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More Books Read in 2010
Jan. 10th, 2010 12:17 pm- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- Eros Ascending by Mike Resnick
- Iorich by Steven Brust
- Eros at Zenith by Mike Resnick
- In Great Waters by Kit Whitfield
No re-reads here.
Books Read in 2010
Jan. 6th, 2010 07:59 pm- Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
- The People of the Wind by Poul Anderson *
- Relentless by Jack Campbell
- Ensign Flandry by Poul Anderson ?
- Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones *
- What's So Funny? by Donald Westlake
- The Perseids by Robert Charles Wilson
* indicates a re-read. ? indicates what I thought was a re-read, but it rang no bells whatsoever.
I seem to have had some time on my hands. And it turns out to be really annoying to enter lots of HTML tags on an iPhone keyboard.
More Christmas Cookery
Dec. 26th, 2009 09:10 pmTonight's risotto worked very well. However, it does rather assume that you roasted a chicken with lemon and tarragon the day before, and didn't eat it all...
Heat your oven to 180°C (probably a bit more if not fan-assisted).
Take the fat off the top of the leftover gravy, add a dash of olive oil and fry a chopped onion in it for a few minutes until soft. Add some of the leftover chicken meat, in reasonably small pieces, and fry for a few minutes more. Add 200g of arborio rice and keep frying for another minute or two.
Meanwhile, put the rest of the leftover gravy in a measuring jug, add a splash of white or rose wine and top up to 470ml with chicken stock (no stock cubes, please). When you've finished frying the rice, add the stock to the pan and bring it to a simmer. While it's heating up add some halved black olives and some frozen petits pois (or whatever other vegetable you feel like), and season.
When it comes to the simmer, put it in the oven for 18 minutes. Then serve it with grated parmesan (we often omit the parmesan with risotto, but this one really benefits from it).
Heat your oven to 180°C (probably a bit more if not fan-assisted).
Take the fat off the top of the leftover gravy, add a dash of olive oil and fry a chopped onion in it for a few minutes until soft. Add some of the leftover chicken meat, in reasonably small pieces, and fry for a few minutes more. Add 200g of arborio rice and keep frying for another minute or two.
Meanwhile, put the rest of the leftover gravy in a measuring jug, add a splash of white or rose wine and top up to 470ml with chicken stock (no stock cubes, please). When you've finished frying the rice, add the stock to the pan and bring it to a simmer. While it's heating up add some halved black olives and some frozen petits pois (or whatever other vegetable you feel like), and season.
When it comes to the simmer, put it in the oven for 18 minutes. Then serve it with grated parmesan (we often omit the parmesan with risotto, but this one really benefits from it).
Success at Last!
Dec. 25th, 2009 01:43 pmAfter six years of trying, I've finally come up with roast potatoes that ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
flickgc admits are as good as her mother's, or possibly even better. She even left some of her chicken and her bacon-wrapped sausages so that she could have second and third helpings of the spuds.
(Desiree potatoes, cut into large pieces and parboiled for ten minutes with the peelings in the pan to add flavour, left to stand for half an hour, and then roast in lots of pre-heated groundnut oil with a little salt for 70 minutes at 190°C in a fan-assisted oven, turning once. It would have been better to turn them out onto kitchen roll as soon as they came out of the oven, to mop up the oil and stop the surplus ones from getting greasy. You could add a little lemon juice and/or a few garlic cloves, if you felt like it.)
We also had chicken cooked with tarragon, lemon and white wine, gravy made from the chicken juices, roast parsnips in maple syrup (thanks tofeorag for the suggestion), chipolatas wrapped in bacon (Sillfield Farm now sells pre-wrapped chipolatas), and petits pois (just to pretend that it might not be entirely unhealthy).
Full now. We might have a little stroll round the dock to feed left-overs to the swans before having some Green & Black's white chocolate and raspberry ice cream with a bottle of tokaj.
flickgc admits are as good as her mother's, or possibly even better. She even left some of her chicken and her bacon-wrapped sausages so that she could have second and third helpings of the spuds.(Desiree potatoes, cut into large pieces and parboiled for ten minutes with the peelings in the pan to add flavour, left to stand for half an hour, and then roast in lots of pre-heated groundnut oil with a little salt for 70 minutes at 190°C in a fan-assisted oven, turning once. It would have been better to turn them out onto kitchen roll as soon as they came out of the oven, to mop up the oil and stop the surplus ones from getting greasy. You could add a little lemon juice and/or a few garlic cloves, if you felt like it.)
We also had chicken cooked with tarragon, lemon and white wine, gravy made from the chicken juices, roast parsnips in maple syrup (thanks to
feorag for the suggestion), chipolatas wrapped in bacon (Sillfield Farm now sells pre-wrapped chipolatas), and petits pois (just to pretend that it might not be entirely unhealthy).Full now. We might have a little stroll round the dock to feed left-overs to the swans before having some Green & Black's white chocolate and raspberry ice cream with a bottle of tokaj.
Author Watchlist
Dec. 23rd, 2009 08:05 amI just updated my watchlist at Fictionwise, of authors whose new books I want to be emailed about. It obviously only includes authors where I think there's a chance they might have new books coming out in the future.
A few statistics:
There are 78 names. Two pairs are actually the same person, with or without a middle initial, so there are 76 people. 14 are female and one is intersex (as far as I know). 24 are British, 2 are Australian, 5 are Canadian and the rest are American (as far as I know, and based on their predominant culture not where they happen to live now). Seven of them aren't actually available on Fictionwise's system, because they've had nothing previously sold via Fictionwise. I know 18 of them well enough to say hello if I pass them in the street.
ETA: Four people are on the list as editors rather than as authors.
And Fictionwise apparently knowsautopope as Charlie Stross, even though none of his books is billed that way.
( So here's the list. )
A few statistics:
There are 78 names. Two pairs are actually the same person, with or without a middle initial, so there are 76 people. 14 are female and one is intersex (as far as I know). 24 are British, 2 are Australian, 5 are Canadian and the rest are American (as far as I know, and based on their predominant culture not where they happen to live now). Seven of them aren't actually available on Fictionwise's system, because they've had nothing previously sold via Fictionwise. I know 18 of them well enough to say hello if I pass them in the street.
ETA: Four people are on the list as editors rather than as authors.
And Fictionwise apparently knows
autopope as Charlie Stross, even though none of his books is billed that way.( So here's the list. )
Via lots of people.
"List the towns or cities where you spent at least one night away from home during 2009. Mark with a star if you had multiple non-consecutive."
Walthamstow, London *
Reading, Berkshire *
Sunningdale, Berkshire *
Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester
Bradford, West Yorkshire
Oxford, Oxfordshire
Chester, Cheshire *
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire *
North Walsham, Norfolk
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Acton Trussell, Staffordshire
Austin, Texas, USA
ETA: Forgot one.
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
"List the towns or cities where you spent at least one night away from home during 2009. Mark with a star if you had multiple non-consecutive."
Walthamstow, London *
Reading, Berkshire *
Sunningdale, Berkshire *
Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester
Bradford, West Yorkshire
Oxford, Oxfordshire
Chester, Cheshire *
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire *
North Walsham, Norfolk
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Acton Trussell, Staffordshire
Austin, Texas, USA
ETA: Forgot one.
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Discounts on Paid Membership
Dec. 19th, 2009 11:56 amAnyone want $10 off a paid account? LJ have given a bunch of coupons to all existing paid and permanent members, and mine are up for grabs. Can't be used to renew an existing paid account.
The new Bank of England inflation report is out.
Guardian headline: "Bank of England governor dampens hopes of swift UK recovery"
Times headline: "Bank of England talks up hopes of strong recovery"
(The Times seems nearer the mark; the report increases the GDP and inflation forecasts. I think the Guardian made the mistake of listening to Mervyn King's spin rather than actually reading the report.)
Guardian headline: "Bank of England governor dampens hopes of swift UK recovery"
Times headline: "Bank of England talks up hopes of strong recovery"
(The Times seems nearer the mark; the report increases the GDP and inflation forecasts. I think the Guardian made the mistake of listening to Mervyn King's spin rather than actually reading the report.)
Big fire between Dean Street and Wardour Street, right now. Dean Street is partially closed, and flames are coming out the roof of the building.
http://img20.yfrog.com/i/zu0.jpg/
http://img20.yfrog.com/i/zu0.jpg/
(From coth):
What can Wikipedia tell you about the places where I've lived?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curzon_Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newnham,_Cambridgeshire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Boughton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicars_Cross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotherhithe
coth):What can Wikipedia tell you about the places where I've lived?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curzon_Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newnham,_Cambridgeshire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Boughton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicars_Cross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotherhithe
O2: The New AT&T
Jun. 9th, 2009 07:27 amBah, O2 aren't giving existing iPhone users the subsidised price to upgrade to the 3G S until their existing contract expires. And they're charging £15 per month extra for tethering, for up to 3GB of data per month. Hope Netshare still works under iPhone OS 3.0.
Medical Testing Part 2
Jun. 6th, 2009 02:51 pmToday was my Biobank appointment, and my numbers all look pretty good except for BMI, waist circumference and percent body fat, which are all slightly on the high side. I seem to have grown another inch, though. I always used to think I was 5'8", but when I signed up with a new GP four years ago they measured me as 5'9", and now I'm apparently 5'10".
<plokta.con> Update
May. 21st, 2009 07:04 pmSadly, we've confirmed that Diana Wynne Jones will be unable to attend the convention due to ill health. We hope that she's feeling better soon, and we'll organise a card for her from the convention. Paul Cornell has kindly offered to do an extra panel or two to help us out. As previously stated, we'll give a full membership refund to anyone who no longer wishes to attend the convention.
An updated draft of the programme and other information can be found here, but may still be subject to change.
An updated draft of the programme and other information can be found here, but may still be subject to change.
<plokta.con> Update
May. 20th, 2009 08:54 pmWe regret to announce that Diana Wynne Jones is unwell, and may not be able to attend <plokta.con>. We're sure you would join us in offering her our best wishes for a speedy recovery. If she's unable to attend, the Guest of Honour interview on Saturday afternoon will be replaced with a panel discussion of her works. We will refund membership in full for anyone who decides that they would prefer not to attend the convention.
Whether or not Diana can attend, the rest of the convention will go ahead as normal, with Paul Cornell as our Guest of Honour for Sunday. A PDF copy of the draft convention Read-Me, including the programme, can be found here. Note that all items are liable to change.
Whether or not Diana can attend, the rest of the convention will go ahead as normal, with Paul Cornell as our Guest of Honour for Sunday. A PDF copy of the draft convention Read-Me, including the programme, can be found here. Note that all items are liable to change.
Seven of them this year, which is the best they've ever managed.
( Photos of cute grey fluffballs behind the cut. )
( Photos of cute grey fluffballs behind the cut. )
Debaters Wanted
May. 9th, 2009 06:18 pmWe're planning to have a balloon debate at <plokta.con> to see which of the more superfluous-seeming Hugo categories should be jettisoned, and which one should be saved, moderated by frandowdsofa. We have someone to speak up for the Best Graphic Story category; who would like to defend Best Semiprozine, Best Novelette, Best Related Book or Best Editor Long Form? It's currently scheduled for 17:00 on the Saturday.
(I should probably add here that the debate is not an official deliberative body of the World Science Fiction Society, and the result will not have any actual practical effect on the Hugo Awards.)
frandowdsofa. We have someone to speak up for the Best Graphic Story category; who would like to defend Best Semiprozine, Best Novelette, Best Related Book or Best Editor Long Form? It's currently scheduled for 17:00 on the Saturday.(I should probably add here that the debate is not an official deliberative body of the World Science Fiction Society, and the result will not have any actual practical effect on the Hugo Awards.)
