Category Archives: Miscellany

Miscellany

Updated blogroll

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I’ve just updated my blogroll for the first time in ages (down there, on the right, for those of you not reading this on an RSS reader. If you are, you’ll need to visit the site). If you’re tracking your links on technorati and wondering why I’ve stuck you in a specific category / or you disagree with how I’ve pigeonholed you, my apologies. Drop me a mail and I’ll correct it. Some friends are journalists, some journalists are tech bloggers, and so on… but I’ve just gone with what seemed most obvious to me.

If you think I read your blog and have forgotten to link to you, tell me. If you think I should read your blog but don’t, tell me also.

Miscellany

Culinary weekend

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Had an exciting weekend of cooking; roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic, honey glazed carrots, broccolli and red potato wedges, created with the help of Amanda and Sheila, followed by an Amanda special crumble, which was delicious (Amanda also made nutmeg-free currant buns in preparation for Easter, which are even more delicious). The roast turned out really well despite my near-complete inexperience roasting lamb, and again, I credit this to the wonder that is videojug:


How To Make Roast Leg Of Lamb

The mustard crust makes for a really crispy, tasty outer shell and the rosemary and garlic to a wonderful job of flavouring the meat. Sheila also gained additional entertainment by considering the possibility of garlic overdose (missing an embedded piece of garlic in a mouthful of lamb… mmm).

God bless the Internets.

Oh, and Spurs won too. Tasty and triumphant.

Miscellany

Massage

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I’ve never really taken to massage. I think it’s down to the fact that my early experience of consisted entirely of my father getting us to massage his legs, which (much though I love my father) I never found that enjoyable.

When I was about 19 or 20 I had my first professional massage I think, a shiatsu treatment whilst on holiday in Bali. That hurt like hell, and didn’t do much to warm me to the practice. My most comic “massage” experience was a session with a native Chinese reflexologist who spoke barely any English (or Malay) in KL. He mostly communicated by poking me very hard in the foot, pointing at my genitals, and saying “this… that!” and occasionally asking if I wanted a Chinese wife. It was significantly bizarre.

Since then, and since acquiring shinsplints 3 or 4 years ago, I’ve only ever had massage for therapeutic purposes and it always hurts like the devil. Latest session completed today after two months of procrastination by the very capable folk at Urban Bliss. I’m in an appropriate amount of pain, relief and doziness now.

I do hate Portobello Road on a saturday, though.

Miscellany, Music

Manic^3

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I’ve been hella tired lately, so this post is not going to make any sense.

It’s been a really busy few weeks – work has been manic, the flat hunt has been, well, manic, and pretty much everything relating to my personal life has been, erm, manic. I’ve not been through a period of this intense busy-ness for a long time, but am someone finding outlets for it all and feeling surprisingly calm about it all.

Tonight, the outlet has been listening to random music, quite loud. Right now it’s Faith no more’s ‘I’m easy.’ Earlier, for no apparent reason, it was ‘Orion’, as performed both by Metallica and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Before that, for even less reason, it was Iron Maiden’s ‘Fear of the Dark.’ Before that, it was some random French music.

Sitting here, letting the music wash over me, I feel a semblance of calm.

Eels’ ‘Novocaine for the Soul’ just came on. I think there’s a danger of slipping from calm to comatose. I hit ‘b’ and Winamp obliges. Powderfinger’s ‘Since you’ve been gone’. Result. A recommendation from Tony.

It’s been a very odd evening. I haven’t sat around and let myself get completely taken by music since I was at school (when I used to do it all the time). It feels good.

Internet, Miscellany

Fan mail, fantastic spam

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I’ve had fan mail for David Armand. I’m hoping that he can do some gigs in the North soon because my interpretive dance version of Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn is far from impressive.

I’ve also had a spam email with the subject line lifted out of Robert Jordan’s ‘Wheel of Time’ series. Bizarre. But truly, the Darkfriend did indeed fall on his bottom and sit there standing at Rand.

Two random, vaguely interesting things that happened recently. The Internet is truly a wondrous place.

Substantive posts to follow. Maybe. Eventually.

Gaming, Miscellany

Commander, listen, hang on, erm…

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I’m nearly recovered from a two week cold (damn unpleasant business) but my review copy of C&C: Tiberian Wars has arrived. I’ve fixed the performance issues on my machine (caused by mediocre drivers for my graphics and sound card) and it plays well… and is hugely enjoyable. Nothing like a bit of silly acting to camera coupled with some strategic bombardment of those evil Nod scum.

I’m also off to Norway this weekend to visit some family friends, have a party on Thursday and may have preview tickets to a screening of that new Will Ferrell movie, so it’s likely to stay a little quiet till after the bank holiday. Have a few things I’d like to write about, though, so expect a little more after Easter.

Film, Miscellany, Music, Sport, Television

A good day

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Today was a good day. Lazy, but good.

I…

(1) Got tickets to Glasto. Woo! My first ever festival. Very exciting.
(2) Witnessed Spurs victory – we played a decent game and glad it came out a victory.
(3) Saw the first episode of the new Dr Who – which is excellent. The new companion is cool, but mainly: the moon. Space Rhino Police. What more could you possibly ask for?
(4) Got tickets to see Hot Fuzz in a couple of weeks. Finally!

So, all in all, a good day.