRY

Pharmaceutical painkillers are now responsible for more deaths in the United States than heroin and cocaine combined. The pharmaceuticals are  responsible for more than 15,000 deaths conservatively in 2008 alone. With no sign of slowing down, the painkiller industry is becoming wildly popular among Americans — as a result, so is the high rate of painkiller abuse. Classified as dangerous by the U.S. government, cannabis (even in THC-free form, or free of psychoactive effects) has been identified as a powerful pain reliever in more than 80 peer-reviewed studies.You may be aware of the fact that marijuana is usually quite high in THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the compound responsible for the psychoactive effect of cannabis. In contrast, it is also low in CBD (cannabidiol) content. Both THC and CBD are known as cannabinoids, however, which interacts with your body in a very unique way. In fact, cannabinoids are key when it comes to pain relief. While this information alone is enough to shatter the traditional beliefs on government marijuana regulation, the relationship between CBD and THC is even more revealing.What you may not be familiar with is how CBD has been shown to block the effect of THC in the nervous system. This allows for marijuana to be used with little or no psychoactive effects. Hemp, on the other hand, ishigh in CBD and low in THC. This is due to the fact that it is bred to maximize its fiber, seeds, and oil. Of course these key properties are what it is most commonly used for.Trials Indicate Cannabis as an Effective Treatment for Chronic PainIn a 2011 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers examined the effects of cannabinoids on chronic pain and proper sleep. What they found in their trials challenges federal government claims that cannabis has ‘no accepted medical use’. The researchers conducted 18 trials using cannabinoids in the treatment of chronic pain, and found that cannabinoids demonstrated a significant painkilling effect as well as noticeable improvements in sleep in 15 of trials. Compared, to placebo, the cannabinoids were extremely effective.Most importantly, there were no adverse effects.Another study, performed in 2002, reached similar conclusions. Finding cannabis to aid in pain relief as well as quality of sleep, researchers from the McGill University Health Centre stated in summary that cannabis can be used as an effective way of improving pain, mood, and sleep in some patients with chronic pain.There are many forms of the cannabis plant, many without mind-altering properties, many of which can be utilized without adverse reactions as detailed in the peer-reviewed research. It is also quite clear that the painkiller industry simply cannot continue to wreak havoc on the lives of many, and a natural alternative must soon emerge to prevent another 15,000 plus deaths this year. Why is the federal government refusing to admit the medicinal properties of cannabis and the unique ability of this substance to curb pain, insomnia, and impaired mood? This is only one example of how the government decides what is and what is not good for your health.

Philip Walsh ● 5410d0 Comments ● 5410d

Feeling bored and broke?

Sherlock Holmes, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (have you noticed that the Tattooist in the High Street is called OUCH), The Iron Lady, The Artist, War Horse and The Descendents are just five of the films headlining at Watermans in the next few weeks. All of these can be seen for only £5 on Mondays. If you'd like some company why not join the film club - details on the website www.watermans.org.uk

Leigh Stops ● 5411d2 Comments ● 5410d

Pot smoking not so harmful to the lungs, study finds  Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic

(01-10) 12:55 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Smoking a joint or a bowl from time to time appears to cause no long-term damage to the lungs, according to a UCSF study that disproves one of the major concerns about marijuana use - that inhaling anything other than air on a regular basis must be harmful.The study, results of which were published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that the lung capacity of people who smoked marijuana was not diminished by lighting up, even among those who smoked once or twice a week.Smoking 20 or more joints a month did have a negative impact on the pulmonary system, but that level of marijuana use is unusual. For occasional users, smoking marijuana was actually associated with a small but statistically significant increase in lung capacity - perhaps caused by the deep-breathing pot smokers use to draw the drug into their lungs.Researchers were reluctant to give the all clear to anyone who wants to smoke pot, but the results - and the fact that they were published in a major medical journal - should reassure doctors and patients who are tempted to use marijuana for treatment, primarily to ease pain and nausea, said Dr. Mark Pletcher, a UCSF epidemiologist and lead author of the study."Moderate levels of exposure to marijuana don't seem to have any adverse effects in terms of pulmonary function," Pletcher said. "That was a little surprising to me, honestly. I thought we were going to find a small decline in pulmonary function, similar to what we'd find with tobacco."Smoking cigarettes has such dramatic, long-term health consequences - including emphysema and lung cancer - that doctors have long assumed that marijuana smoking, too, must be detrimental.The study, which looked at 5,115 men and women over a 20-year period, found that people were just about as likely to smoke marijuana as cigarettes, and many participants smoked both. People who smoked cigarettes, however, were more likely to be heavy users - on average about eight cigarettes a day - than marijuana smokers, who lit up on average two or three times a month.It's likely that the main reason that marijuana smoke doesn't seem to affect lung function the way tobacco does is because people simply don't use the drug as much as they use tobacco. But it's also possible, scientists said, that marijuana smoke just isn't as damaging as tobacco smoke."No one would ever claim that drinking water has the same effect as drinking vodka, even though they're both liquids and you're ingesting them the same way. But for some reason we have assumed that because we know the negative outcomes with cigarettes, inhaling any plant material is going to have the same outcomes," said Amanda Reiman, a UC Berkeley lecturer and director of research at the Berkeley Patients Group, a medical marijuana dispensary."This study is challenging the preconceived notions we've had for some time about the dangers of smoking cannabis and the similarities to smoking tobacco," she said.E-mail Erin Allday at eallday@sfchronicle.com.Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/10/BA6G1MNA0G.DTL#ixzz1j6eCRFHf

Philip Walsh ● 5410d0 Comments ● 5410d

Coming over - again

Flight booked landing 27th March. I hope to catch up with the regulars again

Neil Chippendale ● 5412d2 Comments ● 5412d

Anyone know what was going on in the high street around 5pm?

There were many fire trucks just west of Ealing Road and the road was closed up to Half Acre. There was a smell in the air (like burning hair) around the same time, but I don't know if this was related.

Holly Hodges ● 5413d5 Comments ● 5412d

Shame on you David Cameron!

I find it disgraceful that David Cameron, himself the parent of a severely disabled child (now deceased), could find it funny to use jokes about disability at his opponents' expense. He clearly had not progressed very far from the spastic jokes that he no doubt laughed at as a public school twerp.Jokes about disabilities are every bit as offensive as racist remarks, and there is no place for either in today's society. Your qualified apology for what you said was not enough, Mr Cameron.

John Connelly ● 5413d8 Comments ● 5412d

Watch out..

Just been told by a good neighbour that one of her mates has had a burglary and another a near one in the parish.Apparently a couple of blokes have been seen knocking on doors and asking about whether the occupant wants their house double glazed.Weird thing to do in the middle of winter,eh?.If they knock on your door,get agood description,accent etc.and see if you can see their motor.I will call SNT tomorrow I think.

Keith Iddon ● 5413d1 Comments ● 5412d

Reynards Mills and Chistianity

Well the faith has realy showed it pious hypocritical selfish values this time article:-"Vicar of St Faith's church Rev Derath Durkin speaks out about Reynard Mills proposals "Playing to the crowd What about the homeless cramped in overcrowded housing ,how about the young couples who can't afford to get started on the property ladder, How about the slum landords in windmill road who are also objecting to this proposal. to compete.How about considering a bigger picture than your empty pews. There are people out there who are in need of housing in this borough ,perhaps you would suggest somewhere the council might allow building Gunersbury park maybe. or just somewhere you can't smell.This campaign is about house price's car parking etc Nimyism, and not a jot about your so called Christian values , Derath youshould be ashamed of yourself.Graham Bingham

Graham Bingham ● 5428d6 Comments ● 5412d

White Female Cat Found Near Watermans

I saw a poster re a female white cat,black and grey round the ears who was taken to Hampstead Village Vets.  She was apparently knocked down near Watermans.  Their contact numbers are Victoria 07885 723 729 and Chaz 07904 202 343.

Joan Hughes ● 5412d0 Comments ● 5412d

Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion molecule-1

Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion molecule-1Robert Ramer*, Katharina Bublitz*, Nadine Freimuth*, Jutta Merkord*, Helga Rohde*, Maria Haustein*, Philipp Borchert*, Ellen Schmuhl*, Michael Linnebacher† and Burkhard Hinz*,1+ Author Affiliations*Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology and†Section of Molecular Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of General Surgery, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany↵1Correspondence: Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Schillingallee 70, D-18057 Rostock, Germany. E-mail: burkhard.hinz@med.uni-rostock.deAbstractCannabinoids inhibit cancer cell invasion via increasing tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1). This study investigates the role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) within this action. In the lung cancer cell lines A549, H358, and H460, cannabidiol (CBD; 0.001–3 μM) elicited concentration-dependent ICAM-1 up-regulation compared to vehicle via cannabinoid receptors, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Up-regulation of ICAM-1 mRNA by CBD in A549 was 4-fold at 3 μM, with significant effects already evident at 0.01 μM. ICAM-1 induction became significant after 2 h, whereas significant TIMP-1 mRNA increases were observed only after 48 h. Inhibition of ICAM-1 by antibody or siRNA approaches reversed the anti-invasive and TIMP-1-upregulating action of CBD and the likewise ICAM-1-inducing cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and R(+)-methanandamide when compared to isotype or nonsilencing siRNA controls. ICAM-1-dependent anti-invasive cannabinoid effects were confirmed in primary tumor cells from a lung cancer patient. In athymic nude mice, CBD elicited a 2.6- and 3.0-fold increase of ICAM-1 and TIMP-1 protein in A549 xenografts, as compared to vehicle-treated animals, and an antimetastatic effect that was fully reversed by a neutralizing antibody against ICAM-1 [% metastatic lung nodules vs. isotype control (100%): 47.7% for CBD + isotype antibody and 106.6% for CBD + ICAM-1 antibody]. Overall, our data indicate that cannabinoids induce ICAM-1, thereby conferring TIMP-1 induction and subsequent decreased cancer cell invasiveness.—Ramer, R., Bublitz, K., Freimuth, N., Merkord, J., Rohde, H., Haustein, M., Borchert, P., Schmuhl, E., Linnebacher, M., Hinz, B. Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion molecule-1.cannabinoids tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 experimental metastasis ICAM-1Received October 17, 2011.Accepted December 5, 2011.© FASEB

Philip Walsh ● 5413d2 Comments ● 5413d

Leaflet about developments in Brentford

Not sure who's responsible for the design of the leaflet but feel like having a moan about this - it looks lovely but I cannot read the part which has pastel coloured circles with writing on them. My eyesight is renowned for its rubbishness, however I wear contact lenses which are specially calibrated prescription lenses to deal with my appalling shortsightedness as well as age related difficulties in reading small print. I think this is a poor design - maybe it's available in black and white somewhere as I would definitely like to know about the plans/future consultation meetings etc!

Helen Martin ● 5415d4 Comments ● 5415d

1911 Census

The 'secret' part of the published census has now been released - anyone found anything interesting written about their relatives?http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082969/Noisy-bald-long-tongue-Britains-ailments-1911.htmlWhat might you record if you were completing the census as Head of Household?  This last question is asked out of total mischief!:-)

Sarah Felstead ● 5415d0 Comments ● 5415d

Virgin Media dead

Anyone else have this problem? the website says all fine but no phone, internet or TV.Cannot get past the security mess on the 0845 number (and can't use the free number from a Virgin phone, cos I don't have one!)Any ideas?

Guy Lambert ● 5416d3 Comments ● 5416d

Bike theft

Ladies Carrera blue and silver bike stolen from back garden of Clifden Road between midnight and 4am this morning.  Someone's going to get a nice Christmas present - I'm going to get the bus!!

Jennifer Long ● 5429d2 Comments ● 5416d