Plants or ice 30 July, 2007

I went to another free public lecture recently. I hadn’t really heard too much about green roofs before, but I’m told it’s not a new idea – the vikings and others in history had green roofs.

The idea is that you have a strong roof with a layer of concrete, a layer of soil and a layer of greenery – like grass, plants, shrubs or veges!

It helps Urban Heat Island effect, where cities are warmer than rural areas due to sunlight reflecting off other buildings. It helps insulate the building, thus requiring less air-conditioning. It means there’s not as much water run off (although not a problem in Brissie at the moment!). It can even increase the life-span of the roof (just make sure it’s a structurally strong!).

In some countries there is legislation regarding green roofs, and there are lots of green roof ideas – tops of car parks, bus stops and dog houses, and green walls for really tall buildings.

So green roofs sound more sustainable than ice to me.

The Diary of a Nobody 23 July, 2007

No, it’s not about me – it’s about Mr Pooter, his wife Carrie, their son Lupin and their ups in their suburban life in England.

Published in 1892, this is the fictional journal of Mr Charles Pooter. He’s an easy going kinda guy with concern for his wife and son. He spends much of the journal describing the comings and goings of his mates Cummings and Gowing, along with the dinner parties they attend and his office dramas.

It also provides an insight into everyday life in the late 1800s – communicating by post (delivered at least twice a day – oh England still does that!), getting around by horse and carriage and friends dropping by in the evening without announcement.

Said to be the inspiration for the excellent The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, The Diary of a Nobody is highly entertaining, making the reader roar with laughter alongside Mr and Mrs Pooter. Recommended as a read aloud bed-time story.

The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith

Oxford University Press, 1995

ISBN 0-19-282404-X

Ambassador Live 17 July, 2007

Recently one of Al Gore’s ambassadors spoke at The University of Queensland on climate change. I learnt:

• So much ice in Greenland is melting that maps need to be redrawn.

• Only we can rescue ourselves.

• Earth is so small compared to the universe, so the problem can’t be too difficult to resolve!

• We are already have enough knowledge to fix the problems.

Many of the slides shown in Al Gore’s ambassador’s presentation can be seen on You Tube.

If Al Gore can have an ambassador, can I have one too?

I like green: moths 4 July, 2007

This gorgeous creature made the bathroom its home for a few days.

Say it isn’t so! 4 July, 2007

When Aussie police and soldiers recently went into Australian Aboriginal communities in an attempt to curb abuse, the military set up a recruitment drive! How sad… it reminds me of a documentary I saw about how in America people of lower socio-economic status are targeted to join the military by offering them free college education. What is this country becoming!

Pirates Ahoy! 3 July, 2007

Birthday Boy received a Pocket Book of Pirates on the weekend, with some interesting stuff, including:

- Top Ten Real Pirates
- Top Ten Fictional Pirates
- Pirate Dictionary
- Pirate Jokes
(eg. Pirate one: “That be a fine looking hook and peg leg ye got for yerself.”
Pirate two: “I should think so, they cost me an arm and a leg!”)
- Pirate Recipes
- Top Ten Secret Celebrity Pirates
(eg. Michael Bolton – how can we be lovers if we can’t be pirates?)
- Pirate Chat-up Lines
(eg. Arrrr me name’s Roger, wanna make me jolly?)
- Pirate Insults
- Personality Test
(It tells me I’m far too lovely for cold-blooded murder, robbery and hard-drinking. They might be wrong on that last one though… Birthday Boy is considered an urban pirate.)

When Birthday Boy was flicking through his new Pocket Book of Pirates, he saw that on the back of the book, it had been categorised as “humour”. He said, “It’s more of a reference book.”

This is someone who’s serious about pirates!

PS. There’s a section on how to work out your own pirate name – let me know if you’re keen to find out what yours is and I’ll let you know!