Yummy Wakame Weblog

UK Environment Agency names and shames
The UK’s worst polluters

Repeat offenders: United Utilities, Anglian Water Services Ltd, Thames Water Utilities Ltd, BP Oil (UK) Ltd, TotalFinaElf, 3C Waste Ltd, Tesco Stores Ltd (all top offenders in 2001 too)

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, commented: “Courts are getting tougher on environmental offenders – but fines are still small change for big business. The Environment Agency is leading the world in developing new and inventive ways to help encourage environmental-sound behaviour by big business.

We have introduced risk-based charging, linking licence fees to environmental performance. We assess the risks of an industrial site and the company’s management and control of those risks. The good guys are recognised for their hard work while the poor performers are penalised through the publication of their prosecution records as well as higher operating charges. Signs suggest that it’s starting to work.”

(In an interview on the news last night she said they are also conidering jail terms for offenders.)

Here’s the BBC News report

This is really cute – make your own DFILM cartoon.
(thanks graham)

What’s in your name?
(found by tins)

Really useful info: HOW TO CLEAN, CLEANSE, CHARGE, ACTIVATE AND PROGRAM YOUR CRYSTAL – By Karen Ryan

“To prepare your crystal for healing, first clean the crystal physically of any mud, oils, sand or other debris. Then using a cleansing technique, be sure any negative energies are removed from the crystal so that you do not transfer residual energies onto yourself or your client. For maximum healing effects, charging crystals will ensure the crystal is ready electromagnetically and saturated with ultraviolet light which energizes each crystal. To “wake-up” your crystal, you may need to activate it into its role and mission.. And finally, program your crystal to direct the energy for a specific outcome or for support during a healing session.”

(I found another slightly different method on this site. Chose whichever suits you best.)

Also see Crystal Healing Tips – These are really easy. I especially love crystal dreaming and crystal baths.

Brain Profiler – which side of your brain do you use the most?
(found on quinparker.com)

My results:
Auditory : 43%
Visual : 56%
Left : 42%
Right : 57%

Wow – have a look at this weird Japanese shadow effect movie I found on the Chapel. Amazing!

Samorost – an adventure Flash game.
If you get stuck, the hint for the first level in the comments.
(found by Rob)

ToOhEyWoRlD must have searched Google for some pretty strange stuff to directly stumble upon Nostril Exhales
A site with stories, video and photo galleries dedicated to smoke being exhaled through the nostrils. It looks innocently kinky. Could this be a fetish I havent yet heard about? Someone fill me in!

Bsti found AlleyCat.org
Beautiful feral cat and kitten photos!! Includes an FAQ on what to do if youve found a stray or feral cat.

“As the foremost experts on feral cats, Alley Cat Allies promotes nonlethal control for feral and stray cats with trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs that effectively reduce their population by sterilization – not euthanasia.”

Morgui, a robot constructed at the University of Reading has been rated so scary, he has been banned from interacting with anyone aged under 18. This disembodied stull with big blue eyes and 5 senses (visual, audio, radar, infrared and ultrasonic) is able to follow people around the room and watch how they respond to him.

“We’ve not had a robot head before,” said Prof Warwick. “It’s sort of scaryish, but in a fun way. Kids like this sort of thing. Of course, some of them we expected to be a little bit scared, others not, and we wanted to see how they responded.”

In Europe, Japan and the US, researchers have been looking for robots that will respond “naturally” to humans. It therefore follows that the robots must also study how humans respond to them.
(Guardian Unlimited article via chapel perilous)