Oscars countdown

I've been busy with a few Datablog posts lately - one on teen drug misuse, one on deadly earthquakes - but my favourite one of the moment is tracking all the major winners over the film awards season.

Until the BBC lost the rights to the Oscars, it was one of the highlights of my television year, staying up late (usually til 6 or 7 in the morning) with popcorn and beer to watch it live. I miss the build-up but now that I'm writing about it I feel excited again.

Every year I plan to watch the films that have generated the most Oscar buzz, but never get round to it. This year I'm determined to catch at least some of them at the cinema - films like Up In the Air, The Hurt Locker, Crazy Heart, all of which have done well in the nominations so far. I don't think I'll be checking out Avatar though (despite the Golden Globe nods) - I'm sure it looks amazing but the story just doesn't seem that original.

The Academy Award nominations are out later this week but I'm prepared to look stupid by casting my predictions early - Jeff Bridges for best actor, Sandra Bullock best actress (white female teacher coaches black student - it's a shoe-in unless Oscar fave Meryl Streep wins the votes), Kathryn Bigelow for director, The Hurt Locker best film, Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz for supporting roles (they've won everything so far so not much of a gamble!). Let's hope they get nominated now!

Resolution number 1

I finally got time to blog a bit, although it's not my big post about resolutions that I will get round to eventually!

One of my main resolutions this year though is to do my chartership with Cilip. Part of this involves documenting every work-related event I attend, so to avoid bombarding you with library-themed posts and to try and compartmentalise my life just a little (and isn't that what librarians are good at?) I've started a new blog over at wordpress.

If you're interested in library-related stuff, check it out at librarianoftomorrow.wordpress.com.

New year new you

I've been neglecting the blogosphere of late - too distracted by the novelty of Twitter and the not-so-novel but nonetheless distracting Christmas period. Fear not, one of my new year's resolutions is to lavish much more attention on writing here and less on stalking @simonpegg et al.

More on resolutions tomorrow, promise.

Blogging tea shop

Metrodeco left a comment after I blogged them on Saturday with a link to their blog. So far they've written about Nick Griffin and THAT Stephen Gately article - I like them even more!

Very allergic little boy

Logan has food allergies (wheat and egg) and I often find myself apologetically asking about ingredients when we're out (ice cream often contains egg, sausages and burgers are sometimes bulked out with flour, the list goes on!). Kids' menus particularly seem to favour wheat products - burgers, sausages, chicken nuggets, pasta for the healthy ones - so we often end up paying for an adult meal when we know he'll only eat half.

So it's refreshing to read a blog post on the Guardian Word of Mouth site today and see that we're not the only ones. G2 has even taste tested some of the top brands (gluten free is all very well but soggy pasta is a sad trade-off!).

When Logan's allergy first emerged, I felt almost as if I was jumping on the bandwagon - so many babies seem to have allergies these days, and I was wary of being seen as an over-protective mother. But there is no denying the telltale spots that appear whenever he eats wheat or egg, or the breathing problems they caused when he was tiny.

Thankfully food manufacturers seem finally to be recognising that people with allergies don't want to survive on a diet of brown rice. The Free From section at our local supermarket has tripled in size since Logan was first diagnosed, and birthday parties will be a breeze when he's older, with gluten free breadbuns, cupcakes, caramel slices and even jaffa cakes to choose from.

Check out the Allergy UK and Coeliac UK websites for advice and a list of safe gluten-free products.

Five in good telly shock

Is anyone else watching Stylista on Five? I know it's trashy but I can't help it, there's something about bitchy New York wannabe fashion icons that I just can't resist (even if New York magazine is horrified). Ashlie to win! (she's already writing the official series blog so I think she's got the inside track)

I'm also secretly enjoying Step It Up and Dance too - more bitchy Americans, this time with dancing! Elizabeth Berkley is completely superfluous of course, but otherwise loving it.

Meet your (jewellery) maker

I've already blogged about the very cool cherry pendant Christine gave me for my birthday. I've lost count of the number of things she's made for me over the years (my wedding band for starters). I love hearing about the different pieces she's working on.

Now she's started her own blog, so you can find out what a jeweller does all day down there in Eastbourne.

Theme of the day - politics and the web

I'm not intentionally tackling a theme a day, honest!

Anyway, the papers may not have noticed by Newcastle City Council last month became the first British council to announce election results on Twitter. It's a bit of a gimmick but hey, if it gives the web generation greater access to politics on a local level then it has to be good.

You can find the council twitter feed here. I don't tweet, as it were - there's enough of me out there on Facebook and on here for anyone - but I'm a bit of a lurker and it is a joy to behold.

Clinton blogs!

Hillary Clinton has thrown herself into the new administration's aim of accessibility by blogging her trip to Asia.

Library blog of the month

Free Range Librarian is written by Karen G Schneider, a prolific writer who deals with the technical side of librarianship and has long been involved with the American Library Association.

She's currently blogging her sister's inauguration day experiences (I will get away from Obama at some point this month, I promise!) but she's also written on the need for caution when jumping on the Web 2.0 bandwagon, and how to run a good tech-based discussion panel.

Obamamania

Crowds gather on the Mall in Washington this morning.




My American optimism is still holding so here are a few more Obama links.

I know I posted will.i.am's Yes We Can video a few days ago but I just watched it and it made the hair on the back of my neck metaphorically stand up, it's such a powerful message so I'm unashamedly repeating myself.

The BBC have interviewed Maya Angelou, author of one of my favourite books, as part of their Notes to Obama series: click here to read or watch her explain why America needs Obama. Other Notes... include Wynton Marsalis and John Waters.

Check out part one of Diane Sawyer's interview with Obama from September last year (there's a link to part two on the page, worth watching if only for the Saturday Night Fever photo halfway through!).

The Huffington Post coverage is as excellent as ever - everything from straight reports of the day's events to Michelle's inauguration day outfits and Legoland's recreation of the inauguration.

More Obama memorabilia from the Inaugural store - I like the Obama colouring book best of all!

Wonder if Obama will be updating Twitter from the podium? Let's hope so!

Watch the inauguration live on the Inaugural Committee website.

And for a nostalgic trip back to election night (the donuts! the beer! the appalling Time Square party!) you can't beat a bit of Vidal versus Dimbleby.

blogging for beginners

So, after something like a decade, I finally got round to starting a blog. Kind of missed the boat on that one huh?

I've lost count of the times I've sat on the bus, mind wandering, and thought of something earth-shattering to tell the world, if only I had a blog. And what do you know, now that I've got one I can't think of a single interesting thing to say.

Hello world. That'll have to do for now.