Save Money By Switching to Two Wheels

November 17, 2021

We all know how costly motoring can be; fuel, road tax, insurance, not to mention servicing, and if you feel down because your set of wheels is draining your disposable income, you should consider putting the car in the garage and investing in a motorcycle.

The loss of comfort and protection is balanced by the speed and exhilaration of riding a big bike and if you’re new to biking, start with a small machine until you become a proficient rider.

Slash your motoring costs

Save the car for the winter, or if you’re really keen, sell the car and invest in a superbike from Wheels Motorcycles, a leading UK big bike dealer with new and used bikes for sale. If you have no biking experience, you won’t be able to jump straight onto a 1000cc superbike, at least not for a couple of years.

The first stage would be a 125cc machine and after 2 years, you can take the test to acquire the coveted class A license that allows you to ride any bike. When you calculate your monthly fuel costs, even a big bike is much cheaper to run, while tax and insurance are also lower.

Sell the car: If you sell your car, you will have more than enough to invest in a new motorcycle and still have some money left over, which you can use to get your protective clothing and equipment. Not only that, the money you save on fuel can go towards next year’s summer holiday and on the odd occasion when you do need a car, you can rent one for the day.

Riding tuition: If you have no motorcycle riding experience, we advise you to book a short basic riding course, which will teach you how to handle the machine on a range of surfaces, while also helping you with correct braking techniques.

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Hopefully, you will never experience an accident, but if you do, here are a few tips.

Sourcing the right motorcycle

There are quite a few styles to choose from, including the following:

Sports bike
Tourer
Street naked
Enduro

Start with a Google search to locate a nearby motorcycle dealership and browse the new and used models on offer and book a test ride on the machine you like. The dealer would offer low-interest finance, which means you can spread the payments over a couple of years.

You need to ensure the bike prior to riding it and if the machine is older than 3 years, it will also need a valid MOT certificate.

Welcome to the world of adventure

When you start riding a motorcycle, you will enjoy the thrills and exhilaration that come with the experience and hopefully, you will become a dedicated biker who enjoys a long and happy life on two wheels.

Check with the UK government about driving licence requirements for riding a motorcycle and get ready to slash your motoring costs.

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How to Make Artisanal Italian Pasta at Home?

Making artisanal Italian Pasta is an art practiced for centuries by Italian families and passed down from generation to generation. Artisanal Pasta is made using only the finest Italian durum wheat, ground into semolina, and kneaded with water and salt. This mixture is then stretched and cut into various shapes, ranging from tagliatelle to fettuccine, ravioli, and more. The process takes time and skill, but the resulting product is worth it. Artisanal Italian Pasta has a unique texture, flavor, and consistency that cannot be found in commercial pasta products. Anyone can make artisanal Italian Pasta at home with the right ingredients, technique, and patience. Importance Of Using High-Quality Ingredients Using high-quality ingredients is essential to making artisanal Italian Pasta at home. High-quality ingredients provide a unique and flavorful experience that no other type of Pasta can. When selecting the finest Italian Pasta and rice, it is important to focus on quality over quantity. This means selecting high-grade Pasta made in Italy, preferably from a family-run business producing Pasta for generations. When selecting the other ingredients, such as tomatoes, herbs, and cheese, focus on purchasing the freshest and best quality items. Using high-quality ingredients for your homemade pasta dish, you can bring out the flavors and create Artisanal Pasta that will impress you. For those serious about making the best artisanal Italian Pasta, it is important to invest in high-quality ingredients for the best results. The quality of your ingredients will determine the taste and texture of your finished dish, so take your time when selecting them. What Type Of Flour To Use For A Perfect Dough Consistency? Use the finest Italian pasta and rice flour to make Italian Pasta at home. This will help you get the perfect dough consistency. The flour should be finely ground and is usually made from durum wheat varieties, such as semolina. Semolina flour is best for making homemade Pasta because it has higher protein levels than other types of flour. This gives the dough elasticity and helps it hold together well when cooked. This flour type also creates a beautiful golden color in the finished Pasta. Be sure to sift and knead the dough for a few minutes to ensure an even texture before rolling it out. This high-quality flour will give you that artisanal, homemade look to your Italian Pasta! Finally, remember that when making fresh Pasta, it is best to cook it immediately. How To Knead And Roll Out The Dough Properly? Kneading the dough is the cornerstone of making artisanal Italian Pasta at home. Doing it properly will give you a perfect texture, structure, and flavor that you won’t find in store-bought versions. To start, gather your ingredients: 3 cups of finest Italian semolina flour, 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and 1/2 cup of filtered water. Place the semolina flour onto a wooden cutting board and create a well in the middle. Add salt to the well, followed by water. Stir together with your fingers until it forms into a dough ball. If more liquid is needed, add 1 tablespoon of water until you get the desired consistency. Once you have your dough ball, begin kneading it. Start by pressing down on the middle of the dough with the heel of your hand and pushing it away from you. Fold over the top half of the dough to cover the area where your palm was pressing and rotate it 90 degrees. Repeat this process for 5 minutes until a smooth elastic dough is formed. To check if the dough is ready, press your thumb into the middle, and if it bounces back without leaving an indentation, you’re good to go! Final Process Next, roll out the dough to make your Pasta. Use a rolling pin or pasta machine (which is preferable). Begin by cutting off small pieces of dough to work with. Sprinkle some flour onto a flat surface and press the dough ball with your palm. Start rolling it out from the center and move outward, spreading it evenly. Aim for a thinness of about 1/16th of an inch. If using a pasta machine, follow the instructions accordingly. Once the dough is rolled out, you can cut it into strips or shapes to make your favorite pasta dish. Use a knife or a ravioli maker for this. You now have lovely homemade artisanal Italian Pasta! Enjoy with your favorite sauce and grated cheese for an authentic Italian experience.
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The need for buying glasses to block blue light

Glasses to block blue light: Clear solutions to unclear problems If you look at the trends in spectacles and its lenses over the last couple of years, you will see an upwards increase and demand to purchase glasses to block blue light. What are blue light glasses, you ask? Well, as you will see all around you that people are increasingly hooked on their mobile phones. You go to the office and you find people spending most of the time in front of a screen, rubbing their eyes from time to time. You come home and watch TV for entertainment and spend scrolling time scrolling through the social feed on your smartphone; you might find that the light emanating from the screen is irritating your eyes. That is the ‘blue light’ which is irritating your eyes and it is one of the most harmful by-products of innovation in technology. Let us talk about the procedures you can follow to avoid harm to your eyes from the blue light. Firstly, you need to take frequent gaps whenever possible and just go away from the digital screen. You do not know how long you have stared at the screen, you do not even know if you have blinked for the last few minutes too. You are just sometimes thinking or working, right in front of a screen and staring at it; not knowing the level of harm it is causing on your eyes, completely unaware. You should take a gap and look as far away as possible and try to focus on an object, not a digital screen(make sure of that). You need to do that for half a minute almost and then get back to work. How harmful is the blue light? The light coming out of the screen might even cause you headaches and strain your eyes to the level that you start squinting them. There also comes an option in smartphones and laptops to equip a mode which does not emit so much light and does not harm your eyes that much. Heavy exposure for a number of years might even cause irreparable damage to the retina; you better take it seriously and take better care of yourself. How can blue light glasses help you? Go to any eyewear brand such as Specscart and type in a search for ‘blue light glasses’. You will find that the glasses are available for prescribed and reading both. The lens comes with a slight tint of colour to it so that you know the glasses to block blue light are authentic and original. You can check the lens by passing a laser through it; if the light doesn’t pass then the originality of the product is established. There is another option if you just made a purchase for frames and do not want to change it. You can look for options such as reglazing glasses and getting the lens changed by an optician or optometrist. Reglazing glasses means that the professional would get a new pair lens into your old frame and take care of both the needs; you get your old frame and now they can be used as glasses to block blue light. As a fellow wearer of glasses and someone who spends most of the time working on a laptop or on a smartphone(yes, I tick all the boxes), the blue light emitting from the screens will cause you harm. You might not have noticed it yet, but the technology today and our needs have made it so to require a product like blue light glasses. No two ways about it. Read about the phenomena and take better care of yourself.
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How Does Smoking Affect Tinnitus and What to Do About It

Tinnitus can be caused due to a myriad of reasons, and most of them are lifestyle-related factors that you can cut down or completely eradicate from your life. These factors include caffeine, excessive sugar uptake, and smoking. Smoking can be harmful to you and also hurt those around you. For most people, it can be a hard habit to quit. But when tinnitus disrupts your daily routine and makes it hard for you to focus on important tasks, quitting smoking can make a significant difference in your tinnitus symptoms. Many chemicals are present in cigarettes, and any one of them may be harmful to your tinnitus condition and affect your hearing. While smoking may not be the direct cause of tinnitus, it is a contributing factor. Interference with Neurotransmitters Smoking and tinnitus may not be directly related, but smoking is one of the many contributing factors for tinnitus. One of the results of regular smoking is its effect on your neurotransmitters. Smoking can hinder the transmissions that your neurotransmitters (located in the auditory nerve) to the brain. When these signals are either slow or miscommunicated to the brain, it can cause tinnitus symptoms. While you would need to be a regular or heavy smoker to see the immediate effects of not smoking on your tinnitus symptoms, sometimes even cutting down one cigarette a day can have an impact on tinnitus. Cell Damage The chemicals that are present in cigarettes are extremely harmful to your body and mind. They can cause inflammation and cell damage in the short term and more severe consequences, such as cancer if you continue to smoke. The cell damage caused by smoking can also affect your auditory functions and cause you to hear a faint ringing, which is an indicator of tinnitus. Nicotine may also act as a stimulant that can make noises louder in your ear, which can also aggravate your tinnitus condition. What You Can Do Quitting smoking is not a decision that can be made lightly because many smokers become incredibly habitual and dependent on nicotine. You can opt to use nicotine patches or other alternatives when you’re in the process of quitting cigarettes. You can also do it in phases: you can reduce your intake by one cigarette in the first month or two, make it two later, and so on as your body gets more comfortable with the absence of nicotine. Why Smoking and Tinnitus Go Hand in Hand If you suffer from tinnitus but do not smoke, your symptoms may be triggered by second-hand smoke. You are more likely to develop and retain tinnitus if you live with a regular smoker. In these cases, the obvious way to get relief from tinnitus is to minimize your contact with anyone who smokes frequently. Smoking and tinnitus have no direct relation, but smoking is the underlying cause for other conditions, and it triggers tinnitus symptoms in some patients. Various studies and reports show that long-term smoking can cause lung cancer, oral cancer, kidney and liver problems, high blood pressure, along with other conditions. So, to live a healthier and tinnitus-free life, the best route is to quit smoking completely or reduce it significantly.
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Major contact tracing effort continues across Brisbane as immunologist warns unknown source of COVID infection is ‘definitely a concern’

A major contact tracing effort will continue in southeast Queensland today as authorities work to determine if a new locally acquired case of COVID-19 in a Brisbane landscaper has spread further in the community. Genomic testing on Friday linked the 26-year-old Stafford man’s infection to another cluster in early March, which involved a doctor at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital and two returned travelers in hotel quarantine in the city. Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the source of his infection remained unknown but said an unidentified intermediary was probably the link between the first cluster and the new infection. Lack of symptoms ‘tricky for testing’ University of Queensland immunologist Dr. Larisa Labzin said the new case showed there could be transmitted within the community. “We’ve had zero local cases, so we want to know where that’s come from,” she said. “It’s entirely possible that some people have caught it and they haven’t known that they’ve had it, because it doesn’t necessarily give you symptoms. “That makes it a bit tricky for testing.” Health authorities have reimposed restrictions on visitors at residential aged care facilities, disability accommodation centers, correctional facilities, and hospitals across Brisbane and Moreton Bay, to be reviewed on Monday. Dr. Labzin said the extent of the spread from the Stafford man would likely depend on how active he was in the community and how strictly people were following COVID-safe measures. “It’s really a question of whether distancing practices were still being met, including good hygiene, because we know that that plays a huge part in limiting the spread,” she said. “We’re lucky at the moment, it’s quite warm, so we’re spending a lot of time outside and that definitely helps us prevent transmission. “Even while things appear to be pretty normal with not many cases around, it can very easily change … so, it’s always worth making sure you wash your hands and you’re still maintaining that distance — you’re still being COVID safe.” Dr. Young has urged the community to be vigilant with their COVID safety in response to the new case. “We need to make sure we are socially distancing and where we can’t, to wear a mask,” Dr. Young said. The use of masks hasn’t been mandated but people have been asked to wear them in crowded situations this weekend. Dr. Labzin said the level of response from the government was appropriate, but people could take further action of their own accord. “Even if masks haven’t been mandated, if it’s something small that you can do, that will make it safer for you, and for everyone else, like maintaining good hygiene, maintaining that distance, those things are really important.” “We have to stay vigilant.” Source: abc.net.au
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What is a war crime and could Putin be prosecuted over Ukraine?

A Russian soldier has admitted to killing an unarmed civilian in the first war crimes trial to be held in Ukraine since the conflict began. Ukraine says it has identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes, but the Russian government denies the allegations. The International Criminal Court has also sent a team of investigators and forensics experts to the country. What is a war crime? It may not seem like it, but “even war has rules”, as the International Committee of the Red Cross puts it. These are contained in treaties called the Geneva Conventions and a string of other international laws and agreements. Civilians cannot be deliberately attacked – nor can the infrastructure that is vital to their survival. Some weapons are banned because of the indiscriminate or appalling suffering they cause – such as anti-personnel landmines and chemical or biological weapons. The sick and wounded must be cared for – including injured soldiers, who have rights as prisoners of war. Serious offenses such as murder, rape, or mass persecution of a group are known as “crimes against humanity” or, in some circumstances, “genocide”. What did the Russian soldier do? The 21-year-old Russian tank commander Vadim Shishimarin admitted to shooting 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the head, a few days after the invasion began. Prosecutors said Shishimarin had been ordered to kill the unarmed civilian. He is being tried in a Kyiv district court and faces life in jail. “By this first trial, we are sending a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility,” Ukraine’s chief prosecutor Iryna Venediktova tweeted. She previously said her office was preparing cases against 41 Russian soldiers for offenses including killing civilians, rape, bombing civilian infrastructure, and looting. What other allegations of war crimes have there been in Ukraine? US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have both accused Russia of carrying out war crimes in Ukraine. Investigators and journalists found what appeared to be evidence of the deliberate killing of civilians in Bucha, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv, and other nearby areas. Ukrainian forces said they found mass graves and evidence that civilians had been killed after their feet and hands were bound. In March, a Russian strike on a theatre in Mariupol appeared to be the first confirmed location of a mass killing. The word “children” was written in giant letters outside the building. Ukraine previously called Russia’s airstrike on Mariupol’s hospital a war crime. Many experts argue the invasion itself is a crime under the concept of “aggressive warfare”. How can suspected war criminals be prosecuted? There have been a series of one-off courts since World War Two – including the tribunal investigating war crimes during the break-up of Yugoslavia. A body was also set up to prosecute those responsible for the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) both have roles upholding the rules of war. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules on disputes between states, but cannot prosecute individuals. Ukraine has begun a case against Russia. If the ICJ ruled against Russia, the UN Security Council (UNSC) would be responsible for enforcing that. But Russia – one of the council’s five permanent members – could veto any proposal to sanction it. The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and prosecutes individual war criminals who are not before the courts of individual states. It’s the permanent modern successor to Nuremberg, which prosecuted key Nazi leaders in 1945. Nuremberg cemented the principle that nations could set up special courts to uphold international law. Can the ICC prosecute offences in Ukraine? The ICC’s chief prosecutor, British lawyer Karim Khan QC, believes there is a reasonable basis to believe war crimes have been carried out in Ukraine. Investigators will look at past and present allegations – going back as far as 2013, before Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. If there’s evidence, the prosecutor will ask ICC judges to issue arrest warrants to bring individuals to trial in The Hague. However the court doesn’t have its own police force so relies on individual states to arrest suspects – and since Russia is not a member of the court it is unlikely to extradite any suspects. Could President Putin, generals, or other leaders be prosecuted? It’s far easier to pin a war crime on the soldier who commits it, than on the leader who ordered it. Hugh Williamson of Human Rights Watch – an organization with expertise in gathering evidence of war crimes in conflicts – agrees there is evidence of summary executions and other grave abuses by Russian forces. He says establishing the “chain of command” is very important for any future trials – including whether a leader authorized an atrocity – or turned a blind eye to it. The ICC can also prosecute the offense of “waging aggressive war”. This is the crime of an unjustified invasion or conflict, beyond justifiable military action in self-defense. It originated at Nuremberg after the judge sent by Moscow convinced the Allies that Nazi leaders should face justice for “crimes against peace”. However, Professor Philippe Sands QC, an expert on international law at University College London, says the ICC couldn’t prosecute Russia’s leaders for this because the country isn’t a signatory to the court. In theory, the UN Security Council could ask the ICC to investigate this offense. But again, Russia could veto this. Prof Sands wants world leaders to set up a one-off tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression in Ukraine. Read more at bbc.com
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Save Money By Switching to Two Wheels

Slash your motoring costs

Sourcing the right motorcycle

Welcome to the world of adventure

Like it? Share it with your friends!

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