Whatever else I do this week I will feel safe in the knowledge I have done my bit (albeit a very small minute bit) for the environment.
This week I am planning to go shopping at Sainsbury's without leaving my home. I won't use my car, I won't unnecessarily pack a few items into a large carrier bag and I won't add to the stress of a checkout queue.
This week I have been learning all about the delights of online grocery shopping.
I've never been sold on the idea really. What if they get my order wrong? What if they haven't got what I want? What if I don't know what I want?
Most of all I've feared being called a slack b****** by my nearest and dearest.
Okay, I understand the benefits if you live in London and your nearest Tesco is three tube stations away, but in Plymouth you can't go 100ft without being met by the luring supermaket signs.
So why shop online at the Sainsbury's website? Well, as my friend Lisa explained to me last night:
a). If 20 people order groceries to be delivered on one evening they'll all be served by one man in one van which equals 19 less vehicles on the road;
b). The delivery man will pick up your discarded plastic shopping bags when he redelivers your groceries which he will then re-use; and c). (And not SO environmentally friendly but still a benefit) the delivery man will give you a £10 off voucher if he is even 30 seconds late. He won't even argue, he'll just hand it over (apparently).
So sure enough, within minutes of her mentioning that her shopping would be delivered soon, the doorbell went. And there he was in all his home shopping glory.
While I have to admit I actually LOVE food shopping in supermarkets, I do have an annoying tendency to always go shopping when I'm hungry.
Bad idea huh? A £20 shop turns into a £50 shop and you end up returning home with £30 extra pounds worth of goodies that seemed more desireable on the store shelf.
I've also just been reminded by a colleague that that way of thinking "destroys town centres and local shops".
Okay, while I appreciate the sentiment, surely it's Mr Tesco and Mrs Sainsbury who have done just that. They provide a service that people want ultimately. Blame the fools not the fools that follow.
In my childlike way of thinking I also actually like the idea that fresh yummy things are being brought to me... like takeaway pizza.
Oh, and delivery only costs £2.50 (or so Lisa said).
I have to say I'm sold on the idea. Now it remains to be seen whether I receive 14 tins of cat food for the moggy I don't own, hair nets and countless boxes of Tampax.
So anyway... Radiohead... how's that for changing the subject?
Has anyone seen the video for their latest single House of Cards? No cameras or lights were used in its creation.
Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects to create what is a unique art project in itself.
Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyQoTGdQywY&feature=user for the making of the video.
Here's the best of this week's games:
Title: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
Price: £29.99
Hit Count: 4/5
Final Fantasy tactical RPGs have been delighting gamers for years and Grimoire of the Rift is another supreme instalment on Nintendo DS.
It casts you in the role of high school student Luso, whose summer studying inadvertently catapults him into a fantasy world called Ivalice.
This is where the real adventure begins - with more than 300 quests to complete, this is a monster of a game with some damn tough challenges for you and your clan to conquer.
Cute, pin-sharp 3D graphics are perfectly executed on the dual screen, as is the sound. It’s a must-have for your handheld collection.
Title: Guitar Hero: On Tour
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Music
Price: £44.99
Hit Count: 4/5
Get ready to transform your traditional DS into a full-blown musical instrument with an ingenious add-on that allows handheld gamers to experience the musical fun of the Guitar Hero series.
With a mini fret board slotted into the Gameboy Advance cartridge slot, you can start strumming away in the same way the big consoles have done things over the last couple of years.
Make sure you watch out for some serious wrist cramp though – and take regular breaks! Guitar Hero: On Tour features some great pop and rock tracks and the developers deserve kudos for turning this big living room event into a superb showing on the small screen.
Title: Stronghold: Crusader Extreme
Platform: PC
Genre: Strategy
Price: £19.99
Hit Count: 3/5
Fans of Stronghold: Crusader won’t be surprised by what’s on offer here. Calling it 'Extreme' may be pushing things a bit far – this is essentially the same game, albeit with some new maps and the added capability of being able to take part in 10,000-unit battles.
The intelligence of your opponents doesn’t appear to have improved in the passing years, nor have the graphics, which are below par by 2008 PC standards.
This will satisfy your thirst if you’ve been crying out for more Stronghold action, but it’s not the best.
Title: Unreal Tournament 3
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit Count: 4/5
The Unreal series has been around for nearly a decade now, and this Xbox 360 incarnation brings gamers even more fast-paced, enemy-infested shooter action, all cranked up to a next-gen standard.
Some seriously sumptuous graphics give you all the eye candy you could ever want, but beware, the furious gameplay won’t give you a second to soak it all up.
Single player missions might feel a little too easy for experienced Unreal gamers, but once you’ve familiarised yourself with the maps, this is one of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences yet on Microsoft’s Xbox Live service. Lock, load and lap it up!
Title: Pool Party
Platform: Wii
Genre: Pool
Price: £19.99
Hit Count: 2/5
Wii Play provided an exciting glimpse of how cue-based sports could be played with the motion-sensing capabilities of Nintendo’s interactive console.
Unfortunately Pool Party doesn’t live up to expectations – it appears to be more a case of one step forward, two steps back.
A sketchy camera, weird controls and some basic graphics let down what has the makings of a decent game. If you’re looking for the perfect antidote to a trip down to your local pool hall, this isn’t it.
GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1.Wii Fit
2.LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures
3.Super Smash Bros Brawl
4.Top Spin 3
5.Battlefield: Bad Company
6.Big Beach Sports
7.Wii Play
8.Beijing 2008
9.Kung Fu Panda
10.Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
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