I like this. I don't know why. Because colours fade, perhaps?
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Did I mention that I have a personal friend at Telwest/NTL/Virgin, who renegotiates my tariffs with me every three months?
Well, not really a personal friend, just a woman I've got to know in customer relations (old money: complaints). We talked yesterday, and she was so great I sent her email saying she was better than the CEO because she had her appraisal and promotion meeting that afternoon. I'd be sad if she got promoted, because she's human and efficient, but it's not all about me.
Anyway, now the phones don't work. So if you're trying to call me, call my mobile. They say it could be up to eight hours. It cost me 10p a minute on an 0845 number from my mobile to find that out.
Great, huh?
Well, not really a personal friend, just a woman I've got to know in customer relations (old money: complaints). We talked yesterday, and she was so great I sent her email saying she was better than the CEO because she had her appraisal and promotion meeting that afternoon. I'd be sad if she got promoted, because she's human and efficient, but it's not all about me.
Anyway, now the phones don't work. So if you're trying to call me, call my mobile. They say it could be up to eight hours. It cost me 10p a minute on an 0845 number from my mobile to find that out.
Great, huh?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
I've said this before...
... but I think it merits saying it again. I don't really do Christmas. Xmas. X marks the spot-mas. I mean, I'm happy to offer people season's greetings, and I send a handful of non-Jewish (I know, I know, it makes it sound like the whole world's Jewish and just a small proportion is non)friends and colleagues cards.
But I don't write my xmas present list in September (or at all) and I don't decorate my house/soho (small office home office), and I don't do turkey or trimmings or mince pies with whisky cream (although they sound remarkably nice).
I don't not do these things. I just don't do them. The lat couple of years I actually did celebrate xmas to some degree and it was fun. It was fun because it's a yomtov - it's about family and community and food (and presents).
But I don't do tinsel. Or xmas gnomes. Or seasonal music. Or mushy, glittery cards. And I don't get drunk every night for a month (but then lots of people don't, and I don't do that the rest of the year). I don't do xmas lunch. Or the Queen's speech (see, I felt Queen should have a capital Q, even though I'm not a royalist, and think the whole royal family should be demutualised, like a building society, and we should all share the money, which'll be like £1,500 each, which we could spend on xmas, if we wanted).
What reminded me about all of this is that, because I don't do xmas, I forget. Last year, on about December 23rd I went to Brent Cross because I needed something. And I totally didn't realise that I'd be in a car park for a week and people would be stressy and shouty and silly. And rude. Kinda like Golders Green is all the time.
So this is really to remind myself that I must try not to go to a shop until well into January. I have everything I need, and I don't want to be a victim of shopping-rage or parking-stress, and I can just gracefully bow out of all this stuff without actually participating. Because, I have enough yomtovs, and this one isn't mine.
... but I think it merits saying it again. I don't really do Christmas. Xmas. X marks the spot-mas. I mean, I'm happy to offer people season's greetings, and I send a handful of non-Jewish (I know, I know, it makes it sound like the whole world's Jewish and just a small proportion is non)friends and colleagues cards.
But I don't write my xmas present list in September (or at all) and I don't decorate my house/soho (small office home office), and I don't do turkey or trimmings or mince pies with whisky cream (although they sound remarkably nice).
I don't not do these things. I just don't do them. The lat couple of years I actually did celebrate xmas to some degree and it was fun. It was fun because it's a yomtov - it's about family and community and food (and presents).
But I don't do tinsel. Or xmas gnomes. Or seasonal music. Or mushy, glittery cards. And I don't get drunk every night for a month (but then lots of people don't, and I don't do that the rest of the year). I don't do xmas lunch. Or the Queen's speech (see, I felt Queen should have a capital Q, even though I'm not a royalist, and think the whole royal family should be demutualised, like a building society, and we should all share the money, which'll be like £1,500 each, which we could spend on xmas, if we wanted).
What reminded me about all of this is that, because I don't do xmas, I forget. Last year, on about December 23rd I went to Brent Cross because I needed something. And I totally didn't realise that I'd be in a car park for a week and people would be stressy and shouty and silly. And rude. Kinda like Golders Green is all the time.
So this is really to remind myself that I must try not to go to a shop until well into January. I have everything I need, and I don't want to be a victim of shopping-rage or parking-stress, and I can just gracefully bow out of all this stuff without actually participating. Because, I have enough yomtovs, and this one isn't mine.
See, times like this, I really wish I lived in New York (not that I think London is bad: on the contrary). But next Friday, at the Town and Village Synagogue there's a Jewish Bloggers roundtable, and I'd just love to be there.
I will, instead, be entertaining all manner of creative/alternative types with an NW6/2 postcode. Which could, of course, be almost as good/better. But still.
I will, instead, be entertaining all manner of creative/alternative types with an NW6/2 postcode. Which could, of course, be almost as good/better. But still.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Have you heard of the Social Media Club?
what I did with the pomegranates
Despite the excellent suggestions for pomegranate related activities (including, most wittily, "still life"), I opted for a rocket and pomegranate salad, and then kinda-not-that-caramelised oranges with pomegranates.
Evidence, left.
Evidence, left.
Technical/hardware update (for those who care)
My PC crashes about once a day, and it may or may not be (another) memory problem, and I don't want to spend the time finding out, so I'm doing a lot of backups and praying, which is a unique, yet rarely used technical support strategy.
Also, my back still hurts. I have laid in a straight line and taken drugs, booked another osteopath treatment and given the netball a miss (high impact seems scary, somehow, right now). Other advice gratefully sought.
My PC crashes about once a day, and it may or may not be (another) memory problem, and I don't want to spend the time finding out, so I'm doing a lot of backups and praying, which is a unique, yet rarely used technical support strategy.
Also, my back still hurts. I have laid in a straight line and taken drugs, booked another osteopath treatment and given the netball a miss (high impact seems scary, somehow, right now). Other advice gratefully sought.
At last. Someone (the First Post) who thinks Borat misses the point. And here was I thinking everyone else was marching out of step.
Yep, I saw the movie (had to review it for someone). I kinda laughed, I kinda felt uncomfortable. I kinda felt like it was a tired Habonim joke with a huge budget. Although, great physical comedian, he certainly is.
Yep, I saw the movie (had to review it for someone). I kinda laughed, I kinda felt uncomfortable. I kinda felt like it was a tired Habonim joke with a huge budget. Although, great physical comedian, he certainly is.
You probably know that the 1901 Census of England and Wales is online, and I've had a lot of fun chasing down my (deceased) relatives.
So I would love to go to the Eco-Activist Beit Midrash at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, but (a) how many times can I go to the US in a two month period and (b) (related) it's bad for the planet.
Interesting piece from spiked (the old LM crew, methinks) about Jewdas - apparently, the Police can't tell satire from seriousness. You don't say.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
I don't know if this means anything, but I am on the front page for the google search what ate the tell tale signs of someone going mad.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
So, as much as a mental reminder for me, as anything else, here's what I'm making for Friday night dinner:
humous (what else) with za'atar and pinenuts
challah
* * *
vegetarian chilli (with chocolate etc)
millet, flavoured with saffron
rocket salad, possibly with pomegranate seeds
* * *
Melon
caremalised oranges, possibly with pomegranate seeds
Waddya think?
I was thinking of making another banana cake, but then I just eat the leftovers, which isn't great.
humous (what else) with za'atar and pinenuts
challah
* * *
vegetarian chilli (with chocolate etc)
millet, flavoured with saffron
rocket salad, possibly with pomegranate seeds
* * *
Melon
caremalised oranges, possibly with pomegranate seeds
Waddya think?
I was thinking of making another banana cake, but then I just eat the leftovers, which isn't great.
measuring cup symbols
Great flickr project on worldless recipes (I was searching for a caramelised oranges recipe and happened across this).
Tube/London/travel geeks will be delighted to know that there will be two new tube stations in West London. One is a new station called Wood Lane, the other is the renaming of the Shepherd's Bush station on the Hammersmith & City line to Shepherd's Bush Market.
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