Tuesday, September 28, 2010

So, what is it exactly that you do all day?

I am a first class procrastinator - for instance I should be revising for a chemistry quiz right now - somehow I always find something pointless to do when I should be doing homework, or tidying my room etc, etc.  So, in the interests of letting you get to know me (or perhaps infecting you with my bad habits) I'm going to share with you some websites that I find really interesting and check regularly for updates, especially when I feel like procrastinating! These sites all have pride of place in my bookmarks bar or podcast collection.

National Geographic Photo of the Day

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/?source=NavPhoPOD
There are some really beautiful photos on this site - as you probably guessed, a new one is added every day.  They have different themes every month, whether it is best wildlife photos or the shortlist from a photography competition.  Today's photo, which you can see above, is a picture of the Lion's Gate Bridge at first light - gorgeous!

Cake Wrecks
This website is hilarious - you would not believe the mistakes professional cake decorators make! Jen and John's commentaries are the perfect accompaniment!

Married to the Sea
At Married to the Sea, they take old etchings and the like and pair them with amusing captions.  There is a new one every day, and they tend to give a good giggle. Here are some of the classics that get me every time:

A Folk Song a Day

A truly remarkable project by one of the most awesome people on the planet.  Folk singer Jon Boden (of Bellowhead, Spiers & Boden and The Remnant Kings) is posting a different folk song every single day for a year.  He started in June, and is already on song number 99! A very dedicated and ridiculously talented man! There is a podcast that you can subscribe to, but if it all seems a bit overwhelming, later this week I hope to post some of my favourites so far.

BBC Radio

BBC Radio programs are my lifeline to home.  I don't have a radio in my room, so I don't listen to Canadian radio, but I can listen to the BBC live via my computer. My favourite programmes include:
Radio 2:
Radcliffe and Maconie - this is my favourite radio show.  I listen to this programme at lunchtime, and if it is working (which it hasn't been recently) I use the listen again link so that I can hear the entire show.  They play music that I love, they have great live sessions, and an ongoing feature called "the chain".  Plus of course, who could forget the hilarious banter between the two presenters? There is a high level of listener interaction, so my highlight was when they read out one of my emails to Bellowhead when they were on the show!
Mike Harding - a weekly folk hour, with regular take-overs by folk artists
Radio 4:
Radio 4 is a talk station, so they have good readings and radio plays, including The Archers, a very long-running radio soap about the residents of a fantasy country village.  It's a bit of an institution back home, as is The Shipping Forecast.  As an english person, the shipping forecast holds some magical, soothing properties for me.  The formula is always the same, and there is something hypnotic about the listing of the areas and the vocabulary they use.  Its always comforting on a winter's night when you can't sleep to lie tucked up safe in bed and feel glad that you aren't stuck in "Viking north 7 becoming cyclonic"! Oh, and in the morning it is followed by the national anthem!

Empire Online

Empire is a film magazine, and the website offers, amongst other things:
-up-to-date film news
-film reviews
-thoughtful and witty blogs
-funny film features and guides

BBC News

I rely on the BBC to be unbiased, up-to-date and accurate.  Along with the major headlines, they also have really good science and nature articles and accurate weather forecasts.  They also offer impartial information about political parties when election time comes round.

Hark, A Vagrant!

Kate Beaton's hilarious historical comic strips!
A couple of good ones:

The Pioneer Woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/
My inspiration for starting this blog, Ree Drummond's website features cooking, home and garden and photography features, amongst many other things.  I love the "confessions of a pioneer woman" - a glimpse into the life of a ranching family.  Witty and thoughtful writing combined with a wacky sense of humour = my kind of blog!

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