17/06/2009 by Dave G.

Inspired by the comprehensive coverage on this carefully crafted blog post about the issue of global warming it set the team here at Nothing Interesting looking ahead to the next few months of summer.  Will the predicted BBQ summer mean long light evenings of al fresco wining and dining or can we look forward to another UK washout?

This year camping appears to be all the rage - both in the UK and Europe - with many people getting great deals on advanced flight tickets to poular holiday desitations such as South of France and Spain.

Arriving at the airport with minimal luggage - lightweight sleeping bags and compact tents - first job is to sort out car hire.  Spain offers some fantastic camping sites if you’re prepared to stray away from the main tourist trails and hiring a car is an economical way of getting around.  Public transport in Spain is good - both cheap and efficient - but the flexibility of car rental really lets you explore off the beaten track areas and find hidden beauty spots and what better way to get to know these than camping?

Checking online price comparison sites you can get some fantastic deals on everything you need for a happy camping trip.  As well as tents and sleeping bags you can pick up camping equipment and accessories that will make your nights under the stars feel like you are in a home from home.

Camping in Spain requires some accessories that you are unlikely to have needed in the UK.

• To recreate the gastronomic delights available in towns and villages buy a special ‘Span Pan’ set that includes a lightweight paella pan.
• Top toons should include a mix of do wop (comes from the spanish guapo) and flamenco music for the ipod.
• Fight the bites with a professional venom extractor.
• Feeling flush? Pick up a portable camping toilet although this may present difficulties at airport check in so buy locally.

Plan ahead and camping in Spain really can fulfil you holiday needs without stretching the purse strings.

Posted in General | 4 Comments »

11/06/2009 by Dave G.

Charity Gifts

For those who remember the amazing the  powerful call to action at Live Aid 1985 when Bob Geldolf implored viewers to give him their “foooooking mohney”, Nothing Interesting now reflects on how the business of charity support has changed since that powerful raising awareness and hugely succesful fundraising even.

Questionable Fundraising

We’ve all be pestered by friends and colleagues to donate money to charity by sponsoring them to take part in a fundraising event.  As many of these events are often merely opportunties for the fundraiser to do something whacky or exciting and the revalation that a considerable amount of money raised through sponsorship is handed over to the fundrasing event organisers more and more people are looking to maximise the effect of their charity donation

For example eager fundraisers who choose to do a charity parachute jump are paying hundreds of pounds for the training, flight and jump companion so they can have their jollies. This money would be surely better directed to those who need it most.

Effective charity gifts

Alternatives to funding your colleague’s fun and subsequent anecdotes are available. An impressive range of charity gifts are being marketed by leading relief organisations which offer the opportunity to send a gift to someone who needs help on behalf of a friend or family memeber.

Wedding Lists & Wish Lists

With the number of people getting married later in life,  newly wed couples today are finding they actually want for very little but guest still feel obliged to contribute to the wedding gift list.  Forward thinking organisations have this covered too with the facility to set up and manage a wedding gift wish list which comprises entirely of charity gifts.

One particular favourite encourages people to give a happy couple of goats on behalf of the happy couple. To many the thought of offering a goatsie as a wedding gift may seem odd but when you think about it a goat would make a fabulous gift for those suffering the devastating effects of global warming - drought, cyclones, flooding and famine.

And two goats of course could be the beginning of a productive herd that will nourish and feed communities for years to come.

If you are stuck for interesting gift ideas have a look at some of these charity gifts you can arrange to give online and be happy in the knowldge that the charity is giving as much of the money you spend to where it is needed most.

Top charity gift ideas

• Goat Couple
• Mosquito Net
• Build a Crapper

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

05/06/2009 by dave.

An article in the guardian on Wednesday reported that “Green energy overtakes fossil fuel investment” with “Clean technologies attract $140bn compared with $110bn for gas, coal and electrical power.”.

This mile stone comes as china and India and other developing countries turn to renewable to power their continuing growth instead of relying on fossil fuels.

The article states that “The UN still believes $750bn needs to be spent worldwide between 2009 and 2011 and the current year has started ominously with a 53% slump in first quarter renewables investment to $13.3bn.”.

Climate change has been a huge topic for the worlds leads for the last decade and it would seem that the UNs most recent figures prove that the worlds efforts to reduce green house gases and produce more efficient renewable energy sources has finally started to show some results.

Posted in General | No Comments »