Here’s what has been going on in the CIX Forums this week:

5:2 Diet gets a revamp

The popular ‘fasting’ diet which involves fasting for 2 days a week and eating normally for the remaining 5, has had an update from Michael Mosley, the doctor behind the Horizon documentary. This version combines the original 5:2 diet with tighter eating and more exercise too. The fast beach 5:2 followers should clear out their cupboards of any junk food, make sure to control their portions by measuring food, and avoid alcohol for a six week period. Dr Mosley advises having healthy snacks to hand to avoid temptation and exercising a few times a week with high intensity training through swimming or running.
CIXforums:fasting/general:1476

Is there more to horseradish than sauce?

Gourmet cooks were at a loss to suggest much more than a homemade horseradish sauce for a chef presented with the ingredient, though a medieval horseradish sweet did make an appearance. Do you have an exotic horseradish recipe? Share with cixforums:gourmet/12general:4297

Book Club

Reviews are coming through for ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro and CIXen tells of its slow moving horror which will stick firmly in their mind. Add your review, or join in next month, with June’s book ‘The Man in the High Castle’ by Philip K Dick.
cixforums:sasha_lubetkin/book_club:5544

Online Oldies

Radio Somerset were looking at the latest government initiative to bring more of the older generation online, which prompted an eager CIXen to phone in and discuss Europe’s oldest social network. Could internet forums be the solution for isolation that many older people face?
Join the debate: cixforums:sasha_lubetkin/16chatterbox:4536

CIX Jokes of the Week:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No..
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law.

It’s a good job we humans no longer have to hunt for our food. I don’t even know where crisps live.

Here’s a rundown of CIX this week:

As Net Neutrality issues popped up on both sides of the pond, CIXen discussed the various differences in the system we have in the UK and the one our American friends have in the States. Their system allows has created a near monopoly of the last-mile of internet services, meaning users can have prices hiked in order to receive premium, or even generic, services.
Our sister company ICUK has also blogged on this issue: http://goo.gl/LNSvER.

Debated on: cixforums:internet/16general:2393

Is misogyny on the rise? Following the BBC documentary by Kirsty Wark, CIXen debated whether misogyny is indeed comparatively more of a problem now. The rise of social media has certainly brought more to light than may have been known before and can give the appearance of a rise where there is not one. CIXen also considered whether cultural changes meant society had become used to something and therefore the next generation had to be even more shocking than the last in order to get a response.

Find this on: cixforums:sasha_lubetkin/3controversy:9382

Vintage footage was shared in pointers this week, including a live instant coffee advert from 1953 and a pre-war BBC television compilation. The compilation, from 1938, is considered the earliest example of pre-war live high definition television – though it may not match up to our HD standards!

More here: cixforums:pointers/5www:4160 and here: cixforums:pointers/5www:4159

CeX, the gadget trading store of a very similar name, announced it would accepting bitcoin for three days this month to highlight the pressing issues around Scottish independence and currency. The Glasgow store hopes to show that they could go without the pound and it wouldn’t be a hindrance to the country.

Keep the debate going: cixforums:bitcoin/general:398

Resident CIX tech journalist Wendy Grossman published her latest piece entitled ‘The Cost of Surveillance’ through CIX, and you can read it on: cixforums:wendyg.public/articles.103.

Our sister company ICUK scooped an award at the Croydon Business Awards this week! The team won Best Customer Service and were also Highly Commended for Commitment to the Community.
Read more on the ICUK blog: http://goo.gl/kiF8Qb

A few CIX jokes:

At breakfast….
A husband says to his wife, ‘What would you do if I won the Lotto?’

‘I’d take half, and leave you’, she says.

‘Great’, he says…. ‘Here’s six dollars….. I won twelve dollars
yesterday. Stay in touch.’

I got a letter from the Origami Association this morning.

I don’t know what to make of it.

CIX is proud to announce a brand new client for reading and posting to CIX through Windows – CIXReader. CIXReader is bursting with new features that help to keep you up to date with all your forums, so you never miss a post.

A Distant Memory

Thanks to the new CIXReader you can forget:

• Telnet: Now CIXReader connects through a secure HTTPS API meaning you can be rid of telnet and have messages downloaded quickly to maintain the CIX experience.
• Blinking: Messages are synchronised automatically, and posted instantly, reducing any OLR Lag problems.
• Broken Threads: The aim of CIX Reader is to simplify the messaging system, so even when you move machines, you’ll still be able to access the same messages and forums quickly.
• Confusing Menus: CIXReader features just four headings- Forums, Messages, Directory, Account – to help you navigate.

Improved Features

Thanks to the new CIXReader, you will now enjoy:

• Access to private messages: bringing the feature to the desktop world, you can now access messages between you and another user.
• Font Styling: retained from Ameol2 and across CIX
• Improved Layout/Multi-pane view: choose from two pane or three pane view, whichever you prefer. Both still support threading.
• Moderator features: Moderators can still withdraw posts and also post in read-only topics. New topics can be created in CIXForums web interface.
• Simple install: download, confirm, login and go!
• Starred messages: to return to a message for later, just star it, and you’ll be able to find it when you’re ready to reply.
• Auto-updates: never miss a bug fix or an update, as CIXReader will let you know when an update is available.

You can obtain the new CIXReader from: http://www.cixonline.com/cixreader.asp

Support for CIXReader can be found in cix:cix.support/cixreader

FAQs and help files can be found at http://www.cixonline.com/support.asp

Watch this space for more information about the Linux and Mac versions.

And our thanks go to Steve Palmer and the Beta testing team for their help on this development project.

Here’s what’s been going on in the CIX forums this week:

Tributes were paid to composer Antony Hopkins who died earlier this week, though there was acknowledgement of the confusion with the Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins, who is still alive. He will be fondly remembered by many CIXens who enjoyed his compositions on BBC radio, that brightened up a Sunday afternoon.

As seen on: cix:bbcradio/5general:5711

Fans of Eurovision can rescan their digital radios to enjoy a dedicated BBC station to the events over the weekend. It will feature interviews and anecdotes from Eurovision contests past and present.

As seen on: cix:bbcradio/digital:5257

The redundant French cuff was debated this week, as CIXens questioned its need in the age of buttoned shirts. Cufflinks were initially a feature of shirts to hold them equally below the jacket, but many CIXens agreed that they, along with other clothing items like ties, are rather unnecessary in this day and age.

As seen on: cix:sasha_lubetkin/6ask_aunty:5529

CIXen Jokes this week:

There was a time traveller who travelled back in time to try and prevent the accidental death of his wife.

He failed.

He was beside himself with grief at the funeral.

FIVE Simple Truths

1. Money cannot buy happiness, but it’s more comfortable to cry in a

Mercedes than on a bicycle.

2. Forgive your enemy, but remember the a-hole’s name.

3. If you help someone when they’re in trouble, they will remember

you when they’re in trouble again.

4. Many people are alive only because it’s illegal to kill them.

5. Alcohol does not solve any problems – but then neither does milk.

An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road.

A cop pulls him over. “So,” says the cop to the driver, “where have ya been?”

” Why, I’ve been to the pub of course,” slurs the drunk.

” Well,” says the cop, “it looks like you’ve had quite a few to drink this evening.”

“I did all right,” the drunk says with a smile.

“Did you know,” says the cop, standing straight and folding his arms across his chest, “that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?”

“Oh, thank heavens,” sighs the drunk.  “For a minute there, I thought I’d gone deaf.”

This Month’s Book Club read ‘The Jane Austen Book Club’ and it received mixed criticisms. It’s main plus point was how easy it is to read, but book club members were let down by the substance of the book, which saw very little happen.

The book for May is ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro.

As seen on: cix:sasha_lubetkin/book_club:5457

Will facebook bring down the government? Social media has been credited with the rise of revolutions in many countries in the last couple of years, but now Telegraph commentator Fraser Nelson is linking it with something much more sinister. Nelson writes that many terrorists can have their roots traced back to London, in a phenomenon that has led the CIA to dub London as ‘Londonistan’. But CIXens are far more rational, many more keen to play down waves of hysteria rather than encourage people to be scared.

As seen on: cix:pointers/2pointless:2908

The conflict in Syria and those Brits who go to fight was up for debate too this week as David Cameron has called on women of the Muslim community to stop their husbands and sons going to Syria.  Should British residents who choose to either send funds or go themselves be arrested and charged with terror offences? Where is the line drawn over crimes committed in another country and whether the offender can be prosecuted here?

As seen on: cix:enquire_within/61discussion:10106

Jokes of the Week:

Alcohol was my dad’s answer to everything. He didn’t drink. He was just lousy at quizzes.

A young man was in love with two women and could not decide which of them to marry. Finally he went to a marriage counsellor. When asked to describe his two loves, he noted that one was a great poet and the other made delicious pancakes.

“Oh” said the counsellor, “I see what the problem is. You can’t decide whether to marry for batter or verse.”

I invited my American mate to the opening of my WW2 themed pub.

He was late.