Mostly for my own reference, but they’re fun reading for anyone. (Item 2 via cairmen, Item 1 via Item 2.)

The Law West Of Ealing Broadway – Magistrates Blog.

The Policeman’s Blog – What it says on the tin.

In a rare display of tact, I’ve ummed and ahhed about this one. Dan Curtis Johnson came up with the marvellous notion of Livejournal Rabbit Hole Day, and I immediately decided to take part. Very much my sort of thing.

So I wrote something. And I was about to post it, when I checked my friends page, to find anw reminding people that (rather more importantly) it’s Holocaust Memorial Day today. I’d forgotten. Yes, I’m a terrible person.

This wouldn’t stop me taking part in Rabbit Hole Day, because there’s room for the two things in my life. However, I looked twice at what I’ve written, and concluded that the little bit of biological apocalyptica I’d decided on seems a bit, well, tactless to put it mildly. I thought about not posting it.

And then I thought: no. One does not honour the dead by doing anything but living one’s life. And, yes, this is a small, stupid, and inconsequential thing, but so’s more or less everything that makes life fun. Understand: I’m not claiming that posting it is a mark of respect, or anything stupid. My head is not that lodged up my own arse. It’s just that I personally do not believe in doing (or not doing) anything in the name of the dead.

But, as I say, the tone, imagery and words I chose for this may not be for everyone, given the day. Hence the cut. Proceed with caution.

Down the rabid hole

Anyone out there know much about wireless networking? Anyone willing to come round and be plied with booze in order to sort out the problems I’m having? Please?

(In short: I cannot get my main computer on our in house wireless network, and I don’t know why – the other two wi-fi devices in the house can get on OK, and indeed, the main machine can see the network, but just refuses to connect to it and get an IP address. More details on request.)

As a result of this, my net activity is a bit curtailed. Email responses may be very slow, electricana is annoyingly fucked, because all the good photos are on the other machine, and all told, it’s a bit arse, really.

In other news, PWEI rocked extremely fucking hard. Didn’t get “Inside You”, but got everything else I could have wanted. They put serious effort in, and as far as starts to the gigging year go, I couldn’t have asked for better.

Now, sleep.

As much for my own reference as anything else, but should any of you out there be planning on coming, and fancy doing a masterclass (costs extra) I’m doing the following ones:

Friday:
4-5: Dalmore and Jura.  Jure 1984 is one of my favourite malts, but I really don’t know that much about the output of either of these distilleries, and Richard Patterson (the speaker) was extremely entertaining just working the stall last time, so this should be fun.

Saturday:
2-3: A Coffee and Malt Experience.  Like I was going to pass up a chance to try different combinations of premium coffees and premium whiskies.  I think this may be Patterson again, which is a bonus.

3:30-4:30: Matching Whisky With Food.  I’m getting a bit better at this anyway, but I’d like to pick up a few tips.

Ia!  Cthulhu!  Etc!

So, I ordered a CD of Lovecraftian Christmas carols (before anyone says anything: 1) I’ll still have it next christmas, won’t I? and 2) Exactly how festive do you really think songs like “I Saw Mummy Kissing Yog-Sothoth” are?).  But there’s been a slight cock up, and what I’ve got is a copy of “A Shoggoth On The Roof”, the songs from a brilliant sounding bit of Lovecraftian musical theatre, as done by these marvellous people.

I’ll be getting in touch with them about sorting this out, but I suspect that “sorting this out” will actually translate into saying “well, you cocked it up, but I really like what I got, so how about I just pay you again and you get it right this time…”

Maybe it’s just a surname thing, but I’ve loved the Sherlock Holmes stories as much as I’ve loved any bit of fiction, since I was old enough to understand them.  Hell, as much as they’re one of the progenitors of comics, they’re probably a progenitor of my interest in them.
I’ve gone on a bit, here

Whisky Live is on the 11th and 12th of March.  If you want to come, book soon – it sold out in early Feb last year, and I don’t imagine it’ll get less popular.  (Those of you from The Frozen North that expressed an interest – care to confirm/deny/reserve couch space for definite?)

(The masterclass details aren’t on the website yet, but should be from tomorrow, I’d expect – the site claims from the 15th, but they probably forgot it was a weekend, or something. I’m probably going to try and do a couple – I’ll throw another post up with details of which, if anyone else is interested…)

Foodshopping, mostly.  Last Saturday, I went round Borough Market with burge.  Saw many lovely foods, and bought extremely nice cider and brownies.  Yesterday, I went to L’artisan du Chocolat (and then the Natural History Museum, which was annoyingly full of small humans, and irritatingly lacking in quality dinosaur action, but fun nonetheless) with zoo_music_girl, and bought what I have every reason to believe will be marvelous chocolate.  I haven’t tried any of it yet, because I have a cold, and my tastebuds are shot, and it’d just be wasted on me right now.  I shall report back later in the week, though.

And speaking of having colds, this is now the second one I’ve had in as many months.  Will whoever it is that goes around giving me diseases please stop it?  I had planned to go out and be excitingly social last night, but instead, I staggered home after the NHM and collapsed.  This is no good, especially since I can’t take time off work sick while in my probationary period unless I want to add another three months onto it.  And since I’d like to buy a house some time in the near future, this is not an option.

Right.  I’m going back to bed.  If I’m going to be unwell, I will at least take the excuse to lie in bed, read and watch DVDs in a guilt-free manner.

Heston Blumenthal’s cookery practices in his own words.