My Writing and Ideas

8th Entry - Orkney Islands Scotland Website

Malcolm — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:07:25 GMT

http://www.squidoo.com/orkneytravel I have been putting together pictures and information about the Orkney Islands in Scotland, together with helpful information about what life is really like there, places to go, things to do, where to stay, useful weblinks, etc. Let me know what you think and rate it if you can. Pictures are also stored on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24193007@N08/ Hope you like!

Viewing the Election Candidates

Malcolm — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:28:52 GMT

Hi - we've been watching the progress of the US Presidential election process ... and Rachel being a colour consultant / web designer, she decided to look at the candidates websites! See what she found out ... "Decoding presidential candidates websites: color psychology" The hidden messages in the colors and fonts used in U.S. presidential candidates websites. Light-hearted critique of websites according to color psychology ... http://digg.com/design/Decoding_presidential_candidates_websites_color_psychology Will you digg it too? Note, this is light-hearted and totally opinionated but if you digg it, digg it! Hee, hee. It is fascinating. ---

Sixth Entry - Fresh Organics to your Door - Jan 08

Malcolm — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:22:10 GMT

I've just been listening to our BBC Radio. It is Sunday and the programme was about sourcing speciality foods via the internet. Organic, locally produced, exotic or just plain different. What transpired was that the success of Amazon and supermarkets had inspired some small and very interesting businesses to also sprout up and use the internet to connect quality produces with desperate customers, starved of quality and diversity. We may have a vast over supply of cheap foods and plentyful packaging, courtesy of the big businesses who dominate, but, just as the dominance of media empires has failed to kill the tiny internet voices, so too the internet is providing a means to connect people - in this case suppliers with customers. The secret seems to be high quality products that you care about, are passionate about, and an excellent website that reflects this. Then it just comes down to an efficient postal service ... and the next thing you know you've got fresh fish at your door! Or spices, organics, ... you name it can be found. So, if you have any suggested sites to look at, please add them here, whether USA or UK or elsewhere. Here is one or two: http://www.thelocalfoodcompany.co.uk/ http://www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com/index.asp http://www.swaddles.co.uk/ Spread the word!

Fifth Entry - Jan 2008 - Fire!

Malcolm — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:25:04 GMT

Fire: You need to know this! It is time to tackle the big subject - Making Fire! Making fire - not with technology like strikers or matches, but with brains and improvisation. For, of all the skills you will need to survive some future disaster, and the one that is most liberating and empowering to now, it is the ability to make fire that will set you apart - that set humanity upon it's path of development. Fire is pretty fundamental. It will give you light, heat, security, drinkable water, cooked food, physical and chemical advantage and a sense of hope! Without it, life is grim! Without fire, you are in the dark, cold, weak and dying. Anyone who does decide to learn this skill, post a message here and I will instruct. This is one thing you need to be able to do, hands on, and cannot leave to just reading in a book. With the rest of survival, you have a chance! Get a good book to identify plant species (especially edible parts) and poisonous ones, for your local habitat. That, along with knowledge of making fire, is a very serious step towards independence. How is this relevent to eco-survival now? It is all about a state of mind. Once you remove the fear that locks you into conformity and our society (which, lets face it, is a recipe for eco disaster unfolding right now), you are empowered and can act. This is not about rejecting advanced technology or science - we are going to need all that, because of our population size. This is about a rapid and comfortable move away from profligate consumerism and the associated pollution that is both unnecessary and actually spoiling the quality of life, NOW. Try it, learn it, and feel the power.

Fourth Entry - Jan 2008 still :-)

Malcolm — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:45:26 GMT

Welcome to Rachel - my wife, soulmate and friend. Best ever. Have a look at her pages - she is more to me than all else combined and without her I cease to be. So it makes sense to see us together though we are still two people with our own ideas, personalities and temperature settings. I sit in the cool (ok Rachel, freezing cold) office, beneath the slate roof, while Rachel sits by the fire, toasty and warm, I hope. This makes sense for I grew up in a house during the cold war and there was a mini "cold war" between my parents too. Arguements over the heating bills and who paid for what plummeted into petty bickoring and the thermostats were turned right down too. My father huddled like scruge beside a whispy flame, wrapped in layers and layers and layers. My mother braved the nasty fumes of a portable gas heater in her 'office', oh what a stink but soothingly warm. I grew taller than expected and found my feet poking out of the bed clothes. They became accustomed to the cold. Soon they were pushed up against the cold outside wall of the house, where the condensation froze and in the mornings you could not see out the windows for the thickness of the ice. Not every day but often. Enough that I nowadays need cold feet, windows open and fresh air. So, central heating is not for us!!! We need temperature gradients, with Rachel beside the glowing fire and me on the cool side, in her shadow, so to speak. (Imagine a camp fire and how cold it can be on the dark side, that is where I am!) Chicken feeding time!!! Check out Do Good Design - new and unique. http://www.dogood-design.com :-)

Third Entry - Jan 2008

Malcolm — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:04:53 GMT

Storms! Winds howling outside and rain stinging the window pains. The chickens are paddling around in saturated mud, the cats just sit on my shoulders and ride up there as I walk. No need to get their paws wet when my jacket makes a cosy nest. They've done this since 7 weeks old, when we got these two kittens and they show little desire to go out without me. They follow us everywhere and are treated to trips to the local shops (in the bag, to avoid upsetting others). Rachel has a video clip of me walking the cats, on her website blog, if anyone wants a laugh. http://www.dogood-design.com/category/about-us/blog/ (Scroll down to article) Tonight I am hosting a film in the local hall. Stromness has about 2,000 people but the nearest cinema is 15 miles away in Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney. So we've started our own film club, informally at first. When gas costs $12 a gallon, you notice the distances! This is our third - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Previously we've watched - Babette's Feast and Cave of the Yellow Dog. Any suggestions for future viewing most welcome! We choose a theme, based upon the film, so tonight we're having fortune cookies, green teas and some music. Rachel will be wearing her silk jacket. All modest stuff but fun never-the-less, and good for a windy night. My friend count has risen to 5 - and wonderful people too, so I am now officially delighted with Tribe for introducing me to you all. Anyone else reading this is welcome to get in touch too. If anyone is thinking of visiting Scotland, I have 20 years experience in tourism and know many of the places to avoid! Feel free to ask. I leave you with a picture taken in the summer outside a 5,000 year old burial (?) chambered "cairn" called Cuween Hill. We'd just been inside playing the drum. Access is free - something special about life on Orkney, where doors are not locked and crime is unknown, almost. Stay free of fear! Have a wonderful evening!

Second Entry - Jan 2008

Malcolm — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:57:36 GMT

Hello to you and Three friends - so progress despite my doing little here. Too much time spent elsewhere doing other things. Things like, drinking tea, making fires (daily, in our living room we have an open fire - our heat surce of choice for the aesthetics) playing with the cats (hours daily) and sharing ideas with Rachel (important). (I will spare you my praise for Rachel, except to say we are wonderful for each other.) If anyone is interested in this little collection of islands off the north coast of Scotland (59 degrees latitude for you Canadians out there!), you might be surprised to know it virtually never goes below freezing. We don't need special clothing or car heaters or such winter considerations - we just moan about the wet wind and lack of sunlight - for we may have very mild waters around us like a thermal bath but we are still subject t othe laws of physics and at these latitudes the sun is low and pale no matter what. So, the ground is very wet as the rain water isn't evaporating off, the fields are very green (so few frosts) with grass awaiting the cattle and sheep (it is too soft and wet for them to be outdoors much now). Next blog - our chickens! or maybe Google Adds, whatever takes my mind. If you read this, haven't you something better to do? Haha.

First Entry - Jan 2008

Malcolm — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:42:29 GMT

Dear Tribe If this site is good, I will be posting regularly to this Blog. Today is day 1, setting up the page, still with no friends (aww) and an horrendous looking page. Still, if you are reading this there is hope, lots of it. Leave a message or footprint, please. As for the cow, this is a Scottish Highland Coo, giving you some idea where I live!