Monday, July 25, 2005

52 Weeks to Make the World a Better Place: Week 31 - Take the green energy option

Many large suppliers of electricity are offering a green option to their customers - a choice to switch to a power supply from renewable resources (wind, water). My guess is that it's being done in this way to manage the change more easily, both logistically and economically. But the emphasis is on YOU - return that form or check out the website and see what has to be done: demand creates supply, so do it - the sooner, the better!

Friday, July 22, 2005

Latest fractal: King Tut

See 'King Tut' at deviantART

Abstract Egyptian look, courtesy of the 'fan' variation in Apophysis.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

52 Weeks to Make the World a Better Place: Week 30 - Plan

It's my opinion that we've lost the ability to plan for anything: younger people never learned the skill, raised on a culture of instant communication and capricious whim; and more mature people have let the concept slide, confining it only to major commitments like holidays, relying on the last-minute dash to the supermarket.

Planning can be very useful for ergonomics, meaning that you have to make fewer of those short car journeys that are such a source of atmospheric pollution. It can reduce stress by providing the reassurance that you've 'thought of everything' (well, almost!). And it can increase the pleasure of anticipation by forcing you to consider in detail all those wonderful things you're vaguely intending to do. Rediscover that basic faculty for a richer mental life!

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

52 Weeks to Make the World a Better Place: Week 29 - Do something constructive with old clothes

With the emphasis these days on 'disposability' (disposable goods, disposable income), it's so easy to get caught up in the habit of fling-and-replace and even hoarding when it comes to buying clothing. Stop and think for a minute. Only buy what you really need and look at the stuff you're proposing to throw out, or that you never wear any more. Chances are most of it's in pretty good nick. Take it to charity shops and recycle any that really are past it. This both reduces waste and the demand on new materials and helps those with less 'disposable income' to obtain something a little different.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

The Sea, the Sea...

It had been 20 years since my partner had seen the sea and she was feeling its pull so we sought somewhere suitable via a combination of brochures and Internet. B&Bs were out - the tedious inevitability of explaining the vegan diet to well-meaning but ill-informed proprietors did not form a part of our ideal holiday scenario. Ditto hotels. Self-catering, then, but must be by night rather than week; on the east coast, preferably Lincolnshire. And then suddenly, it dropped out of the rank-and-file apartments, flats, houses... a group of cottages on a farm, the sea within walking distance. The photos on the website sold it to us - minimal, clean, comfortable, beautiful surroundings: we booked.

Then the problems began: the cheque to pay the balance went astray; its follow-up took ages; and the weather forecast had thunderstorms. Then there were significant delays on the train, meaning we'd have to catch a later (by a full hour) connection bus. But we waded through it all, eventually travelling through a countryside of mist and rain, arriving as the rain was dying and the sun was trying to assert its dominion. The scene had a curious beauty, dripping and drying and surprisingly warm, but with low-to-medium visibility. A long walk down a longer lane, fully laden with rucksacks and finally we arrived - the photographs we'd seen had captured the atmosphere well. But no time for hanging around - a quick visit to a nearby shop was essential, before it closed, to lay in some basic supplies for breakfast.

The misty view from the cottage

It was then a longish walk into 'town' as we weren't sure whether there were any closer shortcuts to the sea-front but, at just after 6:30 in the evening, we made it to the sea, in defiance of all the little niggles that seemed to have been conspiring against us. My aqua-girl, re-united with her watery element, a pleasure to observe such fundamental joy in a loved one.

Home at last!

The weather improved: the next day began with light rain but that cleared up by the time we left the cottage. We discovered the local shortcut to the sea: the waves were wonderful in the firm easterly breeze, dramatic and playful by turns. But this wasn't picnic weather, so back to base for lunch, though we did get our picnic in the next day, much further up the coast in the dunes. And we got more: the weather had taken a dramatic turn but we hadn't taken the sun-block out with us - we got somewhat burned.

The dunes

Sad to leave the next day, and rather painful with the rucksacks chafing the burns but we vowed then we'd be back... and so we shall, in September...

Monday, July 04, 2005

Website update

General: a little lean on updates this month - it is holiday season after all!

Books: new Poem of the Month, plus some rather useful new links if you're in search of best prices or hard-to-find titles.

Drink: new Drink of the Month (Jim Beam bourbon whiskey, with 2 new recipes plus one existing).

Food: high time to give sprouting a profile raise with the Recipe of the Month.

Fractals: new Fractal of the Month.

Garden: new Garden Tip and a further chapter in the major new project, 'A Year at Padley Wood' - this month, it's Early Summer.

Links: this month, Spotlight on... (usually a site new to me, but could be an old favourite):

An excellent drinks mixing site with over 8000 cocktail recipes and many more in other categories, including shots. What sets this site apart from competitors are some nice features such as 'Top 20 most popular' and 'Top 10 highest rated' drinks on the 'Welcome'page, as well as sets of links to similar/related drinks that change with each recipe browsed. And of course it includes the ability to build your own 'cabinet' (so you can easily find which drinks you can mix with what you've got at home), plus a 'handbook' section for storing favourite recipes.

So just to ensure you never have to leave home, order your drinks from:
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52 Weeks to Make the World a Better Place: Week 28 - Use recycled

Buy recycled products where available. There are a huge variety of products available across many lines: paper, clothing, glass... Sometimes, it's easiest to find a company that specialises; that way, you usually get a high-quality and unique product. Increase the demand as well as the supply!