EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS

Yet another fascinating article on the backstage workings at Glasto.
This one’s about the most important people on the field. A true bunch of heros.

One word you don’t need to read on a Monday morning, though: “splashback.” Ick.

…because rock stars are the tenderest morsels of all.
And because I’m in a grump because I still don’t have my film back so I can put “The Gourmand” on line for you Sick Puppy fans.
Because it’s a rainy Sunday arternoon, and I’ve got no mind to worry.
Because it rocks.

Sick. Sick. Sick.

Fascinating article on how 300 bands get cycled through their performances at Glastonbury.

I was not aware that “roadie” was now a perjorative term, though…

The consequences if you don’t are almost too hideous to contemplate…

…because remember kids, not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to fu… you get the idea.

Gracias, Senor Rodruiguez, y tambien BoingBoing.

Now, I’m not a football fan in any way, although I express a mild interest in the progress of Reading in the Premiership. In that way, I have had a good season.

My friend Tim is a West Ham supporter. A very West Ham Supporter. He has not had a good season.

Here is a document of Tim, filmed by the mysterious TB, on the last day of the season. They need a win to stay up. They are playing Manchester United.
Witness the pride, the passion, the pileup, of LAST DAY.

The following is extremely NSFW due to the language, Timothy.

I’m three days into a caffeine-free week. It’s been somewhat harder than I anticipated. I’ve been aching, tired and have suffered fairly constant headaches. Now, this concerns me quite a bit. I have a reputation at work for being a bit of a coffee-hound, but I had no idea that things had got to a level where I’d feel like I was going cold turkey from a crack jones. It’s only a cappuccino, ferchrissakes!

I should, of course, know better. Caffeine is the world’s favourite psychoactive substance, very easy to become tolerant to (no I am not using the word addicted. That gives the bean-juice a glamour it really doesn’t deserve) and more difficult to kick than you might think. This is largely because of it’s prevalence in everyday household items. Yeah, we all know about coffee, tea, Coke and so on being full of caffeiny goodness. But most over-the-counter headache pills contain caffeine too, as does chocolate. I’d been wondering where the craving for a Toffee-Crisp was coming from.

So, my drugs of choice are now rooibos tea and Innocent smoothies. I’d love to say I’m bulging with health and well-being. Sadly, not true. I am a black hole of need, and I pass a place to ease the pain on average every 50 yards in Soho.
I know I’ve always said I thrive on a challenge, but this is ridiculous.

Here’s the science part.
Notes from some fellow travellers.
these guys really aren’t helping.
and finally, my hero.

Further:
on the 200 yard walk that takes me from Picadilly Circus to Meard St. in Soho for work, I pass 11 places that sell take-out coffee. And that seems to be the norm around here.
At Reading station there are at least 7 coffee outlets.
That’s a lot of latte.

…and a lot of money, of course, barely any of which makes it’s way back to the growers. I try to buy and drink Fairtrade coffee, of course, but that’s really just a plaster over the squirting jugular wound of the problem. There’s a new movie out soon called Black Gold that gives a wider view of the situation – worth checking out when it hits UK screens this Friday.

If I wasn’t so sleepy, it’d be a wake-up call.

Yes, it’s back. Fodderblog’s been on hiatus while I do the writing novels and Cannes thing, but now it returns.
I’ll start slow, and we may need a few reminders on basic techniques…

thanks to chef Clive for the heads up.

Finally, a Flickr set of my Cannes pics. I’ll try and blag some choice ones from the rest of the Cannes Crew, but for now enjoy this chunk of visual goodness.