Blogpower Roundup Peace Love and Goodwill Edition

In the spirit of moving forward, I have decided to author a regular roundup of Blogpower Posts that have caught my eye. Please go and take a look for yourself.

First up Ellee Seymour worries about the cost of groceries. Not the expensive stuff, but some of the loss leaders that the supermarkets are trying out.

The days of cheap food have gone. Or have they? Tesco and Asda are waging a price war to entice shoppers, with Asda already selling ten staple items, including bread, eggs and butter, for only 50p from today.

And what kind of a life can a 2 pound chicken have? Answers on the back of a savings coupon to this blog. And Happy Birthday Ellee.

Chervil always has some good sustainable ideas and her latest is the no dig garden. I built one of those at our last house, and unfortunately it still involves spades.

Ruthie has had it with snarky bloggers. Surely not us Ruthie?

Too many online discussions are marked by hatred, ignorance, and a dogmatic us-versus them mentality. The false bravado of anonymity only throws fuel on the fire.

Obviously the Internet can be a useful tool for the news media— the ease of fact-checking, the ability of bloggers and individuals to weigh in quickly on important issues, the instantaneous dispersement of news to the masses.

But when it comes to the consumption and discussion of hard news, I'll take a newspaper I can hold in my hand and an earnest face-to-face debate any day over the split-second snarkiness of the virtual world.

Very topical for Blogpower actually. Pass the Newspaper?

Make sure you don't piss of this blogger? I wonder how close that is to Theo's Blog Central Control Tower?

Matt Wardmann on the other hand suggests that we just need to take time out.

It’s incredibly hard to withdraw. A 24/7 society no longer has natural space for slowing down and silence. One counsellor, dealing with inmates in a young offenders institute, discovered that many of the young people were coming to her worried by the voices they could hear in their heads. She realised that, disconnected for the first time from a constant world of noise, it was the first time they’d been able to hear their own thoughts.

Pub Philosopher on the other hand highlights how bloggers really made a difference in China.

Kizzie brings a human face to the tragedy that is Zimbabwe. Warning, very confronting post.

Perhaps a trip to Ladakh would help to sooth the soul. The Conscious Earth wraps up his trip to this part of the world with some fantastic photographs.

Tuscan Tony sympathises with the police in Wales when facing crank calls. I wonder if they came on a bicycle and did they have mandatory UFO identification training?

Welshcakes on the other hand wishes her water supply was a bit more rationale. I can sympathise, living in water challenged South Australia. When I lived in the Philippines however, we had two hours of non potable water a day first thing in the morning. If you didn't catch it then it was a half mile walk to get more in the evening. I developed a taste for Coke in the morning and San Miguel in the evening. At least they were potable.

Speaking of utilities, Wolfie looks back at enthusiastic American promotion of Nuclear Power in Iran. OK it was before the Mullahs. Sort of similar to the US backflips in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Following up on this, Jams O'Donnell focuses on the first draft of the US invasion plan for Iran I can say that I have actually watched this movie with the kids. Even they were incredulous.

Tom Paine considers the role of books in his life over a Moscow lunch.

I glance at my watch. I gaze at the dust-jacket, irritated. A life measured in books. Since childhood, an unbroken hiss of author noise muffling my own thoughts. Books measured by the time they linger. This one was too good; too fast. The world is loud and annoyingly clear without the author’s hiss. I listen.

Grendel has useful advice for those like me who are on Scout Group Committees. I just joined last month. I have been allocated the needed task of Quartermaster. Grendel will be fundraising, which as he observes is an important role for groups like this. I am sure he can put his real life skills to work there.

Ian Grey, recently departed from Blogpower has thoughts on other things.

Ian, one of the founder members of Blogpower has contributed a lot to the organisation taking on many roles, most recently one of the administrators during a very tumultuous time. We wish him well in his new friend of Blogpower role.

And that is all I have time for today. If you are interested in doing a roundup for whatever reason or focus that you are interested in that incorporates a Blogpower focus, then just let me know and we will set you up with a login.