Ted Max

Terrified housewives in ruff collars and pearls spatchcocking Poulet de Bresse while Lloyd leers at their champignons in tarragon cream. (No doubt we're about two posts from someone linking to the Reeves & Mortimer sketch)

Torode's vodka sweats are truly alarming. I find myself wishing someone would sit him down with a cup of tea and the number of a good rehab centre, not force him to front a prime time TV show in front of millions.

http://www.herecomestheboss.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/gregchomp.gif

Bombay/ Mumbai is a bit of a minefield. Essentially it was officially changed to meet the political agenda of the far right Shiv Sena party which won the State elections in the mid-late nineties. The official name change wasn't just about booting out the colonial past, but also overtly asserting Marathi, and Hindu, dominance over the region (Maharashtra). But bear in mind that both pronunciations had co-existed for a long time, depending on what language you spoke, so it was not so much a change of name, as giving dominance to one over the other.

So as not to desecrate the Floyd thread. I read, ages ago, some memoir or auto-biog of his. It was the usual collection of cobbled together self-justificatory anecdotes ("needless to say I had the last laugh") and special pleading. Even by his own admission, he was a serial bankrupt, leaving his investors and creditors in the lurch more than once. He came over as highly needy and demanding, prickly about the way the BBC and his producer/ director (David Pritchard, I think) had treated him - despite the fact that they had made him. Still, he liked a drink.

What a terrible thing to live with. And the worst is, you can tell nobody as nobody will understand. I think the only course left open to you is to construct a vast underground lair, staff it with easily expendable henchmen and willing female assassins, and then let events take their course. That will show them.

Good points, DaveR. I remember seeing a thing on TV with Rory McGrath, Griff R-J and Dara O'Brien recreating Three Men in a Boat - travelling up the Thames together and stopping off at various points. They dropped in on Wozza's house at some point. This was probably before O'Brien got all his other TV gigs, and W-T clearly had no idea who he was. So he was stupendously rude to him, while sucking up to the other two. Quite revealing.

Rhodes is most likely to bore nasally on about how to produce the perfect mashed potato, whilst making you fantasise about slamming his thin head repeatedly between the lift doors. Oliver would be OK if his incredibly stoned hippy gardener was with him. Otherwise, the chances of being exposed to air drumming and a lecture on responsible sourcing would be quite high. Ramsay would get some poppers out of his jeans and try to bang seven shades out of you whilst asking you to tell him his name. Wozza would initially not acknowledge your presence, and after a while try to blame the curdled milk smell emitting from his jeans on the air conditioning. Harriott would attack you with his Jazz Hands and tales of the last time he was stuck in "Lottie Lift". Answer: Ramsay

All of which should be recycled instead of put in the bin! Sorry... couldn't resist. Who could, Jeremy, with a nice big fat worm like that wriggling on the hook? Sorry, Monica. Plastic bags...

I can't! I don't have the requisite historical or cultural perspective! Who are you again?

I suspect most people thought it was so obvious it didn't need pointing out (Sorry SteveT). Also, it was pointed out, as was the Britain/UK distinction. But if it suits you that we are all self-absorbed arseholes with the memory of a gnat, then so be it. It's getting a little wearing, though.

Fair enough - it sounded as if perhaps you were checking out shopping bags. As I said, there are no official figures so I've no idea if it was a one off spike. I too buy bin bags already. Plastic bags can only hold about an old newspaper, a wine bottle and a couple of milk cartons, before they are full up.

*Bob* is Hugh Cornwell? *Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Me too (ker-CHING!)

Just back from a week in Ireland and observing shopping habits around me I can't say I saw a rise in heavier plastic bags The theory is that because people have fewer supermarket bags to hand they are not using them as impromptu bin liners, and are buying more actual bin liners. Or did you know that? I wasn't saying it was posturing. Like you, I think there is a case for reducing their use.

There are no official government stats on it, because they weren't keeping count of the sales of bin bags, not surprisingly, prior to introducing the tax. But retailers have reported the rise. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-R-0685.htm http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/11/plastic-bags-welsh-assembly

Ermmmm?. Are none of you aware of one of the most significant post colonial events to have happened last century, the formation of the state of Pakistan? What makes you think they're not aware of it? Pakistan was formed as an independent state in 1947, by the way. But you knew this, what with it being one of the most significant etc etc...

The production and use of plastic bags has little impact in terms of climate change. And taxing them has been shown to lead to an increase in the production of heavier plastic, as sales of bin-liners rise accordingly. But they are an environmental blight in other ways. They look terrible as litter reducing our overall quality of life, and endanger marine animals especially. So - we should use less of them, but not kid ourselves it's for climate change reasons, unless we tie that reduction to a campaign looking at overall consumption. ie It's not the bag, it's what's in the bag.

Pomegranite flavour?

Funky nibbles. Spot on. See also: Dress to impress

"Networking Reception and Cocktails - Hotel Bar - 6pm." No thanks. "Jorge, our mixologist, combines modern techniques with classic recipes in our award-winning Red bar." Get tae f... "Debs and Phil invite _____ and ____ for cocktails. Sunday at 6:30." Hangs self.

People may pretend to like cocktails, but deep down they know they are shit, don't they? (PS For the purposes of this unsupportable assertion, a G&T is not a cocktail)

Really enjoying the crack on here today.

Here's something more savoury. http://www.everten.com.au/images/P/rimming-salt-large-01.jpg

No cocktail is complete without some... http://images.surlatable.com/surlatable/images/en_US/local/products/detail/573691.jpg

Seriously, KKel, I thought it was a reasonable response and don't understand your objection. When would you like them to canvas? Invent some portion of time as yet unknown?