Fictional Dinner Party

I stole this from Caragh (loaded shelves) so here is my dinner party.

THE RULES: you must invite 11 guests, and there must be

1. One character who can cook/likes to cook

I think this would have to be Sunny from The Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket), because who wouldn't want an infant to cook their meal.

2. One character who has money to fund the party

Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries (L.J. Smith)

3. One character who might cause a scene

Richard from Wizards First Rule (Terry Goodkind)

4. One character who is funny/amusing

Technically two people but they are almost joint at the hip, Ari and Janco from the Study Series (Maria V Snyder)

5. One character who is super social/popular

Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter (J.K Rowling)

6. One villian

Skilgannon the Damned from White wolf (David Gemmell)

7. One couple - doesn't have to be romantic

 Durzo Blint and Kylar Stern from The Night Angel Trilogy (Brent Weeks), they would make sure all my guests behaved themselves.

8. One hero/heroine

Sam Vimes from Terry Pratchett's Discworld to keep Durzo and Kylar in check.

9. One under-appreciated character

Dervish from The Demonata series (Darren Shan)

10. One character of your own choosing

Death from Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Returns, Charities and Pottermore

Returns

Return tickets have been around of quite a while and are found on a range of transport. Most people would agree that they are particulally useful as they allow you to travel to somewhere, and return again without having to purchase another ticket, and therefore as long as you don't lose your ticket your return journey is garinteed (even if you spend/loose all your money). They are also often cheeper to buy than two single tickets.

However despite their usefulness and them being pretty much a universal thing. The bus company Arriva, no longer sell return tickets (because bus travel needs to be more expensive)

Charities

I think charities would be a lot more effective if they merged together, we don't need 10 different cancer charities, if they all merged and worked together I'm sure they would be more effective. As well as this i think they should be more equal, and some get over looked because they are for a relatively uncommon diseases - which are no less impacting than the more common ailments. A possible solution to this would be to have a national charity - just one - which those who want to donate to charity donate to, the national charity would then equally share the money between all the charities.

Pottermore

My younger siblings just joined Pottermore. Now at the moment I am stuck waiting 4 chapters into the second book, waiting for the school year to commence in accordance to the date. The house cup was also awarded at the correct time of year as the house cup would be awarded in. So from both of these I take it to understand that each 'book' will open a year apart so that users play through Hogwarts. Then why can my siblings play through the entire fist year in a day? Surely it would make sense that they should spend a year in first year, ensuring regular and continuous users and also extending the life of the site. For example I joined in April and by May I had finished first year... and I had only been on a few times between then and now. I have come back on since the opening of 'book' two and I have been very active on the site. I know I am not alone in this as my good friend Cazz agrees. Now if a few chapters were released periodically over the year Pottermore would see a lot more activity.

Also I would love to see more lessons/activities I think herbology and care of magical creatures could be easily done.

First Opinions, Careers Advice and 2012

First Opinions

   Recently my eyes were opened to how first opinions are often wrong, and sometimes hugely wrong. I had to visit a little welsh town, in order to do my research project for my degree. I visited Llanrwst I didn't have a very good day. The weather was overcast with occasional showers, the town looked deserted and grey, the people who I met in the town, were mostly grumpy and unfriendly. I came away from this encounter with a bad view of Llanrwst. However I returned to Llanrwst last week, this time with nicer weather, a mild spring-like day with sunshine. This time the streets were lively and everyone I spoke to that day was very friendly (if not over friendly in comparison). Needless to say my views on Llanrwst have greatly improved and I feel bad for the way I judged it the last time and apparently just like you shouldn't judge a book by its cover I think that you shouldn't judge a place on one day/visit.
 

Careers Advice - The gaping hole.

   So since year 9 (ages 13-14) pupils are made subtly aware for career options, after all that is the year you pick you GCSE's and god forbid you not choose based on the career you want. Again during years 10 and 11 Career options and advice are thrown around freely making a conversation about your future prospect unavoidable and as this is the last year of compulsory education it is expected if not necessary. If you choose to go to 6th form (I can't speak on behalf of colleges as I went to 6th form) Again careers advice and suggestions are shoved down a pupils throat (I mean you need to know this sort of thing before you choose your degree course, right?)

   So taking into account all the effort mentioned above in giving career advice, why is it that after 2 and a half years at uni is the first hint at advice the ramblings of a lecturer at the front of a bus on the way back from a trip (not to discredit the advice or the action - It was interesting and helpful) but why has it taken this long for a hint? Is it that we are supposed to know all this before we get here? Or is it assumed that the advice is not needed? Because in my opinion that sort of advice and outlining options is never needed more than during the 3 years in uni at the end of which you are expected to settle into a career. It can't be that the idea of having a set career is outdated, (I've never felt more pressure to 'have a plan' or to have a set career that I want to have). So why is there a gaping hole in the career advice system?

 2012 - Apocalypse?

   Last week I went to a lecture at my uni by Myles Dyer about the Internet and using it to solve the problems in the world. During this lecture he suggested that the world and society would have to be hit hard before the majority realised that there needed to be change.
   I stumbled across a song by Gotye who currently has a different song at #1 in the UK charts. But this song that I stumbled across is called Eyes Wide Open, the subject of the song is focused entirely on the destruction of the planet and how we refused to change in order to save it.

If only this was the song that is in the charts - maybe it would open some eyes but it looks like it will take something drastic to make change. If loads of people can care about what one man if Africa does surely it should be so hard for people to care about the planet that effects every single person on the planet. 2012 may not be the Mayan apocalypse. But maybe it is the start of the end, it won't happen over night but maybe this year starts being the final straw for the planet. The End has to start somewhere.

Pocahontas, CAT and the Environment

    So it's been a while since I wrote a blog. I meant to write one to sum up the week that I spent in Barcelona, but I didn't. And since Barcelona I haven't done, been or experienced anything of note (not something big enough to warrant a blog). I did however visit CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) today. So this blog will be a summary of any recent thoughts I've had and some thoughts on renewable energy and CAT.

Random Musing (Of the Month)

Pocahontas - Colours of the Wind

   I was listening to the soundtrack from Pocahontas (I'm cool) more specifically Colours of the Wind, and for once I listened to the words, I mean really listened. Pocahontas is not something I've ever given too much thought to, other than being my favourite when I was young, and like any good kids film, it has a message. The message in Pocahontas is still just as relevant as it was 15 years ago, as the the natural world is not yet full respected and appreciated, not only that but the other theme running through it is the idea of accepting people who are different, and that just because they are different it doesn't make them any less than you.

"You think you own whatever land you land on, The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim"

"You think the only people who are people, Are the people who look and think like you"

"Come roll in all the riches all around you, And for once, never wonder what they're worth"
  

I wonder whether growing up with films like Pocahontas has influenced our generation, and whether our generation will be more environmentally aware (not just due to Pocahontas) but because we grew up when the world was starting the realise the damage that had been done. I'd like to think that Pocahontas had an effect but it's taken me til the age of 20 to really listen, so surely 5 year old me didn't understand. But I am doing Geography, I do have respect for the natural world and I do have respect for other cultures. So maybe it rubbed off on me after all (Forget other sources of influence - I'm sticking with this theory I like it better).

CAT - Centre for Alternative Technology

   Firstly I'd like to point out irony of getting a bus from North Wales to Mid Wales through Snowdonia (Not the flattest of roads) roughly a 2hour journey to the centre of renewable technology, not that there is any other way but the idea of creating a carbon footprint just to visit a place dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability is a little off.

   Secondly I was a little disappointed when I was there to find out that CAT is not self sustainable and that they use power from the national grid. After all that is what they are about surely they should be self-supporting?

   Thirdly I learnt that solar panels should be used solely to heat water in the UK as we are just not sunny enough to efficiently use solar panels for anything else. The UK would struggle to put into place anymore hydroelectric stations. I also found out that the UK is one of the windiest places, certainly Europe, so wind power = good, put little wind turbines in gardens and houses are mostly useless. The other good option for the UK's future renewable power is biomass (wood burning).

I really am disappointed that they use power from the national grid though.

And as a side note - Bloggers spellchecker does not recognise the word 'blog'

Barcelona: Money, Monks and Monarchy

Day 3 - Wednesday
I'm aware that there have been several errors in the last few blogs - typing on my my phone is quite mistake inducing.
Today we visited Montserrat (the mountain, not the volcano). Not great weather, the cloud cover was too low shrouding the top of the mountain in fog. There are multiple regious building on montserrat - we visited a monestry near the top.
What we saw upon arrival was not what I had expected at all. In fact I think it was every thing a religous building should not be. Several shops and an art gallery. Now I'm not saying that a monestry can't have a gift shop or a cafe, or that it can't be a tourist attraction. But something can be too much. Monks are supposed to be devoted to god, they should not be lining their pockets with money. Or is this a sign that money is replacing god. I'm not a religious person but I like churches and other places of worship. They have a great presence and I believe they are places to be respectful of, however this place had lost part of it's presence dispite the inside being stunningly decorated and I think this is to do with thw encroachment of the shops.
On the way back into Barcelona we were told how all the beaches in spain are public, yet there is a hotel built into the sea (like the one in dubai). It just shows that with enough money even laws are insignificant. The bit of beach that it was built on has long been known as a nudist beach, however guests complained, hotel appealled, law has been passed - it is now illegal to be nude on the beach - even though the hotel itself is illegal.
Spain has had a lot to deal with over the last century, this I never knew: WW1, Spanish revalution (Franco + Hitler), WW2 followed by a dictatorship. Until spains King restored democrasy.

Barcelona, Volcanoes and the Greeks

Day 2 - Tuesday

So the population of the world hit 7 billion yesterday - on hallowe'en - I wonder if that is the sign of things to come, the universe joking with us.
So fitting that the day after we go and look at aincent ruins - what would future civilizations make of our ruins, what would they think of us? Will we leave the planet in a state in which it is possiable for a future to exist. Maybe no one will examine our ruins. What ever any future civilization think of us, I hope we are used as an example - an example of what not to be.
The other thing we saw today was a volcano, that had been exploited, a huge chuck quarried out of it. The idea of quarrying a volcano just sounds wrong to me, even one that last erupted 10,000 years ago. But that is a blink of an eye for a volcano. I think its important that we cannot tame volcanoes and earthquakes and I don't think dormant volcanos should be ignored, even extinct ones. We need to be reminded that there is a force bigger than us - if not for the planets sake, for our sake.
The architect who designed La Sagrada Familia - Gaudi - said that there was no greater architect that god, therefore La Sagrada Familia could not be built higher than montjuic. Taking the religous statement out of that, the message is a valid one - we can't out do nature and the natural forces of the world.
After inspecting my water bottle it turns out that its a product of guess who - thats right Coca-Cola (what are the chances?).

Barcelona, Catalonia and Europe

Day 1 - Monday

The day started with a cycle tour around barcelona which was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be.
It was a good way to explore parts of the city - so long as you don't run anyone over or get run over yourself.
It was interesting to find out that st. George is also the paitron saint of catalyunia - so due to this dragons feature heavily in the architexture of the old town.
The zoo and the parliment building are in the same park - an interesting mix

The differances between mediterranean europe and the UK are still striking - you think I'd have notice the difference before now as although this is my first time in spain, i've been to the med a few times. Is the tiny bit of sea between us and france really big enough to cause such a cultural gap? I don't think it is. So what makes us so estranged - do we belong to europe, because britons talk of visiting europe (implying that they do not view themselves as european).

However dispite the difference there are issues that catalonia has faced that the UK can relate to. For example spanish is not a language, saying spanish is like saying we speak british. Spain in the eyes of the spanish is as much one country as the UK. Catalonia has a vibe that it gives off that is very similar to the vibe of independance that wales gives off.

It just shows that issues can be the same dispite all other differances. 

On a less philosophical note, I've been drinking water :o