Disqus - Latest Comments for michaelbotterill

Re: Westminster View: Superconnected cities? More like super ad hoc - ComputerworldUK.com

michaelbotterill — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:26:28 -0000

Lets be honest, no matter who is in power, the broadband policy is terrible, 10 cities with 100mb!!!

No wonder we fall more and more behind the rest of the world every year, lets actually do what the Koreans have done and build a decent, and ambitious digital infrastructure that will take us forward, not muck around with 100mb lines which are in the grand scheme of things, a bit lacklustre.

Re: Inside the Wendy House: WIN One of Three Pairs of Beautiful Bobux Shoes

michaelbotterill — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:21:56 -0000

Lovely shoes

Re: Competition: choose Barry Norman's 101st greatest film of all time! | Radio Times

michaelbotterill — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:45:28 -0000

Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, a great adaptation, and the film of my generation

Re: Win a Darth Vader Costume or Stormtrooper Helmet from Star Wars with Escapade

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:26:34 -0000

Method 6 - Shared as michaelbotterill
Stormtrooper please

Re: Win a Darth Vader Costume or Stormtrooper Helmet from Star Wars with Escapade

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:26:24 -0000

Method 5 - Liked as michaelbotterill

Stormtrooper please

Re: Win a Darth Vader Costume or Stormtrooper Helmet from Star Wars with Escapade

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:26:07 -0000

Method 4 - Added to Michael Botterills Circles

Stormtrooper please

Re: Win a Darth Vader Costume or Stormtrooper Helmet from Star Wars with Escapade

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:25:57 -0000

Method 3 - Geordieracer82

Stormtrooper please

Re: Win a Darth Vader Costume or Stormtrooper Helmet from Star Wars with Escapade

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:25:40 -0000

Method 2 - Geordieracer82

Stormtrooper please

Re: Win a Darth Vader Costume or Stormtrooper Helmet from Star Wars with Escapade

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:24:34 -0000

Method 1 - Michael Botterill

Stormtrooper Please

Re: Epic Kindle Giveaway Time

michaelbotterill — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:11:35 -0000

Lord of the Rings

Re: The Family Express: LEGO Ninjago and competition!

michaelbotterill — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:22:40 -0000

Nice prize

Re: Baha’i: Conclusion

michaelbotterill — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:11:56 -0000

Hi as a Baha'i, I would just like to say I love the video, and I think that you really got what we are about. Your video is very insightful for seekers and I just love what your doing and I am so glad we could help you.

I wish you good luck on the rest of your journey.

Re: Happy Esperanto Day!

michaelbotterill — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:16:39 -0000

At the North East Summer School, my friend James actually said a prayer at the last devotional in Esperanto, and its sounded so beautiful, like a Latin mass.

Re: Giving Unfair Trade a Grilling!

michaelbotterill — Sun, 23 May 2010 18:41:30 -0000

To be fair, most of the charcoal in the shops is FSC certified, but according to Friends of the Earth (http://bit.ly/bwCt9P) 20% of it is imported from tropical countries and only one of these suppliers is FSC certified, although this info is 6 years old! I personally haven't seen any non-FSC certified charcoal in a long time so from an environmental point of view it is ethical.

I personally prefer to look at it from the angle of the producers, and I think its very important that they receive a fair living wage. But then again one could also argue that buying locally produced charcoal would be more ethical.

So I don't think its a black and white situation of this is ethical and all others are not, there are defiantly some shades of grey.

Re: How Ethical is my Tea??? (Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade)

michaelbotterill — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:34:30 -0000

What I said was 50% of each criteria, which you yourself have confirmed, 50% is not 100% which is the point I was making. 50% still means that my tea could be made by child labour, and that is why I will not buy Rainforest Alliance certified tea.

Did William Wilberforce ask people to cut down from two slaves to one? Or Emmeline Pankhurst politely suggest that husbands might consult their wives before going out to vote? No they asked for total 100% commitment to the cause.

I am glad that SAN are pursuing ISO 65, but right now SAN cannot claim to be a separate legal entity, when the Rainforest Alliance dominates the organisation as it does, and acts as secretariat, you need sweeping changes to SAN in order to gain consumer confidence.

My specific issue with Abby Rays response is that she hasn't taken the time to read my article or respond to the criticism, instead she has glossed over the issues, and I have seen this exact same reply on other articles daring to question the legitimacy of the Rainforest Alliance. You have clearly read my article and have responded to specific issues, which is great, and I applaud you for engaging with me.

You have the best intentions, don't get me wrong, but you are far far from being what I would consider a truly ethical certification.

100% is needed, not 30%, not 50%, not even 80%, but 100%, do that and then you will be welcomed with open arms by the ethical consumer.

Re: A Month With Riverford Veg Boxes

michaelbotterill — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:52:20 -0000

I think its worth a try, there is something so very satisfying about cleaning the mud off the veg and getting them all in different shapes and sizes, not quite as good as growing your own, but when it comes to gardening, everything I touch tends to die!

Not having a car its great for us, as before we would opt for frozen convenience, which was never as good for us, this helps keep us healthy. I checked my weight the other day, and along with cutting out chips and cutting my meat intake by 66%, I have lost quite a nice amount.

Re: How Ethical is my Tea??? (Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade)

michaelbotterill — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:09:03 -0000

Abby, this is a copy and paste job of replies you have made to other articles daring to challenge your legitimacy, you clearly haven't read my blog post, please do so before replying.

I took a great deal of time to read your comments on other articles and your site before making my mind up about the Rainforest Alliance, the least you could do is the same.

Re: Mark Kalch Lecture in Darlington

michaelbotterill — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:23:23 -0000

I would love to do the same, via bus though, I have always figured that it would be a greatly inspiring journey. The history of Iran is rich and deep, its more than about the Revolution.

But alas we Baha'is cannot go, hopefully one day soon, when the persecutions end, we can.

Re: Uni(Tea)

michaelbotterill — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:42:21 -0000

You are right, Ringtons is a superiour tea to Typhoo, personally I am trying to use Traidcraft more, blended by Ringtons, both are Geordie companies, so it has the Ringtons Qualitybut has the added advantage of being Fairtrade too and thus guilt free!

Re: Non-Baha’is at Feasts

michaelbotterill — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:44:40 -0000

My friend pointed this out:-

"The Faith is all about human sacrifice! Of course it is ourselves we sacrifice rather than virgins :-)"

Re: You Cannot Be Sirous

michaelbotterill — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:39:57 -0000

Just want to say that this is the first entry I wrote and posted from the new Wordpress App for the Blackberry, I even did it whilst underground on the Tyne & Wear Metro!!!

Re: The Geordie Language

michaelbotterill — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:38:53 -0000

The Short Obligatory Prayer in Geordie needed some tweeking, so I corrected those typos.

Re: Addicted to Blackberry

michaelbotterill — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:22:56 -0000

Hey this photo is taken completly out of context, you asked me if I could check the Ryanair website to see how long your Passport had to be valid for, to fly on one of their flights. YOU SET ME UP!!!!

Re: Technical Information – Under the Bonnet.

michaelbotterill — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:32:02 -0000

Disqus have now added an option to sign in with OpenID, making it a much more powerful commenting system!

Re: Going Overboard

michaelbotterill — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:18:17 -0000

I do say so, hah!