As some of you will know, I also publish this blog on my MSN Space Recently a reader of my blog there, wrote the following comment, in reply to my thoughts post "you truly are an ugly boring b*stard. dort the f*cking tash out mate..." Now anyone who knows me, will know that I am not a boring bastard, and I certainly didn't think my blog was boring, I believe it is an ok blog, and gives some insight in to my life, online and offline.
Feel free to respond to this entry, by adding your comments, and letting me know what you think of me!!
Friday, June 24, 2005
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Ethical Banking Part 2
In my last post I was talking about Ethical Banking, and my plans to think about banking with The Cooperative Bank. I have taken things a step further, and opened a Smart Saver account with them.
The only problem I will have with the account is the fact that the nearest branch is 15 miles away from where I live, and their nearest cash machine is about 5 miles away. What is good though, is the fact that I will be able to use The Cooperative Bank;s internet and telephone banking services, and also bank with the Post Office as well. If this account works out, then I plan to open another savings account with them, and may then look at opening a bank account with them as well!
The only problem I will have with the account is the fact that the nearest branch is 15 miles away from where I live, and their nearest cash machine is about 5 miles away. What is good though, is the fact that I will be able to use The Cooperative Bank;s internet and telephone banking services, and also bank with the Post Office as well. If this account works out, then I plan to open another savings account with them, and may then look at opening a bank account with them as well!
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Ethical Banking
Over the last week or so I have been looking at my banking needs, as I have become more and more convinced of the idea of banking ethically. What this means is that I want to ensure that people I bank with are not going to invest my money in a company that is involved in human rights abuses, pollutes the atmosphere etc. I'm also unhappy that my current bank is thinking of outsourcing some departments to India.
It looks like that when I open my next savings account to put money aside for my next car, I will be opening a Co-Operative Bank Smart Saver account Not only is the interest rate good, but they turned away £8.7 million of investments etc, because it did not meet their ethical policy. One of the major downsides of opening an account with the Co-Op Bank is their small number of branches, however I can use the Post Office's network of branches to carry out deposits, so no problems there, and I get an ATM card as well, so I can use a cashpoint machine, either a Co-Op one or one from another bank.
Watch this space, and in the coming weeks I will report on how my approach to ethical banking is working!
It looks like that when I open my next savings account to put money aside for my next car, I will be opening a Co-Operative Bank Smart Saver account Not only is the interest rate good, but they turned away £8.7 million of investments etc, because it did not meet their ethical policy. One of the major downsides of opening an account with the Co-Op Bank is their small number of branches, however I can use the Post Office's network of branches to carry out deposits, so no problems there, and I get an ATM card as well, so I can use a cashpoint machine, either a Co-Op one or one from another bank.
Watch this space, and in the coming weeks I will report on how my approach to ethical banking is working!
Monday, June 06, 2005
Chinese Food
Last weekend I went to a favourite store of mine Wing Yip. I am a big fan of Chinese cooking, and went there to get the Chinese groceries I needed for my Chinese cooking. I picked up some strange things (well they would be strange when used with British cooking), including 2 jars of chili Oil, some Fine chili Sauce, Hot chili Sauce and Thai chili Sauce. It seems that the Chinese are really into different ways of cooking with chili depending on how you want the food, either hot, sweet or normal etc.
I really enjoy cooking Chinese food, and am really into the idea of using different flavours to enhance food. I have just joined the "Kumunity" at Lee Kum Kee my favourite manufacturer of Chinese and oriental food products, and found loads of interesting recipes. I have now discovered that Chinese food can be cooked with pasta, and found an interesting variant on Spaghetti Carbonara - instead of using Egg and Cream to make the Carbonara sauce, Black Bean and Garlic sauce is used instead, along with the ham and spaghetti.
One of the things I love to do have what I call a Chinese Night, where I invite my friends around for Chinese food. This meal usually consists of a pre-dinner appetiser of Prawn Crackers and various dipping sauces, usually Hot chili, Thai Sweet chili and chili Ketchup. Then Dim Sum is served with chili Oil for dipping, next comes a Peking Duck with pancakes, Hoi Sin Sauce and sometimes Spring Onions and Cucumber. Finally the main course arrives, which is normally 4 dishes served with rice and sometimes noodles. To drink during the meal Chinese Tea is offered, either Po Nee or Jasmine, and in the future I will also be offering OoLong tea, also known as Iron Buddha in English, as I have just been introduced to this tea by some Chinese friends of mine.
I really enjoy cooking Chinese food, and am really into the idea of using different flavours to enhance food. I have just joined the "Kumunity" at Lee Kum Kee my favourite manufacturer of Chinese and oriental food products, and found loads of interesting recipes. I have now discovered that Chinese food can be cooked with pasta, and found an interesting variant on Spaghetti Carbonara - instead of using Egg and Cream to make the Carbonara sauce, Black Bean and Garlic sauce is used instead, along with the ham and spaghetti.
One of the things I love to do have what I call a Chinese Night, where I invite my friends around for Chinese food. This meal usually consists of a pre-dinner appetiser of Prawn Crackers and various dipping sauces, usually Hot chili, Thai Sweet chili and chili Ketchup. Then Dim Sum is served with chili Oil for dipping, next comes a Peking Duck with pancakes, Hoi Sin Sauce and sometimes Spring Onions and Cucumber. Finally the main course arrives, which is normally 4 dishes served with rice and sometimes noodles. To drink during the meal Chinese Tea is offered, either Po Nee or Jasmine, and in the future I will also be offering OoLong tea, also known as Iron Buddha in English, as I have just been introduced to this tea by some Chinese friends of mine.
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