Monthly Archives: March 2010

Tweets on 2010-03-31

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Tweets on 2010-03-30

  • @alixmortimer ought to possible to make something like that fairly automatic? in reply to alixmortimer #
  • So, do these new rules say anything about whether MPs can rent their accommodation from themselves? #
  • Annual drug review with doctor, who has historic weight record. I'm 2kg lighter than this time last year. BP 120/80. #
  • @helenduffett yeah, cos only women care about kittens in reply to helenduffett #
  • Wondering if there's any way to use my influence to improve the mobile internet coverage along my bus route into town. #
  • Meeting for general election candidates and agents (@ Nottingham Council House) http://4sq.com/cwhENE #
  • Always slightly freaked to find Graham Allen knows my name, despite not having met me for years. #
  • Hurrying home to watch #askthechancellors – but am going to miss the start. #
  • So, what did I miss? #Askthechancellors #goVince #
  • Tories' "top tax priority" was only announced today, whilst tax breaks for dead millionaires is longstanding. #
  • Very modest Vince: "some of us did foresee economic crisis." Audience applaud. #
  • Young woman in audience seems unimpressed by George Osborne's offer to hold her hand #askthechancellors #
  • @willhowells "Blue flashing light last Saturday night brought the neighbours all out in the street." in reply to willhowells #
  • Vince: the Liberal Democrats do want a change of government. We don't a change for the worst. #
  • Now the long wait til today's #OnlyConnect shows up on iPlayer #
  • RT @miketd: What a bloody fantastic #onlyconnect that was. And now for the chancellors. << dammit! #
  • @ncclols aggregatory things are fairly common – is your work attributed and linked? If so, meh, if not, create havoc! #
  • One Nottm's polling district codes is WLAD. Which always gets me singing the Welsh national anthem. Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi! #
  • Wow, @willhowells there's a wall 27 now?! #
  • Miss one word ^w letter off @dietchef and it looks like some German crooner: Dietche #
  • @dr_nick yup, also on Channel 4 news website in reply to dr_nick #
  • Dilemma. @dietchef lamb hotpot. 276 calories. Ready in 2.5mins. Plain bagel, buttered, 318 calories. toasted in 90 seconds. Both, you say? #

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Amazon is evil

A few days ago, writing a pudding club blog post, I mentioned our friends’ stand mixer, a fancy, expensive Kitchen Aid jobbie, looking a little like this

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=nileshomepag&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=0M5A6TN3AXP2JHJBWT02&asins=B000744SZW

And because I mentioned it, I though I would have an Amazon linkie to go with it. I’m with Amazon Affiliates, which means I occasionally get an Amazon voucher in return for plugging their website. High ticket items like this would mean big vouchers even if only one person ever bought one as a result of the link.

All I did on Amazon was search for the mixer and take a copy of the link it generated. I didn’t put it in my wish list and I didn’t tell it I liked it or anything like that.

But Amazon got the hint just from the one search, and since then, I’ve had three emails all along a subtle variation. “Look at our special offers in stand mixers!” / “Stand mixers, big reductions” / “Ooh, your credit card doesn’t seem to be totally maxed out, and you have just had those shelves put in the kitchen, so you probably have space now? Right?”

My parents have a Kenwood chef that they use mainly for bread making, but Kenwoods have lots of different attachments including bean slicers and sausage makers. They look like this:

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=nileshomepag&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=0M5A6TN3AXP2JHJBWT02&asins=B000Q7ZCFK

But the thing Amazon keeps telling me about most of all is this surprisingly affordable Andrew James (whohe?) stand mixer, with oodles of really positive reviews:

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=nileshomepag&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=0M5A6TN3AXP2JHJBWT02&asins=B001KO187O

Not that I actually need a stand mixer.

But with emails like these, it’s only a matter of time before I succumb.

Tonight I’m baking an apple for pudding, but I really wish I were cooking Chris Noth Raymond Blanc’s mother’s tarte aux pommes.

Tweets on 2010-03-28

  • Trainin' trainin' trainin' PagePlus (@ St Peter and St Paul School) http://4sq.com/b7wwru #
  • @tom_geraghty they're relocating them to near the Vicky Centre bridge. Some refusing to go. in reply to tom_geraghty #
  • @tom_garaghty Reasons too complicated and hotly disputed for Twitter. #
  • @tom_geraghty but as ever, Council goes about it in hamfisted way and offending everyone. #
  • Just misread something – thought it said Caroline Pidgeon is a LEPER. Blimey, I thought, you don't have to put it in capitals these days #
  • The problem with desperately filling in spaces on Scrabble is you never know whether it was GRINE or ZEEN that wasn't a real word. #
  • Really getting quite excited about the LDV plans for this week – should make a big difference to the site. #
  • Turning all the lights out for Earth Hour. Quite exciting. 🙂 #
  • P playing with battery dalek. Wondering what Skaro Hour would be like. #
  • Not sure what the Earth Hour rules are concerning battery powered things. #
  • Smell of burnt fur pervading the air as cats find the candles. #
  • Reluctant now to turn lights back on. #
  • @mithomas20 how very strange! It's not near the border in Hucknall? in reply to mithomas20 #
  • @philipfh I meant battery powered like phone, iPod etc! in reply to philipfh #
  • @willhowells I've always put off doing anything about it in the past for fear of failing. But it's not been impossibly hard so far. #
  • Ask me anything http://formspring.me/nilesuk #
  • @willhowells start for free tho, at http://www.foodfocus.co.uk for a week and see how you do. @Dietchef food does make it easier, but pricey. #
  • Right, I need an early night, so I'm going to do my clocks now and turn in. #
  • Q:Do you believe in life after death? A:Well, that's a humdinger. Not really. Don't believe in g… http://formspring.me/nilesuk/q/363661563 #
  • Q:Who does baby Cullen belong to? Is he relate… A:Beatrice Cullen is @artesea and @floatyhev's… http://formspring.me/nilesuk/q/363691737 #
  • Q:What is the air speed velocity of an unladen… A:11 m/s(Slightly intrigued at the idea of a l… http://formspring.me/nilesuk/q/363702897 #
  • @dr_nick sorry, I had gone to bed, but formspring.me took a little while to post stuff to twitter on my behalf. But you gotta fix your phone in reply to dr_nick #
  • There's 3 butterflies fluttering around the ringing chamber this morning at ringing for the Palm Sunday parade in Arnold. #
  • @thesc dog-proof too in reply to thesc #

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Campaigners’ weather forecast

It’s lovely now! Go outside and do some leafleting!

But there is a storm coming later this week – my RSS feed of severe weather warnings tells me there are warnings in place for Tuesday from 2am to midnight for very heavy rain and even snow on high ground. So, for Tuesday, it might make sense to plan some indoor activity – preparing your leaflets, researching your stories and making some phone calls.

The warning appears to apply for from the Midlands and further north, Northern Ireland, but not Scotland, so key seats from Watford to Durham and Cardiff to Chesterfield need be warned.

Broadly, next month, temperatures will fall, and seasonal April showers can be expected (as if we hadn’t been having that already).

So some opportunity to work on your campaign tan, and the usual problem of trying to dodge showers and hailstones to get the soggy pieces of paper with Riso ink running down the page through the ever stiffer letterbox brushes. Bonne chance, activists.

Tweets on 2010-03-27

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How’s the diet going?

When I started on t’diet, I mentally thought to myself that I wouldn’t be doing the dieting quite so publicly as much of my life.

But I can’t really resist talking or tweeting about it, so people know what’s going on.

And I’ve been doing it for a month now, with a variety of days from very strict to very liberal in the interpretation of what’s allowed. Some days I am more hungry than others. And actually, my weight is falling consistently and my clothes are feeling loser. I’ve had to start wearing a belt again for the first time in years just so that I don’t lose my trousers whilst leafleting.

I don’t actually weigh myself at home, although we do have a set of scales. I’ve been using “Healthy Weight Machines” at supermarkets and Boots. I’ve not been too conscientious at using the same machine all the time – it rather depends where I am.

In the last four weeks, my weight has dropped from 102kg to 95kg. The better part of 7kg or 14lbs or one whole stone. My waist, neck and chest measurements have all fallen. Go me!

Tweets on 2010-03-26

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Tweets on 2010-03-25

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