Monthly Archives: April 2011

Tweets on 2011-04-30

  • Passed a micro street party on Haydn Rd. Trestle table, bunting, union flag table cloth. Outside one house. 8 people max in attendance. #
  • RT @TheOnion: 18,000 People Cheer Thing Going Through Thing http://onion.com/kdlWFW #

  • RT @Psythor: RT @deadbloke: love that picture, crowds flock to see Royal Wedding in Bradford http://yfrog.com/gzalhxtoj #
  • *sigh* popped on Twitter after a spot of leafleting, and now feel unfortunately sober. #
  • I think @iaindale should call his new site Dalicious. #
  • Pff, I'd be more impressed if they'd got Kim Jong Il to guest star. It's not like Condaleeza is busy. #
  • Saddle up! To the Print Cave! #
  • @NCCLols he's actually surprisingly nice in person, even if many of his views are reprehensible. #
  • Fourth day inna row. (@ Top Secret Lib Dem Print Cave) http://4sq.com/kJcg7F #
  • Lots of interest in the RW today. They will be pleased over at the Ringing World. #
  • @helenduffett that just shores up my assertion that YOU are making the toasters. #
  • @A_C_McGregor don't tell them that! #
  • Wow, that cat referendum video ended up on the mother lode of lolcats. http://chzb.gr/kzhi8l #
  • RT @po8crg: What would happen if a meteorite had hit Westminister Abbey earlier today? http://bit.ly/lE08AV King James VIII, apparently. #
  • Ridin' the Leaflethog #
  • The eerie early morning still, on a street not noticeably near water, is broken by a solitary duck sitting on a roof, quacking its head off #

  • Showing @helenduffett the sights http://flic.kr/p/9DcffK #

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Tweets on 2011-04-29

  • @dr_nick room for an island? #
  • Viva las Print Cave! (@ Top Secret Lib Dem Print Cave) [pic]: http://4sq.com/kj25gW #
  • Ooh, I get bonus Foursquare points for coming here three times this week. W00t. #
  • Startling neighbourhood cats, as I emerge, blinking, from la grotte d'impression. #
  • @NCCLols don't think it's council money, tho? It's to celebrate some firework family's mother's birthday as well as t'wedding #
  • Get home to find predominantly white cat is, erm, not presently predominantly white. What has he been doing!? #
  • So it seems, if you get a monkey-tail beard, you have to stop smiling. http://bzfd.it/mhfA2E #
  • RT @centre_alt_tech: Anyone care to share their experiences of growing illegal veg? Or any ideas on how to change the legislation? #
  • RT @centre_alt_tech: Fancy breaking the law? Illegal vegetables and how to grow them. New blog post: http://ow.ly/4HSnz #
  • RT @binny_uk: RT @MattWBP: Jesus wasn't born in America, yet you don't see Republicans trying to keep him out of government… #

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Tweets on 2011-04-28

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Tweets on 2011-04-27

  • The only thing in the royal wedding I am looking forward is the Giles and Sue show on the subject. #
  • Oh, for a ground floor print cave 😦 (@ Top Secret Lib Dem Print Cave) http://4sq.com/dErZhI #
  • That was a definite SPRANG-whirrwhirr. #riso #
  • Still encaved #
  • RT @sueperkins: I am loving Cooking In Prison <<< quickest fall from princess to old lag EVAR?? #
  • Watched Seven – Feature: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQyBzRw #
  • Nottingham City Council fails to meet deadline on FOI about how often they fail to meet deadline http://bit.ly/fH2QyX #

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Tweets on 2011-04-26

  • We have been drinking non-alcoholic improvised cocktails, but unsure whether to call it Vimger Beer or Gimto. #
  • @DrewCR2 he's into her because she treats him mean. Kurt has left school and gone to an all boys school with fewer bullies #whydoiknowthis #
  • @DrewCR2 have you seen the Christmas song? http://bit.ly/dUEpKF #
  • finished The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly http://amzn.to/gBaDG2 #Kindle #
  • Eek, someone referred to #WATO as a "show". #
  • @Meryl_F @JChris_J Chrome is ace. #

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Tweets on 2011-04-25

  • @journodave expensive? #
  • Strategically placing the Hot AV Buns and a cup of tea in lounge, then mopping myself out of the kitchen. #
  • @CharlotteGore what happens if whole country decides it can do without MPs? #
  • RT @libdemvoice: Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #218 http://ldv.org.uk/23914 #
  • @Bubbalou like hot cross buns but with numbers not crosses. see my blog for pics/recipe #
  • Ooh, @eric_lanlard is back with a new series tomorrow. Loved last year's Glamour Puds, high hopes for Baking Mad. #
  • Blimey. Mopped conneh and kitchen then went upstairs to mop bathroom. Conneh floor was dry before I got back downstairs. #
  • @dr_nick excellent! but caching in the dark!? #
  • Every night I look at my phone in bafflement and think "How do I set the alarm again?" Just press the clock #notrocketscience #
  • @dr_nick android app 🙂 #

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Tweets on 2011-04-24

  • There's a warning for rain today – has anyone actually had it? http://bit.ly/heEyMS #
  • *sigh* have left "think of nice things to do with frozen spinach" unactioned on the bottom of two weeks' meal plans. #
  • @MadameNottm different sort of bondage? #
  • OOh, crackles of thunder. #
  • Gah! Bank holiday meat fest thwarted by frozen duck! #
  • RT @facesake: A-aaaah! RT @miltonline: *flash* #
  • Message coming through loud and clear: Ricotta makes spinach edible #
  • Webcam for Abbey Road, London – almost always seems to have people re-enacting Beatles on it. http://bit.ly/gm2Nkc #
  • RT @ChristofHughes: @alexfoster ricotta and spinach cannelloni = delicious. <<< exactly what I'm making now, since duck still frozen! #
  • Some kind words about some of m'colleagues at Nottingham Graffiti http://bit.ly/g6DayK #
  • @ChristofHughes ach, sorry, all gone, nothing to photo! But was spinach+ricotta cannelloni, with tomato sauce from a jar and parmesan gratin #

  • Le sigh. I was hoping to actually use this computer today. It all started with iTunes http://flic.kr/p/9B17M8 #

  • Aaaargh, they're not even quick updates. http://flic.kr/p/9B431q #

  • …and still waiting. http://flic.kr/p/9B1kAV #
  • @ChristofHughes are you fasting? If it's any consolation, we're stuffed. #
  • … and I'm vaguely back. #
  • @CharlotteGore does it make a difference? infinity times infinity is still infinity. #
  • Easter ringing (@ Daybrook St Pauls) http://4sq.com/e6gJ61 #
  • @benrav you can buy seeds here but can't sow outside for a few months yet. http://bit.ly/hdQW5L #

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Hot Cross Buns / Hot AV Buns

For this year’s hot cross buns, I made them using Dan Lepard’s Spicy Stout Buns, which were very tasty.

I used the Kenwood, so it was slightly easier than the kneading by hand – at the mixing stage, bung the lot into the bowl with the dough hook, and knead it a bit, and then follow the 10 min – rest phases too. This whole recipe was on the large size for the Kenwood, but just about all fit in the bowl.

My attempt at Hot AV Buns.
But the cooking time wasn’t right for my oven. I knocked five minutes off the time and used the temp for fan ovens, and still it burned.

Gah! All that time making them and I ended up burning the buggers!

And, as per the joke doing the rounds on the internets, I made some of them into “AV Buns” instead of crossed buns. Piping flour and water is a right pain!

Here’s last year’s attempt – I just made a small batch then as I was dieting. Now that I’m thin (hem hem) I made a full batch that made 14 buns.

Only just preheating the oven for my hot cross buns. Have to say I think those came out rather well.

(PS another interesting looking recipe is this one on Bakery Bits, but like all their interesting recipes, it’s mainly there to sell you stuff only Bakery Bits sell…)

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Tweets on 2011-04-23

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Elections, me and the Pod Delusion

I’ve been talking on the Pod Delusion again this week, this time about some of the processes involved in standing for election to your local council. It’s more complicated than some people realise, and my process piece explains some of the intricacies.

The full podcast is available here.

Most of the time, I just scribble something down and send it in to PD and all is well.

This time, unfortunately, I got a bit carried away, and ended up writing seven pages of text before recording fifteen minutes of sound. Clearly that would not fit in a podcast where they try and keep the pace going and a variety of different reports, so I was asked to edit it down. This meant cutting two large digressions about elections by thirds and some of the candidates for election in Nottingham. Happily, the unexpurgated report is also available for download at the link above.

It’s not the first time I’ve spoken about election processes for the Pod Delusion. Last year, they ran a piece from me on what happens on polling day, taking in the count and the work of polling officers. You can find that on Episode 32.

I also did a bit of spiel on how political parties target leaflets mostly about Election Communications delivered during general elections to voters by the Royal Mail.