Left-handed calendar

Here's a cool left-handed calendar you can download for free. Pity I've found out about it when there are just three months of 2008 left.

Hopefully, they'll do another one for 2009.

Left-handed maestro

Here's yet another example of the left hander's natural superiority. :)

In last week's final of 'Maestro' - the BBC's series of celebs wielding a baton - not only was the runner up (Goldie) left handed but so was the winner, Sue Perkins.

Congratulations to both of them.

Left-handed plants

I read an interesting article that says most climbing plants are left handed. That’s the result of a study that discovered 95% of vines in 75 locations across the world twined anti-clockwise.

Lead scientist behind the research Angela Moles, an evolutionary biologist at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney said: "All [natural] proteins on Earth are left-handed molecules with a tendency to twist in one direction. In plants, the cell skeletons are made of proteins. If the proteins have a tendency to twist to the left, so might the plant stems."

Other research has shown that 94 per cent of spiral sea shells twist to the left.

You can read the full article here: http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2163/most-plants-are-left-handed-study-says

E-Reader

I saw my first electronic book at the weekend. Then, on Monday, I saw a photo of the new Sony E-Reader in a newspaper. Both gadgets had the controls down the right hand side. If these electronic reading devices take off, I doubt very much whether they will make a left-handed version.

At least with a conventional paper book, you can turn the pages with your left hand.

Is your pet left or right pawed?

The animal charity, the PDSA, wants to find out how many of the nation's cats, dogs and other pets favour their left limbs while going about their daily business.

According to their recent press release, PDSA senior vet, Sean Wensley, said: "There is evidence of 'handedness' – preferring one side of the body to the other for certain tasks – in chimps, walruses and crows, so it's plausible that the same could be true of our pets."

And previous research carried out by the University of Leeds found that 60 per cent of cats had a favourite paw they always used. Well, our cat, Daisy, certainly favours her left paw over her right when playing.

So, is your pet left or right pawed?

You can read the whole story here.

Left hander of the year is announced

In a recent poll organised by the Left Handers Club, members voted Barack Obama as Left Hander of the Year.

Runner up was Sir Paul McCartney, followed by Angelina Jolie. Left-handed tennis player, Raphael Nadal gained 15% of the vote, well ahead of American Idol runner-up David Archuleta.

You can find out the full story here.

What did the Romans do for left handers?

Not a lot. That's because they developed many right-handed traditions, from the handshake we still use today to writing from left to right - a practice which causes many of us to drag our hands over what we've just written and smudge everything.

Luckily, I've recently discovered some rather clever pens which have been designed especially for left handers. They're a must for every left hander. You can view them here.

Majority of left handers pass driving test first time

A recent article in an Irish newspaper revealed that, according to a poll for the AA Driving School, 57 per cent of left handers pass their driving test first time, compared with only 47 per cent of right-handers.

Simon Douglas, director of the AA Driving School, said: "Scientists have hypothesised for years that left handers are quicker to learn than right handers and, looking back through history, some of the most important drivers in the world have been left-handed."

Well, hooray for that story!

You can read the full article here.