Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

It is getting harder to own a pet.  In 2012 two-thirds of homes had pets.  Now it is down to just over half.  In fact, families are now ten times more likely to own a virtual assistant like Amazon’s Alexa than even a hamster. It is not our fault.  We still love animals, but can...

If you have been hurt in your search for romantic love, Gabriel Possenti (1838-62) may be a good saint for you.  Because Possenti, born to the governor of Assisi, began by having it all.   He grew up doing the mid-19th century equivalent of eBay, nightclubs, cinema and online dating, only in those days it was...

Have you done something which haunts you?  Which makes you feel restless and defensive, every time you think of it?  Why not deal with it this month, and put it behind you?   Whatever your mistake has been, consider what the Bible has to say to you: ‘I have not come to call the virtuous but...

What you eat affects how you think. So says a recent international study, which has found evidence that a Mediterranean diet can cut the risk of depression – by reducing inflammation in the body. The study, conducted at University College London, found that people who ate plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish and plant-based foods,...

Don’t let your access to the internet mess up your head.  That is the warning of a number of experts who are calling for urgent action to address the growing problem of a range of mental health disorders. Now an international team of more than 100 researchers say that the ‘all pervasive’ nature of the...

Some miscellaneous observations on modern life… A cabbie is a fare-minded person. A closed mouth gathers no foot. A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well. A job at the nursery can lead to a budding career. A...

Here is a very sad statistic:  one in four girls aged 14 has already self-harmed.  And a recent survey by the Children’s Society has also discovered that girls are less happy than boys with school life.  The charity analysed data from the Understanding Society survey and may have found the reason:  jokes and comments in...

If we were to name someone prominent from the 17th century, we might mention Rembrandt or Shakespeare. It is unlikely we would remember George Herbert. However, he was a prolific writer, a gifted speaker and musician. His hymns are still sung today. Herbert was born into a wealthy family in Mid-Wales on 3rd April 1593....

You might well lose weight by eating a late breakfast and an early dinner. A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science has found that if you delay breakfast by 90 minutes, and eat supper 90 minutes earlier, you may well lose weight, even if you do not change what you eat. Researchers believe...

On 27th February the Church Calendar celebrates George Herbert. For those who are muttering ‘never heard of him’, just think of the hymn ‘Let all the world/ In every corner sing’, which he wrote, along with several other hymns which are still popular, even if they are well over 300 years old.  In the course...

Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? The Beatles saw loneliness all around them back in the 60s, when they wrote the lyrics to Eleanor Rigby.  And loneliness is growing:  the number of lonely over-50s will hit two million within seven years, according to recent data from...

The sheer amount of personal data that children and their parents are giving away about themselves is staggering.  Consider this: Children aged 11 – 16 post on social media on average 26 times a day By 13, a child will have about 1,300 pictures and videos of themselves posted online. By 18, the average child...