Shameless Commerce Division

Posted on 5/12/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Looking for Christmas gift ideas? (I have the perfect spot for you to shop.) times two. Check out our Make Tea Not War products at CafePress. Plus Phi has a number of his photos for sale at Imagekind.

Current temperature: here 9C/48F, there 0F/-18C

Posted in Photography, Sabbatical | 3 Comments

The Hitman

Posted on 5/12/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Trash. Oh, wow, that was bad. Was the script writer asleep at his desk? Whole stretches were so underwritten it was scary. Also, the production was so cheap they used footage from the TV show Dark Angel to fill in the back story. Then there was the huge honking plot hole of having a hitman, dressed dapperly, with a bald head that shows off his tat bar code id, wandering around in full view of all unsundry. Way to keep a low profile!

Current temperature: here 9C/48F, there 0F/-18C

Posted in Film, Sabbatical | 1 Comment

Advice and Queries No. 26

Posted on 2/12/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Do you recognise the needs and gifts of each member of your family and household, not forgetting your own? Try to make your home a place of loving friendship and enjoyment, where all who live or visit may find the peace and refreshment of God’s presence.

Current temperature: here 7C/45F, there 9F/-13C

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Experiments with veggies

Posted on 25/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

On Thursday we got a whole load of curly kale in our veggie box. And I really do mean huge quantities of the stuff. It was a little daunting. I googled for recipes and came up with a curly kale and potato risotto. As I’m a big fan of risotto I decided to give it a go. Phi, being the gallant kind of guy he is, came along for the ride.

Tonight, as we discussed a variety of topics in our tiny kitchen, the dish came together and while perhaps being a little odd to contemplate, happily cooked as any risotto does. Yes, that was a lot of starch but the potatoes were well matched with the rice. The kale was … strange. Not awful but then not good either. (And I only added half the listed amount!) I suspect other green veggies, spinach perhaps, might be a more suitable ingredient for risotto.

A great experiment but not a successful recipe. We continue to search for the ultimate kale recipe that tastes like something we’d want to eat.

Current temperature: here 4C/39F, there 43F/6C

Posted in Sabbatical, What the heck? | 5 Comments

Ratatouille

Posted on 21/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Blah. I fell asleep watching this movie. The script was the same old same old and I just didn’t give a rip about anything they had to say. This was oh so Disney and not so much Pixar.

Current temperature: here 8C/46F, there 23F/-5C

Posted in Film, Sabbatical | 1 Comment

30 Days of Night

Posted on 21/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Scary. Scratch that, better make it really damn scary. This has such a cool premise and you really believe the local inhabitants of a northern Alaska community would have the wherewithal to put up a fight and see off the vampire hoard. The fractured relationship between the leads is explored in an interesting way without relying on huge amounts of exposition. The vampires just look so cool and are way frightening. There are lots of averting one’s eyes scenes and the tension keeps on ratcheting up until the end. The ending was unexpected and really got to me. So, yeah, I liked it.

Current temperature: here 8C/46F, there 23F/-5C

Posted in Film, Sabbatical | 1 Comment

Live Free or Die Hard

Posted on 19/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Tiredish. Not bad, but then not exactly good. An excuse to eat your favourite movie snacks really. I’ll admit to mostly enjoying the ride while it lasted but it did teeter just the wrong side of that believability line. Die Hard the first and the third are the ones to watch.

Current temperature: here 7C/45F, there 41F/5C

Posted in Film, Sabbatical | 1 Comment

Advices and Queries No. 41

Posted on 18/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Try to live simply. A simple lifestyle freely chosen is a source of strength. Do not be persuaded into buying what you do not need or cannot afford. Do you keep yourself informed about the effects your style of living is having on the global economy and environment?

One of the benefits of taking a sabbatical is the opportunity to reassess certain aspects of your life. When we flew over to the UK, the weight and baggage limitations were such that we could only take six suitcases (two per person) each packed to a maximum of 50 kilos. Also, while on sabbatical, the family income has been significantly cut, and additionally affected by the current weakness of the US dollar against Sterling.

Stuff has to go!

We couldn’t carry it. Nor could we buy it. Choices had to be made.

Grocery shopping becomes a very interesting exercise in deciding which products we’re prepared to buy the cheaper versions of. Where does price make a difference to experience? If you can’t stand the taste what’s the point of buying the cheaper product?

When we decided where to live we had to choose between two options that were $100 per month apart. So we could have $100 more a month to live on or a better everyday experience in a larger space with better fixtures and fittings.

Since arriving I’ve been able to visit the cinema at least once a week. This is very important to my mental well being. However, we have been attending the matinee performances because the price difference is significant. This affects how we schedule and organise our lives.

We’re not buying books but we are borrowing from the local library system.

We’re attending professional theatre productions and live music events because what’s the point of being here if we don’t?

We’re paying for a broadband internet connection because if we’re completely cut off from our virtual lives the fallout does not bear thinking about. Eating beans on toast every night for a week is not a bad price to pay if it keeps the jack hot.

Life is about choices and we’re contemplating ours every day we spend on sabbatical.

Current temperature: here 5C/41F, there 36F/2C

Posted in General, Sabbatical, What the heck? | 1 Comment

Stardust

Posted on 17/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Fun. So it isn’t perfect and could have done with a firmer hand in the editing room, but I enjoyed this movie. Neil Gaiman just rocks so a movie based on one of his books has got to have a good chance of succeeding if you give it half a chance.

Current temperature: here 6C/43F, there 36F/2C

Posted in Film, Sabbatical | 1 Comment

Rendition

Posted on 17/11/2007 by WeatherGrrrl

Thought provoking. Rendition was rated 15 but after watching I would have put it in the 18 category, along with Eastern Promises, just on the torture scenes alone. Rendition tells a good story that has a sound moral purpose and does so in an emotionally engaging way.

For me the big a-ha moment came when the terror suspect confesses under torture. I had a flashback to reading, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller in school. All you had to do to save yourself and stop the torture was confess your guilt and name names. The innocent, who protested their innocence, paid with their lives. If it was true in the 1600s why the hell can’t we see that it’s still true today?

The ending of the main story line was a mite twee but I will forgive the movie that since it’s heart was in the right place. Rendition reinforced for me the fact that torturing people only makes more terrorists, it doesn’t solve a damn thing and it only demeans and dehumanises us all.

Current temperature: here 6C/43F, there 36F/2C

Posted in Film, Sabbatical | 1 Comment