Apple season

We used to have a games computer – which is still up in the loft somewhere – with harmless ‘old-fashioned’ games like Lemmings and the wonderful Superfrog which kept me amused for hours. But once I got a pc games went out of the window and I don’t think I’ve played one for ten years or more.

However, I stumbled upon a fun little one the other day. It is called Apple Season and can be found at
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g2/applegame.htm
If you fancy a little harmless play.

Parrotfish

I have to put these Times and BBC pages on today’s Blog
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2781009.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7069933.stm
The paper on which they are based was jointly authored by my daughter!
In summary -
A vividly coloured fish could be the key to saving the Caribbean's coral reefs from plummeting into terminal decline, scientists claim. Their research forecasts that reefs risk being damaged beyond repair by the influx of seaweed. But urgent action such as protecting parrotfish, which graze upon the floral invaders, may prevent the ecosystems from reaching this tipping point. The research is published in the journal Nature.
Professor Mumby and colleagues used computer simulations to predict whether reefs could bounce back once the seaweed had taken hold, especially if some of the pressures upon them were removed.
One simple measure to prevent reefs from becoming damaged beyond repair, he said, would be to protect parrotfish that live around the reef.
"Parrotfish cruise around, grazing away much of the seaweed. They play a very important role in the ecosystem," the researcher explained. However, these tropical fish are under threat. They are a sought-after delicacy in many parts of the Caribbean and are susceptible to becoming caught in fish traps. Professor Mumby said: "We need to manage them as a fishery and maintain large numbers of these fish. The ability of a reef to recover is much more difficult if you remove parrotfish."

Economy Tip

I meant to put in an economy tip with my Date and Walnut Cake recipe but forgot - so here it is.

Rather than use the oven for a single item when you are baking why not stick in a few potatoes. They are flexible enough not to have to worry about them getting overdone and if not used straighaway can be stuck in the fridge and done for a moment, comnplete with filling, in the microwave later.

Anne Tyler

"Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person."
~ Anne Tyler ~ "Back When We Were Grownups"

Not very long ago I read “The Accidental Tourist” by Anne Tyler. The only reason I read it was because I found an old Penguin edition in a charity shop and almost anything that made it into Penguin books in the old days was either worth-reading or destined to become a classic or both. I enjoyed the book but had not noticed another Anne Tyler book since and, if I had, I’m not sure I enjoyed it enough to do one of my runs on the author. These runs tend to take me through the whole of their output until either finished or put off by their sameness.
By chance I came across an article on her on the Internet the other day only a day or so after seeing the above quotation.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,6000,1115823,00.htmlI’ve decided I must add “Back When We Were Grownups” to my reading list...

Monopoly cards

Monopoly cards we’d like to see