itisi: April 2006

Saturday, 29 April 2006

On Chickens, Fruit and Beer

Before I begin, the Cast That Classic meme has been posted here.

Chickens. I'd like some. I have discussed the matter with Mr Blogs, but he doesn't seem keen. The problem is mostly the bird flu thing, so maybe once that is over with, I shall approach the subject again. He wasn't keen on getting a dog, and now we have two, so as you can see, he is easily persuaded. Anyway, I have been thinking about getting some chickens for a while, and it really does make sense. Although our garden isn't large, we do have the space, they aren't hugely expensive to feed, or tremendously difficult to care for. Plus, they have the advantage of providing eggs which you know the origin of, and also make a good form of garden pest control.

I really like the idea of producing more of our own food. I already 'do veg' but I'm going to expand the range of fruit I grow this year. At the moment, I only grow strawberries, red currants and blackberries, but I'm rather drawn to apples, plums and pears. Standard sized trees would be far too big for our little patch, but there are dwarf varieties that would fit perfectly. In fact, I could probably manage a veritable orchard of them. I would love to hear from anyone who grows this type of fruit tree, because I'm wondering what kind of harvest you get. Would there be enough for a few pies, and a batch of jam?

Another project for this year is to get into home brewing. Maybe not the nettle beer I mentioned in an earlier post. So far, I have had a huge problem convincing anyone that making beer out of nettles is a good idea. But, there are many other alternatives, the afore mentioned blackberries would make very good plonk, and I'm sure that one I have investigated further I will find other great options. I'll let you know how I get one with this, and hopefully, pass on tips and recipes.

In the News:

During a routine security sweep, police found a small quantity of cannabis at the home of Defence Secretary, John Reid. Mr Reid has denied all knowledge of the drug saying "I have no idea where it came from, or when." Coincidently, memory loss is one of the side effects of cannabis use.

The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, is still under pressure to resign following his failure to deport criminals from overseas. What I want to know is, why on earth did they ever give the job to a man who looks like a malevolent version of Big Ears?

Other Stuff:

I noticed this little gizmo, when I was visiting Ally at ducking for apples, and I was quite taken with it. You can see mine in the column on the left, and you'll notice it highlights all the comments I have made recently. This is great, I find it hard to keep up with which blogs I have left comments on, so it's nice to have some way of keeping track.

I'm also trying another blog posting thingy, the other one was very good, but I couldn't work out how to insert images while using it. I haven't tried that yet with this one, but, fingers crossed, it will be easier to do. As far as I can tell, it only works with Firefox, sorry to any IE or Opera users.

Technorati Tags: meme, chickens, fruit, dwarf fruit trees, home brewing, beer, wine, john reid, charles clarke, big ears, coComment, performacing firefox blog tool

Friday, 28 April 2006

Falling Down, News and Other Stuff

It seems to be my week for aches and pains. Yesterday, I woke up with a bad back, that has improved, but now I have a huge bruise on my leg, another just below my elbow and a sore shoulder, thanks to a rather undignified stair incident. I was walking downstairs, when my slipper fell off, in the process of trying to retrieve it, while simultaneously avoiding the overhang* I lost my footing, fell in a heap and slid down the last six steps. Ouch!

In the News:

The IPCC have upheld a complaint from the family of Hayley Richards, who was killed by her boyfriend a week after reporting him to the police for a previous attack. It seems so terribly wrong that in the 21^st century women are still dying because domestic violence reports are not being taken seriously. A sizable number of schools are without a permanent Head and large classes are on the increase. Fortunately, my Boys go to a village school where class sizes are limited, because the number of pupils is relatively small, but I sympathise with anyone whose child is in this situation. It's really not good for pupils or teachers.

Other Stuff:

I've just signed a pledge over at Pledgebank, promising not to leave my mobile phone charger plugged in when it's not in use. This is a bad habit of mine, and one I am determined to break. Five more people are needed to make the pledge a success, so visit this page, and sign up please.

Feeling musical? Well, have a go at this. It really is a lot of fun, even for the non-musically inclined. I have to admit my own composition was more than a little discordant, but on the bright side it would have gone down well at a jazz festival. Well, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it LOL

* Low ceilings are one of the perils of living in a cottage, and the overhang on our staircase is very low. In fact anyone over 5'5” has to duck to avoid banging their bonce. This also makes moving large items of furniture a problem.

Listening to: You Do Something To Me - Paul Weller

Technorati Tags: domestic violence, ipcc, education, large classes, pledgebank, online musicmaker,

Thursday, 27 April 2006

The Rural T'Internet, Hedgehogs and The Fat Lad (Again)

Hello Dear Reader. I awoke this morning with back ache, poo. I am guessing I must have slept 'funny', by that I mean in an awkward position, not that I was telling jokes the whole night. Anyhow, I am shuffling around slowly, and all of my plans for today have been put on hold.

A report examining the use of new technology in the UK has revealed that t'internet use is higher in rural areas than urban ones, although country folk are still more likely to use dial-up connections. I'm guessing this is due to BT's reluctance to upgrade rural exchanges . . . in this village we had to have an organised campaign before they would let us have broadband, and I would think that smaller places would find it difficult to get enough signatures to persuade them that it was worth their while financially. It seems a shame that so many are missing out on the benefits of a fast connection simply because a large corporation wishes to make even more profit.

When did you last see a hedgehog? It seems the prickly but cute creatures are in decline. Help to track their population by visiting Hogwatch.org.uk and recording any sightings. If you haven't seen any in the last year or so, they want to know about that too.

BTW not only is John Prescott the world's most unlikely womaniser, he also seems to have a pretty huge ego. Last night Mr Blogs informed me, that some time ago, Two Shags declared Marlon Brando the ideal choice to play him in a film about his life. Quite why anyone would wish to make a film about him in the first place is a bit of a head scratcher, but the idea the JP identifies with Brando is even more puzzling. Here in the Blogs; household, the consensus was that Les Dawson would have been a far more believable option.

Listening to: The Archers

Tags:

broadband

technology

hedgehogs

john prescott

marlon brando

les dawson

Wednesday, 26 April 2006

Nuclear Fuel and Silly Boys

Today is the 20^th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I remember the event clearly, Number One Son was a baby at the time, and the event caused a huge amount of consternation. Could you still breast feed, or was formula milk going to be just as bad because it came from cows which had eaten radioactive grass? Did this mean a whole generation were going to grow up with the threat of an increased risk of cancer hanging over them? As it turned out, most of these fears were unfounded, although printing them probably increased newspaper sales enormously. Most of the ill effects have been confined the the former Soviet Union, where it is estimated that there will be between 4000 and 93000 deaths due to radiation levels. Oddly, Wales did suffer as a result of the explosion, apparently due to some kind of freak weather conditions which sent the radioactive material over England, before bringing it down in the Welsh valleys. As a result there are still numerous sheep farmers whose livestock is subject to restrictions because of the effects of radiation. Bearing all this in mind, one does hope that the government will refuse to give in to the calls from the nuclear industry to build make nuclear power the fuel of the future. Their argument that it is the only reliable 'green' energy supply really are bogus, especially when one considers the results should it all go horribly wrong.

Am I the only one who finds the whole John Prescott affair thing a bit odd. I know they say power is a huge aphrodisiac, but, the man has a face like the proverbial wasp chewing bull dog. You just wouldn't, would you?

It's a well known fact, that many men become footballers, or join bands in order to win favour with the girlies. But, what about those poor unfortunates who don't have the talent to do such things? Well, they perform bizarre, and slightly dull escape stunts instead.

Any bloggers reading this . . . and I think that is most visitors*, might like to take a look at this blogging tool thingy, that lets you post from your desktop. I'm just getting to grips with it, but it seems pretty easy to set up and use, and works with a range of blogging systems. It does other things too, such as adding tags, so seems pretty useful overall.

* With the exception of Mr. Blogs friend, Dave, who stubbornly refuses to get one. Come on Dave, really, it's even more fun than a website, and if don't I'll start calling you Mr Stuck in the Past.

I'm a little worried about the result of this quiz, considering the kind of movie that brought Paris Hilton to prominence . . .

Listening to: Mozart's 7th Symphony

Tags:

chernobyl

nuclear power

john prescott affair

david blaine

Tuesday, 25 April 2006

A meal and a drink does not make it ok

Good Morning Dear Reader :-) I'm beginning this post with info about an issue that is all too prevalent, and which I personally take very seriously. Over at Ducking for Apples, Ally has highlighted the problems of date rape and domestic violence, in the form of a post containing a range of resources for anyone affected by these issues. These is also a follow up post which you will find here If you have ever experienced anything like this pop over, you may find some useful info. If on the other hand you are thinking this doesn't apply to you, please remember sexual assault and DV can happen to anyone, whatever their age, social class or gender. Really, don't believe the stereotype of feckless teenage girls with a victim mentality*.

Date rape isn't something I have experienced, but I have several friends who haven't been so lucky. On the other hand, domestic violence was a problem during my first marriage, and really if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. I'm intelligent (well apparently so) articulate and confident. I come from a loving family, and had certainly not been brought up to think that kind of thing was normal. Ironically, this seems to be a common factor amongst 'victims' (I even know a 15 stone rugby player who was regularly assaulted by his GF.) Any assault of this kind is about one person dominating, or having power over another, remember that and it's natural that abusers will aim for a confident, outgoing, bubbly person who could be seen as a challenge. There is no sense of accomplishment in having that kind of hold over someone who already feels that being a victim is their lot in life.

Sadly, there are still a large number of people who buy into the 'she was asking for it' idea. According to an Amnesty survey, 34% of people believe that flirting is a justification for rape! Following this logic, taking out cash or a credit card , or using a mobile phone in a public place means it is ok for someone to mug you. Do you think a mugger would get any sympathy if he stood up in court and said 'Well your Honour, he was flaunting an obviously expensive piece of technology, and I couldn't resist the urge to punch him senseless and take it'. I don't think so.

OK, back to the usual drivel . . .

The post has just arrived amongst which was an 'invitation' to receive discount laser eye treatment. For some reason the company send me these on an almost weekly basis, although I have no intention of ever undergoing such a procedure. Not being a superhero/underwear pervert, I really can't see any need for me to have the ability to zap lasers from my eyes.

Watched second part of Sharpe last night, and wasn't disappointed. The finale featured plenty of action, and lots of shots of Sean Bean striding manfully about, uttering profound Yorkshire expressions** ( ee by heck and so on) and naturally, his shirt became ever more unbuttoned as the story unfolded . . . be still my beating heart.

* I find the whole concept of victim-hood quite irritating, yes, this happened to me, and it was horrible. But, it isn't the be all and end all of my existence. It goes in the same category as the time I got knocked off my bike by an idiot who didn't bother to stop to see if I was ok, or the time the dentist gave me a filling without waiting for the anaesthetic to take effect. Life goes on, it was an unpleasant experience, but it's over.

** Actually, most Yorkshire expressions are more than just slang or lazy speech habits. In this part of England's largest county people speak a dialect left over from the Vikings, and it can be tricky for incomers to understand. So much so, that a couple of years ago, the local health authority produced a guide book for doctors from overseas who had come to work here, believing they were fluent in English only to discover they could not understand a word their patients said. I can relate to this, I came here from the Midlands, and lived on the east coast for ten years, and genuinely believed I understood how Yorkshire folk spoke. However, then I moved here, and realised that people on the east coast are in fact, terribly posh, and don't have much in the way of an accent at all. Thankfully, Mr Blogs is a native of these parts and could act as a translator.

Listening to: silence, it is very quiet here at the moment

Tags:

domestic violence

date rape

laser eye treatment

sean bean

sharpe

yorkshire dialect

Monday, 24 April 2006

Sean Bean, Irish Cricket and Media Tips for Osama

Hello Dear Reader, I've been a bit busy so no posts for a day or two I'm afraid. However, I'm now back to bore you with my ramblings. I'll begin you telling you that I am a happy bunny. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but ITV are rewarding me with two consecutive evenings of Sean Bean, Yorkshire's only doo-able famous bloke*. OK, it's only Sharpe, which isn't the greatest thing ever, but he does stride around in a very blokey way saying things like ey-oop, and bugger, which I find strangely attractive.

For the first time ever, someone has linked to an actual post on this blog, rather than the main page. Appreciation at last :-) The blog in question is timrollpickering which is well worth a visit, not least because while I was there, I discovered that Ireland has a cricket team. I come from an Irish family and this was news to even me. It's true though, who'd have guessed. Mind you this isn't enough to make me take an interest in the game, I have never understood cricket, and I find the bizarre terminolgy highly amusing. I mean, silly mid whatever, googly . . . that just sounds rude . . . and quite honestly, I think the whole sport is just an excuse for men to stand around doing nothing. I have similar feelings about golf . . . if you want to go for a walk, do so, don't try to pretend you are playing a serious sport.

( I have a feeling I have now alienated half the population of England, oops)

I noticed that following his latest video release, the media are now referring to Osama Bin Laden as OBL. Is this because he is he is an old, boring looney? Sorry, couldn't resist that. His videos are very dull too. Really, he is becoming a bit like terrorism's equivalent of Blink182, releasing a series of soundalike videos in quick succession. It's always the same thing, 'hiss, boo, the West sucks' and all on what appears to be very cheap video tape. Has this man never heard of DVD? Or maybe trying a few special effects? A laser show in the background would jazz things up no end, or he could warm up his audience with a few jokes, and a spot of conjuring.

*Let's face it Harvey Smith and Geoffrey Boycott don't exactly offer much of a challenge in the doo-ability stakes.

Finally, here is a quiz which helps you discover which European city is best for you. I'm guessing it's aimed at folk from the other side of the pond, but why not have a go, and see if you are in fact living in the right place.

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions.

You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Listening to: Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

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Friday, 21 April 2006

A Dead Mouse and Cherie's 80's Hair

My mouse is soon to be no more. It is sticking and making odd noises, and has become extremely difficult to use. Mr Blogs has a replacement in a box, somewhere. Exactly where he isn't sure. The replacement was bought at the the same time as Current Mouse, approximately 5 years ago, and stored away in readiness for the day Current Mouse died. However, Current Mouse proved to very long lived, and in the mean time we have forgotten the location of his sibling. I will miss Current Mouse, even though Replacement Mouse is identical. He was my first optical mouse, and such a joy to use. Gone where the days of removing that small rubber ball, and cleaning out horrible grime in order to prevent jarring and sticking. Current Mouse rolled smoothly and needed no unpleasant maintenance at all. We have had so much fun together surfing the t'internet, learning HTML and graphic design, posting aimless drivel to this blog and I have to admit, he behaved so well, I really did take him for granted. But soon, he will off to the great computer in the sky, where the right click function is never disabled and I will embark on new cyber adventures with Replacement Mouse. RIP Current Mouse, as Elvis so eloquently put it, 'Little things I should have said and done, I just never took the time, You were always on my mind'

During the last general election campaign, Cherie Blair spent £7000 of Labour Party funds on her hair. Naturally, there is a bit of a hoo ha about whether this is an appropriate use of said funds, but what I want to know is does this look like a £7000 hairdo? I think not. The PM's wife is obviously an intelligent woman, but not known for her sense of style, and now we can see why. She is paying way over the odds for a rather 80's Princess Di hair-do. All she needs is a few blonde streaks, and a pair of white stilettos and she will be ready to go bopping to the strains of Aga Do. Somebody really should have a quiet word with her, and tell her she could save the party a few quid by getting her hair done at any salon with a name like Kutz, or Coiffure by Ken.

And now Dear Reader, another meme, this one is also film/movie related, if you want to have a go you can find it here.

Top 100 Movies

Take this list of the top 100 movies from the IMDB and bold the movies you have seen. (I'm not sure where this is originally from). This list is from May 2004.

1.Godfather, The (1972)
2.Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)
3.Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
4.Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
5.Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)
6.Schindler's List (1993)
7.Shichinin no samurai (1954)
8.Casablanca (1942)
9.Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
10.Star Wars (1977)
11.Citizen Kane (1941)
12.One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
13.Dr. Strangelove (1964)
14.Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
15.Rear Window (1954)
16.Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17.Pulp Fiction (1994)
18.Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19.Memento (2000)
20.North by Northwest (1959)
21.12 Angry Men (1957)
22.Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
23.Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
24.Psycho (1960)
25.Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
26.Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
27.It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
28.Goodfellas (1990)
29.American Beauty (1999)
30.Sunset Blvd. (1950)
31.Vertigo (1958)
32.Matrix, The (1999)
33.Cidade de Deus (2002)
34.To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
35.C'era una volta il West (1968)
36.Apocalypse Now (1979)
37.Pianist, The (2002)
38.Third Man, The (1949)
39.Paths of Glory (1957)
40.Taxi Driver (1976)
41.Fight Club (1999)
42.Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
43.Some Like It Hot (1959)
44.Double Indemnity (1944)
45.Boot, Das (1981)
46.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
47.Singin' in the Rain (1952)
48.Chinatown (1974)
49.L.A. Confidential (1997)
50.Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
51.Requiem for a Dream (2000)
52.All About Eve (1950)
53.M (1931)
54.Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
55.Se7en (1995)
56.Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
57.Saving Private Ryan (1998)
58.Rashômon (1950)
59.Raging Bull (1980)
60.Wizard of Oz, The (1939)
61.Alien (1979)
62.American History X (1998)
63.Sting, The (1973)
64.Léon (1994)
65.Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
66.Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
67.Vita è bella, La (1997)
68.Touch of Evil (1958)
69.Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
70.Finding Nemo (2003)
71.2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
72.Reservoir Dogs (1992)
73.Great Escape, The (1963)
74.Modern Times (1936)
75.Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
76.Amadeus (1984)
77.On the Waterfront (1954)
78.Ran (1985)
79.Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
80.Annie Hall (1977)
81.Wo hu cang long (2000)
82.Jaws (1975)
83.Apartment, The (1960)
84.Braveheart (1995)
85.High Noon (1952)
86.Aliens (1986)
87.Fargo (1996)
88.Strangers on a Train (1951)
89.Shining, The (1980)
90.Metropolis (1927)
91.Blade Runner (1982)
92.Sixth Sense, The (1999)
93.City Lights (1931)
94.Donnie Darko (2001)
95.Duck Soup (1933)
96.Great Dictator, The (1940)
97.General, The (1927)
98.Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
99.Princess Bride, The (1987)
100.Dogville (2003)

Listening to: the rain, it's spitting children run for your lives

Tags:

Tuesday, 18 April 2006

Patronising Hewitt, Write Dubbya's Speeches, and a Movie Meme

Tony Blair is refusing to admit New Labour could possibly have made any mistakes with their Health Service reforms. Well, I suppose he would say that, wouldn't he. Patricia Hewitt was on BBC Breakfast this morning defending the whole mess, in her usual unpleasant way. (You know, I find that woman hugely annoying. Maybe she is a wonderful person if you get to know her, but the second I hear her voice, the words 'patronising bitch' pop into my head. Given my deep dislike of her, it's not really all that surprising that I can't bring myself to believe a word she says.) Apparently, it's not the reforms which are at fault, it's the hospitals and doctors surgeries for employing the wrong sort of staff, which sounds reminiscent of the old 'the trains can't run because of the wrong kind of snow' excuse. Of course, it has nothing to do with the Government expecting hospitals to find huge numbers of new employees overnight.

We all had a lot of fun with this over the weekend. Yes, folks, you can now become a speech writer for Dubbya, and make him say what you think he really means. Not that I'm sure he really knows himself.

And now for a meme. Today's comes from Musing on Movies

"You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people?"
~~The Princess Bride

How do you feel about violence in films? Does the potential violence content affect whether or not you will see a movie? Have you ever seen a movie that you would have liked better if it had less violence in it?

It really depends on how relevant violence is to the subject of the film. In context I don't have a problem with it, but I'm not keen on the sort of film that is violent for the sake of being so, for example the stereotypical hack and slash genre. Those types of films never seem to have plots, just a succession of ever more gruesome 'killins' and that puts me off wanting to watch. I'm one of those odd bods who like plot, dialogue, character development etc. On the other hand, some real classics have been pretty grim, ie: Platoon, Gangs of New York, Pulp Fiction, but, it could be said that this is necessary because of the themes involved. There is also the argument that some films are not as violent as people think, Reservoir Dogs is one example, it seems very violent, but actually most of the violence is implied. A good director can use implied violence to great effect, making the viewer think they have seen something that really they haven't.

A movie I would have enjoyed more if it had less violence . . . Bambi, Tarka the Otter and Ring of Brightwater I found all three pretty traumatic as a child. It's like 'Hey kids, look at the lovely furry creature, and now WATCH IT DIE.'

Listening to: the kettle boiling, I'm about to have a cup of tea.

Tags:

Saturday, 15 April 2006

Cats, Peas, This Weeks Meme and Tesco Vegetarians.

This weeks Cast That Classic meme has been posted, the subject is Pratchett's Witches, and you can find it here.

You can read more about the whole Tesco Vegetarian controversy here and also see a pic of the offending package. And if you want to know the latest, pop over to Blue Witches. Apparently, it was all a big mistake . . . oh well that's alright then. No, hang on a minute, didn't they say it was acceptable for veggie meals to contain fish? Could they possibly be backtracking and contradicting themselves?!?

Any budding Tom and/or Barbara Goode's might like to pay a visit to SelfSufficientish TV. Set up by the folk from SelfSufficientish.com, the new site features video guides to all sorts of useful stuff for anyone interested in being more, well, self sufficient. There are only a small number of videos up at the moment, but more are promised very soon. And while we are on the subject, there is much rejoicing in the Blogs household . . . I have found my peas. Last year, I grew a delicious crop of peas (Hurst Greenshaft) and diligently saved some for this years crop, which I promptly lost. Fortunately, they turned up yesterday when I was looking through a drawer for something else . . . isn't that always the way. So, our pea harvest is saved, which is a very good thing, because they were truly yummy, really you haven't tasted peas until you have had home grown ones.

A couple of great cat stories caught my eye today. The first features a cute little black kitty who was rescued after spending two weeks trapped in the walls of a building, finally emerging none the worse for her confinement The second is the tale (sorry) of a clever German cat which saved the life of an abandoned new born baby. Talking of cats, am I the only who is rather puzzled by the spate of news stories claiming that it will be cats which transfer avian flu from birds to humans? The logic behind this idea is that cats will eat birds which have died of the H5N1 virus therefore catching the virus themselves, which they will then bring home. I can only think that whoever came up with this theory hasn't spent much time around cats. Felines are amongst the worlds fussiest eaters. There are die hard gourmets who are less picky about their food than the average moggy. No self respecting cat will eat food which has been out for more than about about fifteen minutes, so the chances of them eating some manky dead bird that has been lying around for ages are remote to say the least. Dogs on the other hand, will eat anything*

Continuing with the cat theme, here's an online quiz which helps you determine which breed is best for you.

What breed of Cat is ideal for you?

Persian

Probably the most famous breed of cat worldwide. They have long and fine hair, which requires continuous care.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

* In case anyone is wondering, no, I'm not a rabid cat person who is trying to stir up anti-dog feelings. I like both animals, equally, both have good qualities, as well as negative points. In fact, I find people who claim to dislike one or the other a little odd. I can understand someone having a preference, but not actually disliking a particular animal. It's a bit like saying, 'oh yes, I like hedgehogs but hate squirrels'. Weird.

Listening to: the Bloglets

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Cast That Classic Week 2 - Pratchetts's Witches

The subject of this week's Cast That Classic is the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to cast each and every character, in fact, I'm going to break them down into separate parts. This week, we concentrate on the Witches, because they are amongst my favourites*, and because it's my meme, so I can. So, post your suggestions for:

Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick.

Either post your answers here, or on your own blog, don't forget to pop back and leave the url so I can have a peep at your answers. And speaking of answers, here are mine:

Granny Weatherwax - Emma Thompson

Nanny Ogg - Julie Walters

Magrat Garlick - Emma Chambers

* In fact, I like them so much, I want to be Nanny Ogg when I grow up.

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Friday, 14 April 2006

From Meme to You

This week the subject is the 1951 classic, The African Queen. You can read about the original version here. And when you have done that, post your suggestions for the characters of Charlie Allnut, Rose Sayer, and Rev. Samuel Sayer. If you are feeling brave, you could also suggest a possible director. You can either answer here, or on your own blog, but don't forget to post the url here, so that we can all come over and have a read.

My own answers are:

Charlie Allnut – Robert De Niro

Rose Sayer – Jodie Foster

Rev. Samuel Sayer – Stephen Fry

Director – Ridley Scott

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Thursday, 13 April 2006

Update from Tesco

I have had a response to the email I sent to Tesco customer services about the inaccurate labelling on their vegetarian products. You can read the reply below:

Thank you for your email.

I fully appreciate your comments. We aim to provide the best possible service for our customers and any feedback or suggestions made are always very welcome.

The relevant department dealing with such matters has been notified and I can assure you that this will be taken on board at the next review meeting. I cannot guarantee that action will be taken, however your views and comments are invaluable to us.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk quoting (reference number here).

Kind Regards

Lorraine Milne

Tesco Customer Service

So, it seems that this corporate giant may consider coming into line with the rest of the world when it comes to defining exactly what vegetarians eat. Or they may not. One telling little detail in this email is the disclaimer at the end:

---- Disclaimer ----
This is a confidential email. Tesco may monitor and record all emails. The views expressed in this email are those of the sender and not Tesco.
Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 9SL: company number 519500.

Note, the line that reads 'The views expressed in this email are those of the sender and not Tesco.' Surely, a customer service representative speaks for the company which employs them, don't they? They certainly did when I was involved in customer relations. Obviously, this is another area where Tesco differ from the mainstream. Anyhow, in the comments for the previous post, Kitchen Witch suggests we follow Blue Witches lead, and forward any responses we receive to Watchdog. I have done this, and I also emailed the Vegetarian Society who, it can be assumed know the definition of vegetarianism better than a large corporation. If you have contacted Tesco, and received a reply, why not do the same. Knowing that they may consider reviewing their policy really isn't good enough, because their policy is both wrong and misleading, maybe attracting the attention of a national consumer programme and an organisation devoted to the subject will be the kick in the pants that they need.

In the meantime, I'm afraid I will no longer be a customer of Tesco. I am fortunate enough to live in a place which still has an array of small shops, so I will be doing my civic duty and frequenting them in future. Yes, I will lose out on convenience, but I will also miss out on shopping in a plastic and impersonal environment, which takes money from our local economy, and where the assistants constantly exort me to sign up for a Clubcard, which I always decline, because quite frankly, I have no interest in having everything I buy logged and analyzed. Big Brother is alive and well, and running a supermarket near you.

Other news. Well, not much to report, we are in the midst of the Easter hols, so I'm having to fight/barter/cry to get time on the t'internet. One thing I have enjoyed over the last few days is this. It's hugely addictive, and very, very cute.

Listening to: the wind, yip, it's another gusty day.

Tags: tesco vegetarian food labelling

Wednesday, 12 April 2006

Cast That Classic Week 1 - The African Queen

OK, forgive the really naff title, I have a terrible job trying to think of good ones. (On the plus side, I could probably get a job writing headlines for the tabloid press.) Getting back to the point, I have really caught the meme bug, so much so, that I thought I would come up with one of my own. I thought long and hard about suitable subjects, so many are already covered more than adequately, and finally I decided on . . . Cast That Classic. The idea is, each week I pick a book, or film and you Dear Reader, post suggestions for a possible cast.

This week the subject is the 1951 classic, The African Queen. You can read about the original version here. And when you have done that, post your suggestions for the characters of Charlie Allnut, Rose Sayer, and Rev. Samuel Sayer. If you are feeling brave, you could also suggest a possible director. You can either answer here, or on your own blog, but don't forget to post the url here, so that we can all come over and have a read.

My own answers are:

Charlie Allnut - Robert De Niro

Rose Sayer - Jodie Foster

Rev. Samuel Sayer - Stephen Fry

Director - Ridley Scott

Tell Tesco Fish Are Not Vegetables

"Are you one of those vegetarians who don't eat any meat, or one of the ones who eat chicken and fish? "

I was actually asked that question back in my vegetarian days. At the time, I thought the person who asked it was a random idiot. Surely, everyone knows vegetarians don't eat any meat at all. Well, thanks to Kitchen Witch and Blue Witch I now know about the rather lax labelling of vegetarian items at Tesco's, which was of great interest because although I have lapsed, Number Three Son is a veggie. It seems Tesco also believe some veggies eat fish and poultry. In what can only be described as an act of enormous arrogance, the UK's largest food retailer have completely recategorised the definition of vegetarianism to include people who eat chicken and fish. I've emailed them asking for an explanation, and that they relabel their products, if you feel strongly about being misled take five minutes to do the same. Hopefully, the more of us who complain, the more likely they are to rectify the situation. In the mean time, read the ingredients carefully, who knows what else we are being fobbed off with.

Who knew a former Doctor Who was so popular?. About a month ago, I mentioned Christopher Eccleston in this post and since then his name has become the most popular search term for finding this blog.

And finally, I've been visiting the world of online quizzes again:

What type of Fae are you?

Listening to: Spag bol cooking

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Tuesday, 11 April 2006

Easter Gardening and the Return of the Orange People

Well, Dear Reader, I'm hurt (pitiful sniff) No one has had a go at my meme. I know that in the great scheme of things, it is only one meme amongst many, but I thought someone might have given it a whirl. I gather, one is supposed to tag people when one launches a meme, which I haven't done, mainly because I have no idea what tagging is. At least not in this sense. I know about tags in posts, and I remember as a small girl running around a playground yelling 'tag you're it' but tagging in a meme sense is a whole new world. Maybe it would help if I learnt, who knows. OK whinge over.

As you may be aware, it is Easter this weekend, which means only one thing. Actually, it means several things depending on your age and religious persuasion, but for the purposes of this post, it means one thing. Yes, the gardening season has officially begun. Oh, I know we have all been potting things up and starting seeds indoors for weeks, but now we get to do it in the great outdoors. At least that is the theory. Obviously, due the inconstant nature of the date of Easter, and the vagaries of the weather, it may or may not be possible to do any real outdoor gardening, but the possibilities are there. I am ready and able and fully armed with seeds, plants and supplies, amongst which are a thing I have wanted to grow for ages, but for some reason never quite got around to. Hollyhocks*. If you are a gardening illiterate, no that isn't an archaic British swear word, they are flowers. Very nice flowers too, the perfect addition if you are

trying to create a Cottage Garden** effect. Mine will look similar to the example on the left, and will, if I am working out the metric correctly, grow to be about five or six feet tall. Apparently, slugs consider them a bit of a delicacy, so beer traps will be called for . . . the most successful anti-slug measure I have found. Yes, they do die, but probably a lot happier than they would if they ate poison or were sprinkled with salt. BTW, who came up with the salt method? Did this person enjoy pulling the wings off flies as a child? I know it works, but ukkk! I dislike slugs eating the greenery, but not to the extent that I want to make them bubble and melt before my eyes.

One of the bad things about the arrival of Spring, and hopefully, better weather, is the sudden appearance of orange people. You know the folk, they spend the better part of the year looking as though they have fallen in a vat of burnt sienna coloured dye, and seem very pleased about it. I know that sun bathing is a bad thing, but really, badly applied fake tan does not make anyone look as though they have recently returned from a fortnight in Nice. I saw two of these OPs yesterday. Unfortunately, Number Five Son was with me, and he would insist on staring as though he had suddenly noticed aliens in our midst. Fortunately, I managed to steer him away before he asked the entire shop*** why and how anyone turned out to be orange. However, the mischievous side of me did wonder if it might be a good thing for them to hear that. Out of the mouths of babes and so on.

* Hollyhocks should be a swear word, it would make a very good one, it really does have a rather bawdy ring to it.

** Note the capitals, this is to distinguish between a Cottage Garden, which is a form of design, and a cottage garden, which I already have, what with living in a cottage and all. The former is a deliberate style choice, the latter is simply a locational thing which would be accurate even if I covered the entire garden in concrete.

*** As all parents know, even the quietest children ask embarrassing questions at an amazingly high volume.

(Edited to add the pic. Forgot that oops)

Listening to: Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton

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Friday, 7 April 2006

Oppose the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

Just a quick post to ask any readers from the UK to pop along to SaveParliament.org where you can read about the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, a proposal by the current government which threatens to undermine our current democracy and parliamentary system. We are fortunate to live in one of the most democratic countries in the world, but we can't take this freedom for granted, as Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." (Actually, I think that is a misquote, but the spirit of the quote is correct.) Anyhow, please join the campaign, and do your bit to ensure we, and the generations who follow us, can continue to enjoy life in a free and democratic country.

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Wednesday, 5 April 2006

From Spring to Potatoes to Blairs Hair to Conspiracy Therories

Good Afternoon Dear Reader, and it's a lovely one here in Yorkshire. The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, there are even bees about. With all that in mind, here's a quick reminder, if you live in the UK, track Spring and help improve understanding of climate change by popping along to the UK Phenology Network and posting your observations. Go on, go on, oh go on . . . you can download some brilliant free wallpaper while you are there.

During yesterday's trip to the supermarket I made an amazing discovery. Organic potatoes for the same price as normal ones! How great is that? On the whole our veg is organic, because I grow a lot of it myself, but potatoes have been a problem. We just don't have enough space to grow them. I tried the first year we lived in this house, and they completely took over the garden, so I had to stick to more bijou veggies. Buying them was the only alternative, but organic ones were always more expensive, which didn't stop me buying them, I just consoled myself with the thought of how much I was saving on other vegetables. However, I was really pleased to see them priced the same as all the 'chemical' potatoes, and hopefully this will lead to more people buying them, which would be a very good thing indeed.

I was just reading the news on the BBC website, when I came across this story about Tony Blair and Gordon Brown uniting to promote the local election campaign. However, go to the page, and take a look at the video file at the top. Is it me, or does Old Gordy look as though he is about the elbow Big Tone in the back? And while you are there, take a look at Blair's hair, it seems to have turned a gingery blonde. Very strange.

In these parts the local election campaign always signals the beginning of a huge amount of gossip and intrigue, oh and a series of conspiracy theories. I suppose this is typical of many small places, but it took me rather by surprise when I first arrived. Candidate A will say mean things about Candidate B, who will respond by saying that Candidate A is in league with TOWN COUNCILLORS, oh the horrors. Then Candidate C will chime in stating both A and B are corrupt and possibly from the South. OK, they don't say the last bit, but you get the idea. To be honest I find the whole thing quite amusing, and rather pointless, because the same people get elected time after time.

And talking of conspiracy theories . . . on Sunday Sky One showed a documentary (yes, I was surprised too) about theories surrounding September 11^th. Most were the usual ones we have seen repeated for some time. However, I was intrigued by the idea of the whole thing being a result of mind control towers and electronic death rays. Seriously though, I do find the whole September 11^th conspiracy industry rather distasteful. I'm not saying I believe the US government version of events, but, at the same time, these theories mostly contradict each other, and the theorists are mostly earning a living by promoting books related to the subject. I strongly believe the truth should come out, but I have my doubts whether someone who is charging me £24.99 for their version of that truth is really as trustworthy as they would have us believe.

On a lighter note, today's meme come from Blogdrive Insanity, so pop over and have a go if you like.

1. What's the luckiest thing that's ever happened to you? - Getting the job I recently started. It was just what I had been looking for. I'm not going to say any more about it, because I'm still rather nervous, and feel that I will be identified as an imposter at any moment.

2. Is there something that you just cannot seem to have luck with? - Growing tomatoes. Year after I try, and fail. Last year, I did manage to get three tomatoes from two plants, which was a 150% improvement on my previous efforts.

3. Do you do any gambling? If so, what kind? - No, when I was at college, I spent a summer working in an amusement arcade, seeing all the 'punters' losing money hand over fist was enough to put me off gambling for life.

4. Let's see how lucky you really are. Pick a number between one and twelve (1 and 12). If you guess the lucky number, you get an extra special comment on your blog! - Umm, I'll choose number 5.

Listening to: Tattva by Kula Shaker

Thought for the Day: "Where facts are few, experts are many." Donald R. Gannon

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Tuesday, 4 April 2006

My Name is Kate and I'm a Satellite Addict

Good Morning Dear Reader. I have been absent for a few days due to an overwhelming urge to watch television. On Friday, Mr Blogs had satellite tv installed, and I'm afraid it rather side tracked me. One of the channels had a Frasier weekend which I couldn't resist. Oh the joy of watching repeats of a programme I have already seen. In fact it seems the satellite channels are chockablock with repeats, but all are strangely hypnotic. Anyhow, that's enough about my newly discovered television habit. Oh must add this, if you ever wondered what happened to Eamon Holmes, he is now a regular on Sky news. Yes, you can see him every morning smarming* his way through the latest events. And if that isn't a good reason to watch the BBC, I don't know what is. One glimpse of him and I was headed for the pc.

(Is that a word? It should be, just for EH, it's the perfect description of his presenting style.)

I'm still rather miffed about the whole spamblog thing, but it seems there is little I can do. Even if I deal with that particular spammer, others will simply step in to take their place. These people really are very low. I mean, I could understand someone stealing my content if it was incredibly interesting or valuable, but it's not. I just ramble on, about nothing in particular. I comfort myself with the thought that what goes around, comes around. I'm not quite sure how that will apply to this particular bunch of thieves, but I'm sure it will sooner or later. Maybe, they will all catch itchy and embarrassing lurgies, well, I can dream.

And now, a meme, which you will find at Stopping Traffic, if you would like to have a go yourself:

1.When you put license plates on your car, do you renew the same one or get different ones? - I don't own a car, never have, and don't think I ever will. I'm lucky enough to live in a place where everything is close at hand, and which has excellent public transport.
2. How often do you go out to eat? Go through drive-thru? - Once or twice a month. I've never been to a drive-through
3. Do you autodeposit checks or put them in the bank yourself? - Deposit them myself. I'm a technophobe, and wouldn't trust an automated system.
4. Would you rather have an hour of alone time, or "coffee" with a friend? - Coffee with a friend, I work from home, so I get enough alone time.
5. How easily do you get your feelings hurt? - It depends. I don't think I'm particularly sensitive, so probably not that often.
6. Do you ever get up early enough to see the sun rise? - During the Winter, I do on most days, but in Summer not that often.
7. How often do you think you misinterpret something someone said or did, only to find out you got upset over nothing? - Not often.
8. Have your ever borrowed or loaned a large sum of money to a friend or relative? - No.
9. What is the true measure of a "friend?" - Someone who will give you a truthful answer to the question 'Does my bum look big in this?'
10. On a scale from 1-10, how good are you with staying in touch with yours? - Pretty good, about an 8, I still have quite a few friends from my childhood.

Listening to: the man next door mowing his lawn

Thought for the Day: "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. " George Bernard Shaw

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