British Scones * with a hint of America

Making scones is a weekend tradition for us. I’m a big fan of the British scone. Cooks Illustrated has the nerve to say this: The British original is lean, dry, and barely sweetened. Spoonfuls of jam and clotted cream are a must. Bollocks! I know I’ve mentioned before how Cooks Illustrated recipes annoy me with [...]

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This man is Jake’s worst nightmare

You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but on some level Jake is afraid of this man. Who is he? The owner of Gorgeous George’s Mediterranean Restaurant in Greenwood. We had heard good things about this restaurant, and so had planned to go sometime in that way where you say to yourself “we should [...]

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Would this be an inappropriate time to post this video of Jarvis Cocker…

upstaging Michael Jackson at the 1996 Brit Awards? While Jackson’s death is certainly a shock to anyone in my generation, I can’t say that have a lot of fond feelings for the guy. He was very likely a child molester. Sure he was completely nuts also, but… I will speak no more ill of the [...]

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Picture of the day

Just what could the Duke of Edinburgh be thinking right now? I’d love to know.

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Spandau Ballet: It’s True

And apparently it’s true that they are reuniting.

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Zardoz

No doubt this film isn’t Sean Connery or John Boorman’s finest moment.

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The Voysey Inheritance

When the story about Bernard Madoff first broke, I immediately thought of the Nineteenth Century Playwright Harley Granville Barker. His play The Voysey Inheritance begins with a son finding out from his father that the family business is no more than a Ponzi scheme. The son is asked by the father to inherit the business [...]

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US spied on Tony blair

That’s what David Murfee Faulk, a former Arab linguist who worked at a secret NSA facility, has told ABCNews.com. Murfee Faulk says he saw and read a file on Blair’s “private life” and heard “pillow talk” exchanged between Al-Yawer and his then-fiancee. The U.S. and Britain have pledged not to collect information covertly on each [...]

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Withnail & I from an American point of view

The British cult classic Withnail & I has been an odd study for me. The movie had such an incredible reputation that I thought there was no way I could not like it, but when I saw it for the first time I was puzzled. I didn’t get it. Over the last ten years I’ve [...]

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Paddington Bear

A Bear in Hot Water is a hot video on youtube today. I remember playing with Paddington Bear as a kid. I’m glad he’s not forgotten.

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2 nations divided by a common language

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Adam Ant: Puss ‘N Boots

The definition of fun.

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Is Ian McKellan the new Charlotte Rampling?

First of all, he wishes. Second of all, Ian McKellan’s portrayal of King Lear will air on PBS possibly with full frontal nudity: Ian McKellen’s acclaimed performance in “King Lear” is coming to PBS, but a public TV executive was coy Saturday about whether his on-stage nude scene will be exposed on air. PBS President [...]

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Oh Dear

I earlier wrote about this bizarre Nazi-style role playing story about Max Moseley. Moseley is now suing the News of the World who published the story. You know things are bad when your defense is: James Price QC said his client admitted using prostitutes, but the paper had committed a “gross and indefensible intrusion”. Cross-examined [...]

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Are Pringles Potato Chips?

My husband doesn’t think so, and I’m not sure I do either but I have to admit they are a guilty pleasure. Meanwhile in the UK: A Pringle is undoubtedly crisp – but it is not a potato crisp. That was the conclusion reached by a High Court judge today after an exhaustive inquiry into [...]

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I Really Hope Andy Murray Doesn’t Have Internet Access

Talk about pressure.

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Fashion Victim Maria Sharapova

I somehow missed this neat little nugget of Wimbledon information from a few days ago: June 27 (Bloomberg) — Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia took delight in dumping former champion Maria Sharapova and her outfit out of Wimbledon yesterday. “It’s very pleasant to beat Maria,” said Kudryavtseva. “Why? Well, I don’t like her outfit.” Sharapova’s outfit, [...]

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Marat Safin Beats Djokovic at Wimbledon

It’s nice to know Marat Safin still has it in him. One of the things I like about Safin is that he is always entertaining to listen to. He’s blunt, honest and at times self-effacing. “I had to take my opportunities as he was under pressure fighting for the world number one spot so he [...]

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Everybody Knows

An interesting history of the Bush Administration with Leonard Cohen’s brilliant Everybody Knows as the soundtrack.

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Alex Ferguson, Tell Us What You Really Think

It seems Alex Ferguson is a little upset that Real Madrid are openly wooing Cristiano Ronaldo to play for them. Best quote: United have sold David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gabriel Heinze to Real in recent years, but Ferguson insisted the case of Ronaldo was different. He said: “Yes, we sold them Van Nistelrooy [...]

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Watching Soccer in Downtown Seattle

I wouldn’t call myself an avid sports fan (with the exception of tennis) but I do nonetheless end up watching a lot of sports. More for the symbolic significance of sports than for anything else. For instance, I support Celtic instead of Rangers (I like Catholics), and in the English Premier League I support Tottenham [...]

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Nobel Prize is a “Bloody disaster!”

Leave it to Doris Lessing to tell it like it is. Somehow winning a Nobel prize has caused Doris Lessing to retire from writing. Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing has said winning the prestigious award in 2007 had been a “bloody disaster”. The increased media interest in her has meant that writing a full novel [...]

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Hobson’s Choice

A few months ago, we bought a region-free DVD and I was able to catch a film I hadn’t seen in years. Hobson’s Choice with John Mills and directed by David Lean. I risk spoiling a small part of the film just to get you interested and that is why I am showing this clip. [...]

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This Almost Beats Yo Blair

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the UK, said the following: “The world owes George Bush a huge debt of gratitude” for his efforts against terrorists.” Did he mean to say Bush’s efforts to increase recruitment for said terrorists, because he’s been absolutely remarkable in that respect. What about Bush’s failure to capture number one terrorist [...]

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Gordon Brown/Hillary Clinton

Here’s an interesting article about the similarity with the Prime Minister of the U.K. and our own Hillary Clinton: They are tacticians, not strategists. Neither seems able to focus on the longer-term or the bigger picture. Neither is blessed with an appealing personality, neither seems to appreciate that these days candour wins more points than [...]

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