Archive for September, 2009

BBC America

As a UK Expatriate, living in America getting acclimated to American T.V. was “different” to put it mildly. When we lived in New York, we were able to watch a lot of British shows on the local PBS channels. It’s not that American shows are unwatchable, because in the U.K. we do get a lot of programming from the U.S. I suppose it’s more of a longing for something familiar and BBC America tries to bring that touch of “English” to the American “Soul”.

As a Briton residing this side of the pond, having few T.V. programs that you can watch week-to-week with a British slant is made easier with the existence of BBC America. At EtaBlog, this is one of our favorite channels to watch. The shows are high quality the comedies are in true British humor tradition.

One of our favorite shows, “The Dragon’s Den”, will almost certainly be on American T.V. in the near future. Another one of our favorite comedies is “Absolutely Fabulous” and although not in current rotation on BBC America, you can watch all the episodes at your leisure by clicking on the banner below. You will also find links to many other British shows and other media.

Scrabble Addiction

I am lucky to be blessed with a non-addictive personality, on the whole. However when it comes to the scrabble I cannot turn a game down. Luckily it’s an acceptable way to spend your time and relatively cost free vice.

I play on Word-Biz and have a decent rating there. Although it is not regulated and people can and do cheat, they have a “fair-play” agreement, which many of the members adhere to – including myself. If anyone would like to challenge me to a game just leave a comment on this blog and I will get back to you.

I have played recently with family and friends and usually win but not without creating some controversy. There are many words, which are “permitted” in competition that are not considered “real” words by my associates; words such as “za” and “qi”. These little gems are big players in the world of scrabble and getting “qi” on a triple letter score, horizontally and vertically pays 63 points. So you can understand their cries of “cheat, cheat”, when I manage to get a hit.

Anyone interested in playing this sport, will find that it can be as easy or hard as you desire. And that’s what’s very cool about the game. You can just play for fun with your friends or check out the online sites to find a more competitive and challenging field of opponents. However you start, just remember to have fun and you’ll also learn some new words along the way.

Get On Yer Bikes and Ride

In an era where we are all being encouraged to use public transportation in the hopes of saving on gas “petrol” and therefore reducing carbon emissions, other methods might get overlooked. Therefore we are going to examine how cycling can have an even greater effect with added health benefits built in.

If we look at Holland where the government has made huge strides to “greenify” main cities, we can get some great ideas on how to make our lives a little greener.
The people of Holland are committed to their bicycles. Many towns have paths dedicated solely to cyclists, allowing entire families to travel together in relative safety. Some of these paths even have their own traffic lights and riders must obey quite stringent road rules.

The government is also dedicated to making Holland’s cities greener. It is harder to get around the main cities by car and more expensive – parking can be a nightmare and cost a pretty penny.

In our local town, it is easy to get around by bike and we often times will ride up to our local supermarket to shop. As a health benefit, this form of cardio exercise is fabulous for your heart and can give your legs a great workout. Personally, I’ve also found that riding can relax away tension and help clear your mind of any clutter.

So get out there and ride!

Walking for Life

I’ve always enjoyed a good long walk. Now that autumn is knocking on our door, it is even more present in my mind. The days are a little cooler and the air slightly more crisp. This allows for a more comfortable walk and in my view a more enjoyable one.

In this age of TV, computers and many more people working from home, our lives have become far too sedentary. I live at my computer screen and find that time goes by so quickly, it is dark outside before you know it. So this Fall I am committed to setting up at least half-an-hour each day to walking.

Studies have shown that it does not take a lot of walking for you to see and feel the benefits. You do not even have to walk that fast. Just getting out and about is sufficient to make a difference to your well being.

There is another benefit to walking. It can help clear your mind and refresh it – allowing you to ready yourself for any tasks that lie ahead. So if you are like me and somewhat in a rut or have come up against a wall, put down tools and go out for a quick stroll. You will come back feeling less stressed and more focused.

Let me know your thoughts on this subject and I will be certain to let everyone know how my daily scheduled walks work out.

Cheers!

Patrick Swayze

Amidst all the nonsense surrounding Kanye West and the MTV Video Music Awards, was the death of famed actor Patrick Swayze. It’s true that people die every day and so why should his death hold any greater significance. In some ways there is absolutely no difference. After all he was just a human being like the rest of us.

Patrick’s battle started when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008. He noticed changes in his health in late 2007 and on New Year’s Eve that year, the pain in his stomach became unbearable. This strong, healthy man disintegrated into a weak, feeble shadow of his former self.

He showed immense courage and fortitude by continuing to work on his latest project, “The Beast”, despite having to endure excruciating pain. The human spirit is strong and we can tolerate far more than seems possible or logical.

His words in one of his last interview are inspiring to all those who are in his situation and cause those of us more fortunate to realize how lucky we truly are.

“I don’t know what’s on the other side,” he said. “It tests everything I believe in and that here is something unique in all of us that does not, does not die.”

“What winning is to me is not giving up, is no matter what’s thrown at me. I can take it, and keep going.”

Great words to live by.

A Tale of Two Cats

Last week’s post was very important and raised our consciousness. This week’s anecdote is a little less heavy and designed to lighten the tone of this section.

A recent news story concerning a cat being found 2,400 miles from home reminded me of an earlier account of a cat being found thousands of miles away from home in a foreign country.

In this first story, a cat was found in a cargo container thousands of miles from it’s home in Wisconsin. In September 2005 the curious feline wondered into paper factory and ended up in a paper barrel that was loaded onto a container destined for France. Luckily, workers on the other end recovered the cat in late October, one month after she went walk-about. She was identified her by tags and the workers phoned her veterinarian who in turn informed the owners.

In the more recent cat odyssey, a cat disappeared under odd circumstances and without a trace. The puss named Clyde vanished from his home in Hobart, Australia. Three years later and 2400 miles away, the frisky feline showed up at a vet’s clinic. He had been recovered four months earlier by a nurse in the town of Conclurry, in Queensland, Australia. She had taken him in and nursed him back to health. When she had to leave town and was unable to take him with her, she took him to the local vet.

He traced Clyde’s owners via a microchip that had been placed under the cat’s skin. It is a mystery as to how this phenomenal creature traveled 185 miles across water and 2,200 miles over land to his final destination.

As an avid cat lover, these types of stories always intrigue me. You just never know what a cat is thinking and if you truly are their keepers.