Of Bobs and Bob-nots

Only in Miami...shitkicker.

There's a new toy! Try Google's Hot Trends to look at broad search patterns (it's not the same as looking at the 'most popular' searches).

Art (maybe) - Running the Numbers.

Saturday reading

I have the latest Amnesty magazine on the table (death row, persecuted journalists), the latest Economist (great cover), and am reading the Iraq briefing paper from Chatham House. Gosh, it's all fun, fun, fun, here this morning.

I'd put my head in the oven, but it needs to be cleaned.

Interesting development: the new French Foreign Minister is Bernard Kouchner, founder of MSF. An inspiring choice, or will it be like Joschka Fischer's tenure as Germany's foreign minister?

Link: Taking Liberties

Advice

The 'Battle of Algiers' last night was great; the restaurant Zero Degrees much less so. Personal conduct was far worse - never get twatted and encourage the screentime audience to help you recreate the Algerian insurgency.

A short poem about exes

A poem inspired by exes telling me they are getting hitched, usually to provoke a direct reaction from me that isn't to hand. In homage to such parting shots (or 'backfires', as they should be known), I wrote this.

'Post-Parting Missive'

The deadline approaches
and ticks turn to pricks -
on both your conscience and pride,
but for a bankable union,
you let such considerations slide.

As your happy family
cry with relief,
former associates and
single men the World over
breathe a big sigh of relief.

Don't get me wrong,
for I am glad you've secured
a wad-heavy, liberty-weary buck.
But I have no idea
why you're telling me this,
as I care less than a fu-



Excellent take on Trainspotting by the cast of AvenueQ

If you get a chance -

check out the current 'Friday play' on BBC R4 (available on the BBC Radio 'listen again' archive until next Friday). It is 'What I Heard About Iraq', which is a play based on Eliot Weinberger's essay in the London Review of Books, available here. It exposes a lot of bluster and bullshit.

Link of the day: historic sounds in MP3 format

The long goodbye

Loake Royals, Church's, Barker's, Jones...four pairs of top-notch, hand-made shoes in mint condition. All gone. All because my feet grew - at 35!?! But no, it couldn't be a growth in length - it had to be width. Something not catered for by the great shoe makers of Northampton. F@ckers!

Sniff-sniff, sniffle

It must all go. Around 50 VHS tapes, mostly World Cinema. Email me if you want to take them off my hands.

The perfect Eurovision song...

...as played by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, on yesterday's Culture Show on BBC television.

Eating with Shaggy

I returned from China/HK/Taiwan on Wednesday and immediately got back into my rhythm. What did the trip mainly consist of? Food of course (as well as sending dodgy cards to Doris, Tarquin, Cakehole/Barbie, Shaggy, Tom Jones Look-a-Likey, etc, etc). Here's the brief rundown:

• Crystal Jade, followed by TMSK, Shanghai (noisy, tasty, everyday Xintiandi)
• The Chinoise Story, Shanghai (stunning food, surroundings and service. My gratitude to Deputy Manager Evan Xu)
• Uighur restaurant, Shanghai (tender, tasty lamb in all forms; basic decor, straight service. Do your vocal exercises as you will be asked to sing during dinner)
• Yong Foo Elite, Shanghai (very chic, clubby, selective; a bit too much up its own ass)
• Mu Dan Ting, Kowloon (a powerful wave of huge portions that overwhelmed us. Well, almost)
• Grand Hotel, Taipei (fantastic HK cuisine)
• Aqua Spirit, Kowloon (a never-ending trail of food with an unparalleled view of the harbour)
• Aqua Hutong, Kowloon (fantastic North Chinese cuisine - the lamb was to die for. Sadly, we never made it to the pigeon, as Shaggy had trouble with his crabs).

I even got to chill in Kowloon Park, watching the flamingoes, ducks and overhearing the conversations in the aviary, while Shaggy fondled and ogled the sculptures.

What else? Spent ages in Fuzhou Road, Shanghai, ogling the calligraphy shops while encouraging Shaggy to play chicken with the traffic. I narrowly missed being rendered null and void by a flying sack of cement that whistled past my head; balanced out by being promoted, so all in all, not a bad trip.

Childishly awestruck by: the Science Museum in London. I hadn't been there in years (the last time, I was married and had my wife and two very young nephews in tow) and was glad to see that it was a much better experience. It rivalled the Natural History Museum - also visited yesterday - in my affections. By why doesn't the science museum have an example of the Gutenburg Press?

Tip top film recommendation: 'The Lives of Others'. It's fantastic.

Send 'Gimp Bags' to: Puddy