Family Tree

I realised today that I'm still subscribed to Ancestry.com (I really ought to check my bank statements more often!) and then I found this site....another Download Squad honourable mention. At Kindo (registration required, it's an online app) you can collaborate on your family tree. It's private, in that only invited users can view and edit. But, having checked it out, it acts as more of a family contact/calendar site rather than as a proper genealogy application. Ancestry.com also has an online family tree maker that looks like it might be better, but you may have to be a subscriber to use it....maybe one of you could try it and let me know?

Tell you what, it's about time we got that yellowing roll of wallpaper out and had another go at the tree while I've still got access to the Census records....maybe we could double it up with a Roman Feast!!

LATER....I've had a play with the Ancestry.com Family Tree Builder and it looks like it's free to non subscribers, there's even a (home printable) Family History Book Builder to amuse yourself with.

Move over Steven Spielberg.....

Free, downloadable video editing software that gives Windows MovieMaker a run for it's money. With VideoSpin you can even automatically upload your completed masterpiece to YouTube and Yahoo Video. Shame it's too late for this years Oscars!

Found on Download Squad

Ancient Recipes website

I was looking for a recipe for a spice mix to use for kebabs when I came across this site. (It came up with the goods, there's a substantial African section!) There's more than 2500 recipes catalogued by historical period and by location. Anyone for a Roman Feast? The 'parent' site, Celtnet, looks interesting too.....

A sample recipe....

Sarda ita fit (Stuffed Sardines)

Original Recipe

Sarda ita fit (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria)

Sarda ita fit: coquitur sarda et exossatur. teritur pipere, ligustico, thymo, origano, ruta, caryota, melle. et in vasculo ovis incisis ornatur impensa. vinum modice, acetum, defritum et oleum viridem.

Translation

Cook and bone the sardines; fill with crushed pepper, lovage, thyme, origany, rue, moistened with date wine, honey; place on a dish, garnish with cut hard eggs. Pour over a little wine, vinegar, reduced must, and virgin oil.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients

500g cooked and boned sardines

½ tsp ground pepper

½ tsp lovage

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp rue

150g stoned dates

1 tbsp honey

4 hard-boiled eggs

50ml white wine

50 ml Defritum

3 tbsp green olive oil (cold-pressed)

sprig of watercress to garnish

Sprinkle the surfaces of the sardines with freshly-ground pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until thoroughly cooked. Once cooked, allow to cool and remove the backbone by taking hold of the tail and pulling it out through the body cavity. Finely chop the herbs and dates, transfer to a bowl and add all the liquid ingredients. Mix together well and use this to stuff the body cavities of the sardines. Arrange the stuffed sardines on a plate, quarter the boiled eggs and place around the sardines. Finally garnish with some watercress and serve.

ps Defritum: The closest equivalent would be thick fig syrup. However, must sweetened with honey and boiled down to a third of its original volume can also be used

Whitley Bay Discovery Walk

I can't remember whether I've posted on North Tyneside Walks before, but even if I have it deserves another plug. Try The Whitley Bay Discovery Walk for starters...

Trigger fingers at the ready.....

Confession....didn't even manage it once, my reflexes are obviously well and truly shot following years of abuse! The idea (apparently) is to get the smaller circular thingie (about due east in the picture above) into the other blueish circular thingie (almost due north) without touching the sides (if you fail you explode, this much I know!) using the right and left arrows on your keyboard to rotate the playing field.....but what happens after (and if) you succeed is a mystery.....it's all down to gravity and you guys now.

Link

Lunch as art.....or art as lunch?

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

A bit more Spanish City stuff

Now I didn't know what this type of novelty ("everyone of a certain age must have one of these on the sideboard......because I obviously have") photograph was called until today.....apparently they're "head props" (well, in the US at least.....lots more examples of the genre here at Swapatorium) But this is a home-grown effort, taken at a photo booth at the Spanish City in the very early 70's. I remember we got a choice of "scenes" (hand-painted by the cravat-wearing photographer's sister) then we poked our heads through holes in the canvas and, with a blinding flash, the deed was done ("call back in an hour to collect your print"). I think it cost 7/6....that's about 35p in "new money". Oh yes, we made our own entertainment in those days.....we probably went home afterwards and had nice cup of tea, some buttered crumpets and a singsong round the piano!

The downside of being French......apparently!

About this book Read this bookThe Popular Educator

By the way, a faubourg is a French suburb (Wikipedia).....and it's going to be my new "word of the week"!

Find 10 gnomes in 10 minutes

(note....a bit slow to load, but that might just be me or heavy traffic!)
Play it here
Found on Ursi's Blog

Like the Spanish City to me.......

I've just been listening to "Midweek" on BBC Radio4, and one of the items was on The National Fairground Archive (which has loads of lovely pictures, one of which above, "P. Barak's Gallopers, close up of cockerel photographed August 1954", captured for posterity at the Spanish City, Whitley Bay.....now a building/demolition site apart from the North Sea facing facade)

That sounds like a cue for a song.....featuring probably the only time "Cullercoats and Whitley Bay" gets a mention in popular music!



Link to the "regeneration plan".....but don't hold your breath!

Got a thirst for news?

Front pages from around the globe at Newseum

Brain dead?......you know what to do

Do the online version of the low-tech anxiety buster here.....against the clock!

A suggestion for those in the market for a new car...

Just imagine the impression you would make driving round in one of these....but the world was obviously never quite ready!

Shock horror.....it'll be The Archers next!

"The BBC has axed Grange Hill, the groundbreaking children’s series which shocked viewers with its representation of life in a comprehensive, after 30 years." read more at The Times website

PS....the gravestone was created using the SpookyTimes gravestone generator and I added the soundfile using Sprout (where I managed to get a beta user invite)....which is a bit buggy, the sound takes an age and lots of clicks to play on my "lowest common denominator" kitchen table laptop!

Dunstanburgh Castle.....a sound portrait

From the BBC Radio4 website....."Wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson's evocative and powerful sound portrait of Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland." Listen here

Personal note....I remember (not one of my best decisions....given my tendency for vertigo) climbing the spiral staircase on the right of the gatehouse once to take in the (probably!) stunning view. I had to come down step by step, on my backside, with my eyes shut and breathing heavily....not very dignified!

Retro (patented!) eyecandy

A wonderful selection of "didn't quite cut the mustard" US patent illustrations from the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's can be viewed at The Patent Room. The categories are Architecture, Cars, Toys, Trains and Uncut, so something for everybody really. Actually, I was looking for this link a few nights ago when I posted on roadside architecture.....but it's taken until now to find it!

An online comic.....

.....with (surely not!) cats as criminals. Lackadaisy is a (continuing) online comic with great illustrations. Start reading here

Sprout

There's a lovely hand-drawn quality to the visuals in "Sprout" where you you play a young seedling trying to find its way home. Indulge your green side!

Listen to (your personal) mood music

Found on DownloadSquad. They say......

"Musicovery is a site where you can discover new music based on how you're feeling. Visually it's eye candy. Songs are represented in color and are connected by their relationship to one another based on tempo, and positive or negative lyrics."

Car of the Future

Apparently Anne and John are in the market for a new car. So, here's some things they should be looking out for in The Car of the Future......