Today's News

I turned on the old bedside clock radio just before seven this morning before I had to roll out to go down the hall, wake up George and get our day started. The first thing that we heard was that a new study has been published in The Lancet or some other medical comic stating that artificial additives such as artificial colours, flavours and preservatives make children hyperactive. What? Has the clock gone back to 1976? I think we knew this. Why is this information getting air time? I have always known that if my boys eat junk food with loads of artificial colours, flavours and packed with preservatives, they'll go into orbit.

I learned pretty early on that if my children ate processed or convenience foods their behaviour was much harder to control than if I made a bit of effort and cooked something proper for our meals. My kids are normal kids. Well, sort of normal. I can't imagine what it would be like for children with big behaviour problems. We also found out that during car journeys the atmosphere inside the car was just fine until we added candy. Candy makes children go nuts. The more colourful the candy, the crazier the kids got. The worst offender in our family was Skittles. The boys' eyes would glaze over like they were on something illegal.

It always gives me a chuckle in church if a visiting family has a small child and they try to get the child to be quiet by giving it candy. It tells me two things when I see this. One, they don't go to church very often and the children don't know how to act in church. Two, they're kidding themselves if they thing refined sugar is going to keep a tot quiet for any longer than it takes to actually eat the candy. Later on the whole experience frightens me as I realize that I am not only becoming my mother but my grandmother as well in the way that I cross my arms and think all sorts of disapproving things about giving candy to the teenies in church.

Perhaps somebody is trying to get the Food Standards Agency to take some action on food additives. If the Food Standards Agency gets rid of all the nasty food additives, then people who let their children eat junk (myself included) will be absolved of just a bit more responsibility of what goes into children's mouths.


The other bit of news was the death of Luciano Pavarotti. I'm sorry that he's gone. The radio hasn't stopped playing Nessun Dorma all day. I don't mind that, I love Puccini. He was one of the worlds greatest singers and I don't think I'll ever hear his equal again in my lifetime.

The big man in Paris 1998.

Grazie Luciano per la tua bellissima voce! Thank you Luciano for your beautiful voice. Rest in peace maestro.