Category Archives: Cool Stuff

uniteddiversity: together we have everything

11

I”d like to draw attention to the uniteddiversity site - which is currently boasting a new look and being jazzed up. it”s funky, it”s hip, and it”s worth your-surfing-the-net time..

Even you bots ought to take a look ( you know i wonder how many humans ever read this blog - by any chance if you”re passing through and you”re not a bot - i”d appreciate a shout.) i sometimes wonder why more people don”t comment? is it because they”re worried they haven”t got something “pertinent” or interesting to say.. well don”t let that worry you people - i”m interested in anything you have to say. why i”ve even allowed some of these bots who slip through my spam filter (and that seems to number in the hundreds these days!!) a pat on the back for saying amusing things. still most of them nowadays appear to restrict themselves to something like “hi jane i like your site” - couldn”t they even get my name right!

green.tv

7

The ‘first broadband environment channel’ - green.tv has been online since the start of the month, and busy racking up the hits and enjoying lots of media attention. Backed by the UNEP, designed by large blue in collaboration with the espians, {featuring the first application of the ‘Protoplex’}, green.tv broadcasts environmental videos drawn from a wide range of sources - including the Environment Agency, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, etc. One of the ideas -I believe- is to showcase independent films and the work of environmental activists/grassroots work/what’s actually happening on the ground, alongside raising awareness of the ‘big issues’.

If you’re a filmmaker or an organization producing environmental videos and would be interested in contributing your content, please visit their blog for more information. They are also currently in the process of developing the community angle further - if you have any ideas, again please get in touch.
{There is also a pledgebank connected with this - open till 15th May}

With regards to building up the community side of the site, and generally ‘stickiness’ a couple of thoughts come to mind. A wiki would be a great way to encourage collaborative effort - find out what everyone’s thinking - about the content that’s up there, and related to that - how they might want to get involved in the various different projects that are out there in the world today.

On a local level it would be great, if for example one saw a film made by some Southwark kids talking about their environment and their issues etc., and one could then check out the community zone and find out what initiatives are happening in Southwark right now, what the state of recycling is ( and boy does it make a difference depending on what local authority area you’re in! More on that to follow later – yes the state of recycling in London is shocking) or any other relevant happenings- now that would be brilliant. Of course, this is from the perspective of someone who works for an environmental charity – perhaps others will have different views depending on who they are and what they do.

As often is the case, Institutions ( especially big ones - or the ones with clout) can be somewhat overpowering - they like publicity, the hype, the advertising potential –> and there’s always the chance that this can squeeze out what individuals have to say: hence collaboration is key. Generally this is the situation with television and the broadcast industry nowadays .. familiar to anyone who’s taken a passing interest in political economy issues of media. So whilst it is technically interesting to have seamless video streaming on the net –- still, the usual issues of ‘broadcast’ vs. ‘interactive’ remain. push vs. pull and all that old business.{ and boy! talked about for so long:that great-buzzword-since-the-late-90-‘s “video-on-demand”, and nowadays - Over IP Video - OIPV and IPTV etc.}

No need to get into that particular bit of discourse right here and now, suffice to say that I feel that given the success of this green.tv project will depend on how interactive it actually turns out to be. It’s a fabulous concept, and a great opportunity. Particularly for the folks out there – environmental activists and ordinary people making changes in their lives - instead of just ‘talking the talk’ - this is a great opportunity to be ‘heard and seen’ and if we can all ‘push’ it in the right direction – then it will be fabulous indeed.

what green.tv has to say for itself:

“With green.tv we’ve brought together the audience pulling power of television with the chatroom and blogging interaction of the internet to create a truly powerful new medium, one that reaches out to a global broadband audience - an audience which, importantly, consumes most of the Earth’s valuable resources”

earth

Get London Reading

2

Get London Reading

Encouraging Londoners to make more time for reading.  

Find out what”s happening in your Borough.

Reclaim Love party this saturday

6

O-I-L presents: RECLAIM LOVE , 2.30PM @ EROS STATUE, PICCADILLY, SATURDAY 11TH FEB 2006

The 3rd Reclaim Love Party will take place, at 2.30pm at the Eros Statue, Piccadilly Circus, London. In the same tradition as before, the Samba band, bicycle sounds system with funky love beats and free on the spot prizes will be there along with a free valentine card making stall for kids and adults alike.

At this time of year, Valentines Day, shopkeepers encourage you to buy something to prove you love someone. Maybe a teddy bear made in a sweat shop in China by a small child, with “I LOVE YOU” sewn on to it. Or perhaps a diamond ring which has come from an industry rife with human rights abuses.

Well, O-I-L (One-In-Love) encourages us to Reclaim LOVE, which O-I-L claims is our most valuable resource and celebrate it together for free on the streets. Bring your kids, your grannies and your Love along at 2.30 prompt and join in the Love circle that sends Love and healing out to all the beings in all the worlds for free. Last year we had 300 lovely people in the circle sending out the love. This year we welcome all those who came last year back and anyone else who would like to come. Its a beautiful, uplifting and memorable thing to do in the winter in london. It`s as hot as a summers day with the love and the light coming form all the lovely smiling faces dancing together as One.

The past is history.
The future is a mystery.
This moment is a gift.
That is why it is called
The present………
So rock the world

Venus

check out the O-I-L website

New Green Guide database online..

1

After two years of research the new version of the Guide Guide Online Database is now available at www.greenguide.co.uk

The Green Guide is a comprehensive directory of eco-friendly, natural, ethical and organic goods and services, containing all sorts of things the consumer & business user needs for a sustainable lifestyle & workplace.

The Green Guide for Christmas contains everything you need for the festive season – but with a planet-friendly, natural and ethical slant:

* more than 200 of the best green, ethical or natural gift suggestions
* listings for planet-friendly mail order suppliers and retailers
* the best green shopping web sites and ethical catalogues
* tips and advice for greening your Christmas

GreenGuide

if you buy this single..

0

ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn’t ‘ve?

Out today..featuring a re-recorded version of the old punk classic including performances from David Gilmour, Robert Plant, Rog er Daltrey, Elton John and more… plus the original Buzzcocks Version!

a tribute to john peel

All the proceeds will be donated to Amnesty International ( which was john peel’s favourite charity)

plus - if everyone goes out and buys it, amnesty may get a no.1 single! ( as well as having a Nobel prize, that would be quite nice eh?)

‘Meet the fuckers’

0

A good xmas present? Meet the Fuckers Apron..$17.99

meet the fuckers

conspiracy: theories

0

conspiracy theories: what fun. ( i fancied a breath of fresh air after this bout of attempted sectarian stirring-up) Secret societies, the Illuminati, the Freemasons, kabbalah, yum yum.

of course, Umberto Eco: Foucault”s Pendulum is a must on any conspiracy theory fan”s reading list.

the quest for secret knowledge - is a fascinating topic and a study of the quest for secret knowledge is even more intriguiging.

sefiroth

sadhana

hermetica

decline and fall : evelyn waugh

0

Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh. 1928

His first novel.

Decline and Fall

a good bookshop

2

uniteddiversity is an open co-operative dedicated to making sustainable living easy, improving quality of life and reducing ecological footprint. this is their online sustainable living shop and has some fantastic books on offer. take a look see and it may change your life.

so many people out there are all thinking - yah i wanna make a difference. but its hard to know exactly how. that’s the most difficult bit- a good start is to see what’s out there already and read as much as you can!

Archives

RSS delicious