Earthquake in Japan

I have been glued to CNN all day. I can hardly believe my eyes when I see all the shaking - ceilings and windows crashing down - and the sheer force of water washing away cars and buildings with such "ease"; they looked like my son's lego.

And the thought of something like 13 million people "stuck" in Tokyo, unable to go home (to the suburbs) because there is no public transport... Just imagine?!

And one event affecting - according to CNN - 20 other countries... tsunami warnings in Hawaii, the West Coast and as far away as South America! Unbelievable.

It is so incredibly scary and sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those suffering in Japan.

Earthquake in Japan

I have been glued to CNN all day. I can hardly believe my eyes when I see all the shaking - ceilings and windows crashing down - and the sheer force of water washing away cars and buildings with such "ease"; they looked like my son's lego.

And the thought of something like 13 million people "stuck" in Tokyo, unable to go home (to the suburbs) because there is no public transport... Just imagine?!

And one event affecting - according to CNN - 20 other countries... tsunami warnings in Hawaii, the West Coast and as far away as South America! Unbelievable.

It is so incredibly scary and sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those suffering in Japan.

From Russia with love: Glamorous espionage

Did you hear about 28-year old Anna Chapman (real name Anya Kushchenko) who has been accused of spying? It seems she played a leading role in a Russian spy ring operating in the US. This is the stuff of James Bond films!

She was married to a British guy before she set off for the US and the question is, was that part of the scheme as well? Just to get a British passport?

Her father apparently used to work for the KGB. He was the Russian ambassador to Zimbabwe when they got married. The ex says: "He was scary... He had a Land Rover with blackedout windows and there was always one car in front and one behind..." (Daily Mail)

So what were these spies after?

"Alleged intercepted messages in court documents suggest they were asked to find information on topics including nuclear weapons, US arms control positions, Iran, White House rumours, CIA leadership turnover, and political parties..."

"Investigators say some of the agents had been using false identities since the early 1990s, using codes and engaging in advanced computer operations, including posting apparently innocent pictures on the internet which contained hidden text. The FBI also reported observing older techniques, such as messages sent by invisible ink, money being buried next to a beer-bottle marker and "brush pasts" in parks, where agents swap identical bags as they pass each other." (BBC)

How exciting is that?! I've always loved spy novels so this is pretty fascinating.

She moved to New York and climbed up the social ladder, mingling with the rich and influential...

Nice Chanel bag!

1, 2

From Russia with love: Glamorous espionage

Did you hear about 28-year old Anna Chapman (real name Anya Kushchenko) who has been accused of spying? It seems she played a leading role in a Russian spy ring operating in the US. This is the stuff of James Bond films!

She was married to a British guy before she set off for the US and the question is, was that part of the scheme as well? Just to get a British passport?

Her father apparently used to work for the KGB. He was the Russian ambassador to Zimbabwe when they got married. The ex says: "He was scary... He had a Land Rover with blackedout windows and there was always one car in front and one behind..." (Daily Mail)

So what were these spies after?

"Alleged intercepted messages in court documents suggest they were asked to find information on topics including nuclear weapons, US arms control positions, Iran, White House rumours, CIA leadership turnover, and political parties..."

"Investigators say some of the agents had been using false identities since the early 1990s, using codes and engaging in advanced computer operations, including posting apparently innocent pictures on the internet which contained hidden text. The FBI also reported observing older techniques, such as messages sent by invisible ink, money being buried next to a beer-bottle marker and "brush pasts" in parks, where agents swap identical bags as they pass each other." (BBC)

How exciting is that?! I've always loved spy novels so this is pretty fascinating.

She moved to New York and climbed up the social ladder, mingling with the rich and influential...

Nice Chanel bag!

1, 2

Earth Hour: Switch Off the Light for an hour

As part of the effort to to take action on Global Warming. Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming in 2009.


For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

THIS SATURDAY 28 MARCH AT 8.30PM YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR.

Beside turning your lights off for an hour, there are many other things you can do to make Earth Hour 2009 a success.

• Sign Up Now. Become a part of Earth Hour and get useful tips and tools to reduce your carbon footprint everyday

• Tell A Friend. Better still – tell them, your family and even your work mates. Encourage them to sign up. Email them a link to this website and mobilise even more people!

• Tell Your Story. How is climate change affecting your family and your community? We want to hear how you're becoming part of the solution.

• Run your own Earth Hour. Download our quick guide for how to run Earth Hour in your city or town. It's easy!

• Your Earth Hour. What will you be doing at 8.30pm on Saturday March 28? We're keen to know what you have planned for Earth Hour 2009. If you'd like to share your plans with Earth Hour and the media, then please send us an email describing with as much detail as you can what you have planned to myearthhour@earthhour.org. Don't forget to include your name, where you live (City and Country), and your contact telephone number including your country code.

• Blogger Tool Kit: Create a blog post about the importance of global action on climate change and how participation in Earth Hour can make a difference.(Just like me! :) )