Phone conversations with grandchildren

Police have unveiled a new device which can detect when motorists are using their mobile phones while driving. The new technology, created by Westcotec, can determine how many cars on a stretch of road have phones being used without hands-free kits. When the device detects a phone being used it will flash a mobile phone symbol at the vehicle to advise the driver to stop using their phone - similar to the roadside LED displays which warn speeding motorists to "slow down". Listen to "New technology to tackle drivers using their phones" on Spreaker. :: Add to Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker . However, the detectors cannot tell if it is a driver or passenger using the phone. Advertisement Hampshire and Thames Valley police forces are the first to roll out use of the device which also allows officers to identify hotspots where mobile phones are frequently used by motorists. Please use Chrome browser for a more … [Read more...] about Police detectors to catch drivers using mobile phones

When I lived in Switzerland and helmed a theatre troupe, every weekend I threw a party with a different theme. I recall a Monster Bash, a Dress Like Your Idol party, and a When I Was Five event. The actors and techies and their partners came, and I knocked myself out entertaining, telling stories, and making sure everyone had a good time. When people left, they always said, “This was the best party ever” or “I had a great time.” I noticed that when I wasn’t doing something to make the party a success, everyone sat in silence. That immediately triggered my sense that I had to do something to make the party fun. Frankly, it was exhausting. One weekend, I decided to change things. I had a theme. I invited the theatre troupe, and I decided not to talk or tell stories. And what happened? No one talked. Except for polite conversation. At the end of the party, everyone left and said to me, “This was the best party ever” and “I had a great time.” They loved the silence. On the island … [Read more...] about Does Conversation Silence Make You Anxious?

"Our objective as the United States is to have a predictable relationship with Russia, to stabilize that relationship and certainly having a discussion, having a summit would be an opportunity to discuss areas where we agree and can work together whether it is continuation of non-proliferation efforts, obviously they [Russia] are partnering in P5+ [1] and those could be part of the forum for our discussion," Psaki said. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden held a telephone conversation . The two presidents discussed strategic stability, Russia's alleged 'cyber intrusions' and meddling in US election, as well as America's "unwavering commitment" to Ukraine. … [Read more...] about US Seeks ‘Predictable Relationship’ With Russia, White House Says

The stranger’s call came when US woman Dianne Green needed it most. Alone in the home where she’d raised four kids, grieving recently deceased relatives, too fearful of Covid-19 to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she had never felt lonelier. Then, one day last spring, her cell phone lit up. The cheerful voice on the line was Janine Blezien, a nurse from a Chicago hospital’s “friendly caller” programme, created during the pandemic to help lonely seniors cope with isolation. READ MORE: It's hard to admit we're lonely, even to ourselves. Here are the signs and how to manage them Election 2020: Greens promise fix for internet inequality and loneliness Feeling lonely? You're not alone. Here's how good public policy can help Elderly going flatting to help address loneliness Blezien, 57, lives with her rescue dogs, Gordy and Kasey, in a suburban brick bungalow, just six miles from Green’s two-flat apartment in the city. “She wasn’t scripted. She … [Read more...] about Covid-19: US doctor prescribes first hug in a year for vaccinated grandmother

There is a ripple effect when someone is murdered. “Doctors always say it is better to break something over fracturing it. Fractures never really heal as well as a break,” said Greg Dunn, best friend of Andrew Kinsman, the last of eight men murdered by serial killer Bruce McArthur. “My heart, soul and spirit have been fractured. They may heal in time but it will never be the same and it will never go away.” Dunn’s words were read aloud in court Friday by Justice John McMahon as he described how the pain of the murders of eight men by McArthur reverberated through families, friends, communities and Toronto as a whole. Six people shared with the Star how fractures in their own lives and communities have emerged since the serial killer was arrested just over a year ago. For some, McArthur’s crimes exposed pain from past traumas and historical violence against marginalized communities. For others, there remain haunting questions that may never be answered and thoughts of reunions … [Read more...] about How six Toronto lives were fractured by serial killer Bruce McArthur