K D.

Young People's Trust for the Environment

Get kids involved with environmental issues:

Animal Facts and figures.
Climate change statistics.
Human impact.
Environmental campaigns.
School projects and downloads.
News.
Courses.
Awards.

Sections for teachers, parents and local businesses.

Loads of downloads and links.

Good stuff!

http://www.ypte.org.uk

Campaign Against Scam Mail – Especially Mail Targeting the Elderly.

One of the nastiest groups of criminal scumbags are those who target old people in order to steal their money.

Jessica was a genuine victim of scam email. After buying something through the 'Readers Digest' when she was in her 70's she started getting bombarded by scam letters. 'Readers Digest' mailing lists get sold to other companies – who then sometimes sell them on…. Promised winnings in competitions that did not exist, she sent more and more money to the scammers, hoping to release the mythical 'jackpot'. Needless to say, she got nothing – except that the first scammers sold her contact details on to other criminals – and the whole sorry story was repeated again and again. Jessica, now obsessed with recouping her losses, died when she was 83 years old, having lost many thousands of pounds to these criminals.

Yes, she was gullible and a ready victim – but she was a decent old lady – and being gullible is not a crime. It is very sad that scammers both target such easy victims and that they are able to get away with their mean crimes.

www.thinkjessica.com was set up to help and advise both victims and families of victims of scam mail crimes – especially the elderly.

The website has many sad stories of victimised elderly folks. On the positive side, it gives warnings of typical scams, how to report scam crimes, who to turn to for help, and how best to help victims.

Think about any old people that you know. If you are worried about them falling victim to mail scammers, check this site out for yourself, and consider passing on the details to help prevent them falling for such mean tricks.

The site is British – but such scams are worldwide, and the advice is sensible, wherever you are based.

www.thinkjessica.com

Good work.

British gardening site – good general information without getting too technical.

Sections on planning, planting, plant identification, weeding, feeding etc.

Gardens for wild life – mammals, birds and insects.

Wildlife gardening for kids.

Kitchen gardens

Jobs for the month.

Good photos, good tips, worth a browse…

http://www.wildchicken.com/

Recipes from Darkest Africa Elephant, Snake, Monkey, Insect, Rat mmm!

How to cook yummy stuff from local tropical African plants, mammals, reptiles, birds and insects you never know when this stuff will come in useful

Bush meat basically any wild jungle animal is now being exported to the UK and Europe. Not ecologically sound but it does suggest that people get the taste for it.

Smoked snake meat:

http://www.congocookbook.com/other_recipes/snake.html

Cane rat:

http://www.congocookbook.com/other_recipes/cane_rat.html

Some of the most interesting recipes are about insects:

http://www.congocookbook.com/other_recipes/insects.html

Apparently, pound for pound insects contain twice as much protein as the finest red meat. Maybe in another couple of decades we'll all be munching down on termites, ants and grasshoppers. A friend of mine thinks deep fried tarantulas are tasty, but I haven't sampled one myself. I'll try most things but I think I'd prefer to give cockroaches a miss.

Lots of quotes from explorers, travellers and volunteers.

Interesting and it might get you to cook more adventurously!

http://www.congocookbook.com

Thermal Memory Toilet Seat – See if Someone Else Has Just Finished?

The colour of the loo seat will show if someone has recently sat on it – will this affect your behaviour?

The main site, as listed above, is full of cool and uncool Canadian designs, depending upon your personal taste, of course.

I chanced on this page – a thermochromic loo seat. What will they think of next?

http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/miscellaneous/thermochromic-toilet-seat/

The explanation and comments reveal how strange and different people are. Thought it might amuse the more anally retentive among us…

On a similar theme, using thermochromic tiles, is this from a men's 'rest room' (do people in the USA really rest in there?)

http://tumblr.matrixagents.org/post/*******946/thermochromic-urinal-way-cooler-than-this-one

Look and Learn Magazine. 1962 to 1982. Sadly missed.

Selling 700,000 issues a week at its peak, Look and Learn entertained and taught British children in a refreshing, non-patronising style form its first issue in 1962 until its last in 1982. From science to history to art to geography it successfully adopted the comic book strip for teaching. Several friends at university in the 1970s swore blind that all they had learned, they had learned from Look and Learn. Probably true!

Well illustrated, beautifully produced, it was killed by increasing print costs and the drift to TV for entertainment.

The company behind the website http://www.lookandlearn.com/ bought up the rights, and now offers a 48 issue set on subscription. Meanwhile, you or your kids can browse the website for pictures, buy original artwork and peruse some of the best issues from the 1960s and 1970s.

An original page of artwork for the science fiction series 'The Trigan Empire' will set you back £2,500 – hmm, wish I'd kept all those issues that cluttered up the attic for so many years…

For fans of 'Dr Who' around the world.

As a kid I cowered behind the sofa watching the original Doctor battle the evil Daleks. (Yes, I know, I'm very, very old) The heroic Doctor is now in his 11th incarnation and now my own kids are glued to the television for every episode. The stories are usually good, the special effects alternate between amusing and impressive, and the good Doctor still just manages to save the world again and again just before the news.

In my era the Doctor was usually a wise and fairly elderly man or middle aged man. In the last incarnations he has got younger, and, ahem, (according to my daughters) 'hotter'. It all helps the viewing figures, apparently. I suggested to said younger females that maybe a future Doctor might even be female and they were horrified. Doctor Who just HAS to be a man and hopefully, 'hot'. So much for equality, eh?

A spin off series 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' was aimed at slightly younger viewers. Sadly, the actress Elizabeth Sladen, who played Sarah-Jane Smith, recently died of cancer. As she wasn't a Time Lord she presumably won't regenerate into another incarnation.

I'll be quite happy if the Doctor Who series continues to entertain kids (and parents and occasional grandparents) for a long while yet.

Unfortunately Site Jabber site ID system does not accept the official Dr Who site as it is a sub section of the main BBC website.

The address of the official BBC Dr Who website is:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw

There are a whole host of other fan sites for those who are interested:

http://www.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/

http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/

http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk/

http://www.gallifreyone.com/

Eagle Comic and Dan Dare – Space Hero

Dan Dare fronted the Eagle comic in the UK from 1950 until its demise in 1969. Colonel Dan Dare, assisted by Spaceman Digby battled aliens, confounded devilish plots and helped save the earth in weekly episodes, usually leaving his young audience on the edge of their seats waiting for next week's episode after another cliff hanger last picture frame.

There are those who believe that much of the more modern 'Dr. Who' series had its origins in the stories of Dan Dare. Dare's arch enemy, the Mekon, certainly has some resemblance to the leader of the Daleks…

The rarer printed examples of the comics now change hands for considerable sums. The drawings are wonderful examples of 1950s /1960s comic art. The style is different from American comics of the same period – and the characters are more pipe smoking Battle of Britain 1940s propaganda hero than the superhero with miraculous powers characters that were sweeping America at the same time.

Put together by a fan, this website also covers other stories in 'The Eagle' and the artists and writers behind the stories.

10 nostalgia points! http://www.dandare.org/

Campaign for Real Ale – UK Good Beer Guide

40 years ago the really essential up-to-date reading matter for any British student worth their salt was the new 'Good Beer Guide' by Roger Protz. At that point Britain was in the beer dark ages, threatened with being overwhelmed by nasty chemical brews such as Watney's Red Barrel and a host of pissy continental lagers or gassy iced American 'beers'. Hard times, indeed…

Protz and his friends at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) struck a chord with an unlikely mix of boring old Daily Telegraph reading farts, radical students, ramblers, cyclists, campers, caravaners, golfers, tourists of all sorts and beer bores/experts in general. CAMRA backed both independent or freehold pubs and encouraged larger pub chains to start stocking guest ales from the smaller breweries, brewed by traditional methods.

The campaign steadily increased in effectiveness and now, 40 years on, nearly every pub in Britain can offer you a choice of decent, traditionally brewed pints. In addition, CAMRA has supported the trend for pubs to offer decent food. While some nutters might claim that the new 'gastro pubs' have been the downfall of the traditional British drinking establishment, it has actually meant that you can now take the family out, or meet a friend for a decent meal at a convivial pub / restaurant which doesn't cost the earth and is a good deal more enjoyable and usually tastier than the average fast food establishment.

Back in the 1970s you were lucky to get a packet of peanuts or a dried up cheese sandwich along with your gassy pint.

The Good Beer Guide still comes out every year – but now you can access the details online, and even add the guide to your satnav (presumably with Health and Safety advice on drinking and driving). It will point you towards good beer, good food and pubs in wonderful locations.

All power to your elbow, Mr. Protz. Good job!

http://www.camra.org.uk

P.S. FYI the British pub is once more in danger – but now the threat is the onslaught of the massive supermarket chains with offers of low cost alcohol – beer, wines and spirits at prices that the pubs just can't match. In an economic downturn many people are choosing to drink and eat at home as it saves a few pounds.

Gardeners World is the UK's favourite gardening show on TV. It seems that about 50% of the female population of Britain over the age of 40, (including certain members of my family), want to elope to Italy with Monty Don, one of the presenters…

Jealous? Me? Perish the thought…

Good, friendly website gives excellent coverage of gardening tips, answers to problems, seasonal advice, classified adverts, offers on plants, trips etc.

If you are a UK based gardener (or based anywhere with a similar climate) – well worth bookmarking.

http://blog.gardenersworld.com/

The British Army official website is informative and well designed.

For those thinking about a career on the military as either a regular or reservist, for those wanting to decipher the structures and formations of the army, or find out the official view on current operations and deployments, this is the website to visit.

It also links to British forces radio, news and magazines.

Interesting. http://www.army.mod.uk/

Green fingered gardening wizard or complete gardening neophyte? (I'm the latter.)The Royal Horticultural Society Website has something for everybody if they interested in anything to do with gardens.

The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 and granted a Royal Charter in 1861. It promotes gardening and horticulture in Britain and Europe, runs flower and garden shows throughout the year and has four major display gardens open to the public – Wisley (Surrey), Rosemoor (Devon), Hyde Hall (Essex) and Harlow Carr (Yorkshire).

The website is extensive and easy to navigate. They offer gardening courses, advice on plants, design, jobs to do, places to visit, gardening for kids, shows and events, online shopping, competitions, research, etc., etc.

Good website and the RHS shows and gardens are a great day out if you are in the area. Recommended.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/

Neat Conversion Website

16 knots to miles per hour or kilometres per hour?
82 kilogram to stones or pounds?
Or 7 cloves to mites?
2 barges to quintals?
5 firkins to slinches?

You obviously need http://www.smartconversion.com in your bookmarks!

Coalition War Fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan

This website monitors all reported coalition fatalities in these two war zones.

Beyond 'defence budgets' and 'military expenditure' the real costs of war are measured in soldier's blood and the sadness of their families.

It is of course worth noting that this website does not cover the many wounded and maimed.

Nor does it count fatalities from Afghan security forces or deaths in the Afghan civilian population. These figures will inevitably be considerably higher than those for the coalition forces.

Politicians should be made to ponder these numbers at length before making rash decisions on military interventions.

http://icasualties.org/

Lego Digital Designer – design and build with Lego bricks on your computer.

Like Lego? For architects, engineers and kids young and old who love Lego, you can now work out designs on your computer.

Obviously, once you've perfected your design, they hope you'll click over to the Lego shop and buy the bricks to manufacture your creation.

Or, you can just have fun designing things…

Enjoy!

http://ldd.lego.com/

News from the Mexican front line in America's drug wars, often submitted anonymously.

Mainstream press in Mexico now tries to tone down coverage of the drug war to avoid alarming the population. This blog has taken up the mantle of reporting unpalatable news.

Drug cartels have also used the blog to issue threats. Some of the pictures are very graphic and are not for the faint-hearted.

Written in Spanish, the onsite translations into English and other languages are somewhat clumsy, but the horrendous stories and pictures are clear enough. This is real life and death in the towns and cities of Mexico shattered by drugs related corruption and violence.

A grim reminder of the daily toll of the drugs business – violence now so commonplace that it barely makes the news outside of Mexico.

Since the Mexican President declared 'War on Drugs' in December 2006 more than 36,000 Mexicans have been killed (including 66 reporters). To put this figure into perspective, total US fatalities in both Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 to April 2011 are around 6,000.

That's a real war, just south of America's international border – and it doesn't seem to be getting any better…

(I'd advise ignoring the adverts for 'Hot Latina Girls' and 'Dating Sites.')

http://www.blogdelnarco.com/

Interesting

Discount Airfares Hotels and Package Holidays

This hasn't been reviewed for a while. Click through to the country of your choice. You can sign up and Travelzoo will email you a weekly top 20 special deals for that location. They cover North America, UK, France, Germany, Spain, China Australia and Japan.

It might be long haul tickets, weekend breaks, hotel overnights or ocean cruises. Whatever, the prices are usually pretty good.

Worth a look.

http://www.travelzoo.com.

Canadian Based Global News Stories – Alternative News Sources

Interesting site – some stories look like Wikileaks – embarrassing revelations of stuff governments or big business would prefer to keep hushed up and the public are pleased to have exposed.

Other stories are more National Enquirer / Worldwide Conspiracy Theory stuff – amusing at best, but not very convincing.

Global Research seems to have originated from an anti-big business, anti-globalisation position but now carries a whole raft of news stories.

Spinning through the stories on offer, there are quite a few that I am interested in – some from clearly biased sources with particular bees in their bonnets, others thoughtful and well reasoned analysis that could easily have justified publication in heavyweight mainstream press.

The website is cluttered, but the archive is pretty good. A lot of the stuff is pretty fringe – but keeping an eye on articles from fringe groups is often a worthwhile exercise. And just because they are fringe doesn't mean that they are always wrong… Read with a sceptical eye, but you might find some gems.

http://www.globalresearch.ca

3 stars

Noble Defender of Freedom of Information or Anti-social Anarchist?

Check out the website www.wikileaks.info and decide for yourself.

Looking down at the stories they have exposed, for the most part I think they've done a good job. Far too much of government, politics and business is over-secret, over-classified and when exposed by whistle blowers is proven to have more than a taint of corruption involved. With a few exceptions, Wikileaks has been a good thing.

I agree that there must still be, possibly unfortunately, some real secrets in today's world – and not everything should be 100% accessible to the world's press. In the age of the internet this is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

The old adage 'If you want to keep a secret, don't tell anyone' is not always realistic.

It's a difficult call – but I accept that people, especially those in the military, who reveal state secrets should be open to being prosecuted in the courts. (That does not mean that the state can torture them or hold them in inhuman conditions vis-à-vis Bradley Manning)

I don't however agree that a self-interested military court should have the ultimate say – surely it is a basic human right in a civil society that any accused can ultimately appeal to the highest court in the land?

Meanwhile, from my point of view, I give Wikileaks 3 stars.

www.wikileaks.info

Argos - UK's Largest Catalogue Merchant

Argos is the largest general goods retailer in the UK it has over 750 stores around the country. It sells goods as a catalogue merchant if you go to the store you enter a catalogue number on a slip of paper, check it's available, then wait for the item to be brought to you from the warehouse.

They also have a pretty good online store where you can buy and have stuff delivered to your home (usually extra charge) or just order for pick up at your nearest store. They have customer reviews online and they keep both positive and negative comments so you get a fair idea of what you are buying.
Argos has been in the UK since 1973 and is one of the main discount retailers. It sell branded goods, own brand goods from cheap and cheerful to mid range / good quality. Their twice a year telephone directory sized catalogues must use up half of Scandinavia's forest land to produce.

I use the website to check prices against other suppliers. Sometimes it is surprisingly competitive, and if you know what you are after it is often the best place to go.

In the last year I've bought a camera, a barbecue and some self assembly furniture from them. Very efficient, good prices and I am quite happy.

I'm not sure I'd buy their cheaper own brand electronics stuff but then 'ye pays yer money and takes yer chance' If you want a fancy radio for half the price of another main brand it might not be as good. Caveat emptor let the buyer beware.

www.Argos.co.uk

Generally good.