Blog Action Day 2009

Today is Blog Action Day that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance.

This year's theme is Climate Change.



Recycling more has been one way I'm trying to make a difference. And just in time for this year's theme, our local council has started to encourage better recycling by providing more collection services for various items to be recycled. We already had two wheelie bins, one for garden waste (which we hardly used since we have a compost pile for grass clippings, etc.) and one for items such as plastic and cans - items that didn't get recycled. We also had a green box for newspapers and glass. Now the council has provided an additional box for items made of plastic and also cans/tins - that the council will recyle. We were also given a "slop bucket" for kitchen waste that can now be emptied into the brown wheelie bin. However, I've got a compost pile in our garden and I will continue to add my kitchen waste to that rather than give it to the council.

What is recycling like in your area? Do you find it easy or difficult to recycle?

The National Trust: You Tube Channel

This is cool. Thanks to twitter, I found out that The National Trust has a You Tube channel:


The National Trust charity's Channel

The latest video:
Learn how to make a seasonal fruit crumble with the National Trust's chef Richard.

You can follow The National Trust on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nationaltrust

And here's another interesting tidbit of news about The National Trust:
New Monopoly set gives everyone the chance to own a stately pile
The National Trust has launched its very own Monopoly set – becoming the first ever charity version of the game to be created - on sale from Thursday 1 October.

The Hoxton Hotel: October £1 Sale

It's time again for the famous £1 sale at The Hoxton Hotel:

Thursday 1st October at 12.00pm (midday)

500 rooms at £1 & 500 rooms at £29 Available 1st Nov 09 - 31st Jan 10

Hoxton Hotel
81 Great Eastern Street
London
EC2A 3HU

Good Luck - this sale is very popular!

Please note: I have no connection with The Hoxton Hotel - I just like to pass along information about a great deal when I can!

Julie and Julia: movie review

My husband and I saw Julie and Julia over the weekend. I knew my husband wasn't looking forward to the movie at all - and it didn't help when the young man who we bought our popcorn and drinks from asked us what movie we were going to see and grimaced when I told him, and he said, "It's a cooking movie" as he rolled his eyes.

Fortunately, it is more than just a "cooking movie" and it's not just a silly "chick flick" either - in fact, it's a wonderful feel-good movie based on two different true stories but woven seamlessly together.

One story is about how Julia Child, a famous (in the USA) American TV chef, began her path to her new career in the cooking profession by studying at the Cordon Bleu academy in post Second World War France. Julia Child was famous for her height (6ft 2in) and her distinctive voice which Meryl Streep manages to re-create so perfectly. The actess even manages to look much taller and ungainly, so she resembles the famous Julia Child in appearance too.

The other story is about Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a young woman living in New York who decides to cook all 524 recipes from Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, during a single year, and to blog about it. Her blog was turned into a book - and then into this movie. It was interesting to see how she faced the challenge and I can see why her blog became so popular.

The best bits of the movie were the scenes with Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband, Paul Child (Stanley Tucci). They were utterly devoted to one another and the way their loving relationship is portrayed is absolutely delightful to watch.

My husband and I both really enjoyed the movie. And even though my husband had no idea who Julia Child was (as indeed most British people wouldn't know), he said it was better than he expected. It was a lot funnier than I expected. Meryl Streep was brilliant. I highly recommend it.

The latest internet craze: the Lying Down Game

Have you heard about the latest internet craze? Photos of people lying down in random places are posted on the social networking site Facebook. In my opinion, it's silly and ridiculous and a total waste of time. I can't imagine taking part myself but can see where the trend might appeal to bored teenagers or university students. I certainly would never expect this behavior from people while they are at work and especially not from health-care workers but unbelievably, it has occurred within the NHS:

Seven NHS staff suspended over Facebook 'Lying Down Game' picturesSeven doctors and nurses have been suspended from duty at a hospital accident and emergency department after taking part in the latest internet craze: the Lying Down Game.
(link via timesonline)

What on earth were they thinking? They are supposed to be professionals. I am appalled. There is no excuse for their outrageous behavior while at work in a hospital.

It makes me wonder about the future of society when doctors and nurses think it's okay to take part in a silly game like the Lying Down Game while they are at work.

What do you think about the Lying Down Game? What do you think about this incident?

Specsavers Postman Pat Advertisement

Have you seen the new advert for Specsavers using the cartoon characters from Postman Pat, the British animated children's television series? When my sons were little, they loved the programme and the books, and I enjoyed them too so I adore the advert:

Obama school speech

Barack Obama has been accused of attempting to indoctrinate America's children with "socialist ideology".

His plan for a televised address to be shown in classrooms when children return to school next week provoked sparked complaints from parents and fuelled the growing conservative backlash against his leadership.

Critics alleged that the address planned for Tuesday was another example of state interference and so-called "big government" by the Democrat president following his record financial stimulus spending and plans for health care reforms.

Officials across the country fielded irate calls from parents after it was revealed that the federal education department had encouraged schools to make children watch the 15-minute address.

Districts in states including Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia and Illinois have declined to show the speech, which the White House said would be about no more than the need to work hard and finish education.

(link via telegraph.co.uk)

It sounds like parents are afraid to let their children listen to a speech by the president. Why?? Am I missing something? What is wrong with listening to President Obama extoll the virtues of education? Why is this controversial?

The graphic road safety film that has spread virally on the Internet.

Made in Britain for just a few thousand pounds: The graphic road safety film that's taken the world by storm

A low-budget Welsh road safety film about the dangers of sending text messages when driving has become an international sensation.The hard-hitting four-minute short - created by Gwent Police in South Wales for 'just a few thousand pounds' using amateur actors - has been viewed by more than six million people in the last month alone.

(link via dailymail.co.uk)

"Texting While Driving PSA” (Warning - contains graphic content):