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Friday May 25, 2007

Spot the difference...

Seems like only a few weeks ago that we last redesigned TheSite.org. Now that's either a sign of how old I am or how tired I am, because it's actually been a few years now. Since then we've added piles of new content, from quizzes to the new look community, to this little ol' blog here, with a lot more to come. What we haven't done so far is address the main homepage of TheSite.org.

Homepage changes are always tricky, for everything you gain by changing one thing, you risk losing something else - and there's always a demand to make major changes and go ahead with a full redesign. Since we're looking at a full redesign a little bit further in the future we've decided to actually grapple with the current design and see what we could improve.

Given all that I thought I'd drop a post here and let you know how to get a sneak peak at the changes we're planning to make, which hopefully will improve your experience of the website and get you to both what you need, and what you'll like.

So if you're interested (go on, I know you are really) then head on over to the thread about the new homepage and tell us what you think of our plans. And please, please... be fucking brutal, nothing wrong with tearing something apart to make us certain about what we're doing.

Posted by Jim ( 3:40 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

The smoking ban

There's around five weeks until the smoking ban comes into force and I can't wait! No more having to wash my hair the day I go out and then again the next morning, just because it reeks of smoke. Clothes can be worn the following day without the tell-tale signs of being a dirty stop out. When and if I get a cold I don't have to worry about going out to a pub or a bar and feeling ten times worse the next day because all the smoke has stuck to my sore throat. And on a girl's night out the cheesy chat up line of 'Do you have a light' definitely won't work, so yes guys, you'll have to think of something more original. What do you think about the ban?

Posted by Julia ( 2:51 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

Tuesday May 15, 2007

Oh the joy of the housing market

*UPDATE - Well since I ranted about the HIPs on this blog, the government were forced to backtrack on its original plans and now you only have to be selling a house of four or more bedrooms in order to provide a HIP. Mmm now we're going to have people marketing their house as a 'three-bedroom plus storage room' to avoid having to get one!*

Buying a house when you're under the age of 25 is not an easy task. Unless you're earning a fair whack, you've come into some money, have very supportive parents or a well-off partner, it can be an almost impossible task.

I guess I can't moan too much though – I rent off my other half who bought a flat a couple of years ago when prices weren't quite as ridiculous for the space of a cupboard. Unfortunately, because of my huge love of clothes and shoes, we have to move to a bigger pad. You'd think my other half would be in a good position to sell up and buy a new property with little-old me, but now he has to fork out up to £500 on these new Home Information Packs and pay towards a new survey on the potential house (with huge wardrobe space, and a garden for my guinea-pig, of course).

The Government says HIPs will make the home buying process a lot easier, but hang on a minute - since they changed their minds about making the Home Condition Report a compulsory part of the pack, now many sellers will get away with putting their house on the market without letting buyers know about its major faults. For people like us who can't afford to get the top end of the scale surveys, some of these faults may not be revealed until you move in and the roof starts to collapse! (OK maybe an exaggeration, but you get the picture). Now The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says its seeking a judicial review of the decision to introduce HIPs, claiming that the Government failed to consult properly on the new law.

It will no longer be a case of, "Oh we want to sell, let's put it on the market tomorrow". Now the packs have to be compiled before you even think about advertising. Way too much bother. I guess on the bright side, the Government is fulfilling its aim to reduce carbon emissions. Soon buyers and sellers will know just how environmentally friendly their house, or potential house, is. Then I guess the ones at the top end in A will be able to ask for even more and the bad houses in grade G will be blacklisted. It's a shame the Government trials of HIPs weren't completed before June 1. This is going to be interesting...

Posted by Julia ( 12:14 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

Thursday May 10, 2007

Sleep tight

Sleep has been a hot topic on the discussion boards in recent weeks, especially with all the exam revision and late night essay writing that is going on. Questions about sleeping badly also popped in our recent live chat with Dr Keith Hopcroft.

So, if you're looking for tips on how to overcome insomnia, or would like to find out whether or not food really does have an impact on our ability to sleep well, have a look at the transcript from the live event. You can also read more about Sleeping easy  in TheSite.org's Health & Wellbeing section.

I wouldn't mind a kip now actually, but the wise doc says don't take naps in the day, even if you feel tired, as it will effect the quality of your sleep in the evening. Is that really true? I used to swear by a good power nap when I was pulling all-nighters in my last year of uni. But then again, I wouldn't vouch for the quality of the work.

Posted by Helen ( 9:15 AM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

Friday May 04, 2007

Eco-conscious

I have to admit, although I have great ambitions to be environmentally-friendly, I'm not doing all that well, but things have to change. With the push for everything green and eco-friendly, there's no better time to start contributing to helping save our plant. But how green are you? Once I actually attempted to get a recycling bin once from my local council, but I was told they don't provide recycling bins or bags. Very helpful!

One thing that's always upset me is when you move house and dump everything down at the tip. The idea of it sitting on top of a landfill is so depressing. That's why when I moved house last year, I arranged for an environmental clearance company to take 18 years' worth of junk to a recycling centre, and anything that was worth selling to a charity shop.

Then there's the plastic bag problem. Every Monday myself and the other half do our weekly shop in Asda (rock 'n' roll!) and we use about eight bags. We get home and stuff the bags into the kitchen cupboard because we feel bad about throwing them away, but then we go back the following week and use another batch of new bags. Well it's going to stop! From next week we've decided to re-use our bags. I have to admit, the idea of pulling old, scrunched-up bags out of my pocket feels slightly embarrassing, but I think the benefit of knowing we're doing something for the environment will far outweigh any feelings of looking silly.

Posted by Julia ( 11:40 AM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[1]

Thursday May 03, 2007

Festival kick-off

Running around a field in a tutu and wellies, camping in knee-high rainwater (and enjoying it), living off cider and falafel... it can all mean only one thing. Yep, festival season's upon us once more.

As an avid Glastonbury-goer, this fills me with glee. There's nothing more liberating than completely leaving the real world behind for a few days in favour of open spaces, fresh air and lots of sillyness. Getting to see so many famous bands, and discovering acts I've never heard of before on the smaller stages is all part of the fun, but for me, it's more about the atmosphere. Where else do you get to bounce to your favourite song in time with thousands of other people? Name one other place where you'll find so many friendly folk who don't look at you like a nutter when you make conversation. And if you can give me one other example of Brits having fun and all getting on with it come rain, shine or thigh-deep muddy mingingness, I'll give you my Glastonbury ticket. OK that's a lie.

I can't be the only one that thinks like this because the festival has come a long way since good old Michael Eavis set up Glasters all those years ago. It's a massive industry now, with hundreds of festivals popping up in different sizes, guises and locations. Go rock-tastic at Download, bliss out at The Big Chill or dance till dawn at Gatecrasher. That's not to mention all the teeny festivals and events you'll find locally.

It's in celebration of festival fever we've resurrected our festivals microsite, My Tent Or Yours. Check it out if you're heading anywhere remotely festivally this summer - or if you can't decide which tickets to splash out on we've rounded up all the biggies in the What's on where section. Much as I love festivals, they do take a fair bit of planning and if you've never been to one before there's loads of shit-I-can't-find-my-tent traps you can fall into. Hopefully a visit to the site will help you sort out what to take and how to have a stress-free time so you can focus on soaking up the atmosphere. And the cider... 

Posted by Hannah ( 2:11 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]