Straw Poll.

So, a friend of mine, let's call them ABC likes somebody, let's call them XYZ, but so far hasn't done anything about it. Consequently, I feel duty bound to run a straw poll of my three readers to determine what ABC should do about XYZ.



Really simple, just let me know and whatever the answer is I'll ensure that ABC has to stick by it. Deal? They have no idea incidentally. Well, until they read this post...

Caledonia bound.

This is Mitch and I today, sans the bad hair.

New Favourite Quote #12.

"Do you consider monkeys someone?"

MItch, 13/03/08.

Needless to say I don't. Honest.

Orange.

As some of you may know, Mitch and I have been without a landline to our flat for about 5 weeks now. We have/had our phone through Orange's Livebox thing which allowed us to call the US amongst other places for next to nothing. We paid 5 quid a month (as an existing Orange customer on a PAYM tariff) for broadband and home phone with calls to all UK landlines and the US included in the deal. It all worked great until 5 weeks ago when the second line packed in altogether however. Not really a problem in of itself, but the BT line has never worked with the Livebox but works fine without it. So, now we can either have internet or the phone, but not both together. Consequently, it's a pain in the neck to have to switch the jacks around whenever I or Mitch want to make a phone call (usually to the US) and not use my mobile.

I've been calling Orange about twice weekly about the problem with absolutely no positive response from them whatsoever. They've tried fobbing me off on numerous occasions, they've told me it has been escalated at least 3 times to a higher level when it clearly hasn't and have point blank refused to send me out a new Livebox as 'it must be working fine if you can get internet on it'. Well, obviously not since I can't make a phone call when it is plugged in. Unbelievable. I'm generally very laid back and don't get angered easily, but honestly they are trying very very hard to change that. The last person I just spoke to has told me to call back tomorrow and see if anything has changed, at my expense naturally. The person I spoke to yesterday told me that they had no date in sight for when it is going to get fixed, yet they expect me to continue paying for the service as well as paying to call them to tell me it's not getting fixed and also running up a larger than normal phone bill with them on my mobile? Of course they do. I believe that is called theft/fraud in just about any other circumstance. It's been the worst customer service experience I've ever had to deal with. They're getting a strongly worded email sent to them.

Oh and it turns out I'm not the only one with a problem with them. There is a website called Orange Problems no less with many more horror stories of their abominable 'customer service'.

A photoblog of the Big Smoke.

The Hope Workers Cafe on Holloway Rd. I've never eaten there but I love the sign outside.



The view at sunset from Chez MacKenzie.



The front of Chez MacKenzie.



Stack at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.



Me at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. I had to fight that kid for the right colour bricks. And his mum.



Mitch asleep while Stack and I built our names.



Melton Square out the front of Euston Station. Believe it or not but this picture is actually in colour and not black and white.



St Paul's at dusk. I love St Paul's, but then you knew that already right?



Shepherd's Bush H&C line station.



Camera stall in Portobello Market.



The erstwhile New Piccadilly Cafe by Piccadilly Circus. A lovely old London Cafe with formica tables and excellent tea. Daniel ate 6 sugar cubes in under a minute here for a pound. Happy days.



St Paul's again. I told you I liked it.



I think this is Baker St underground station but I'm not sure - can anyone confirm? If it is then it is my favourite underground station in London.

Noisy clowns.

There is a couple of brain donors outside working for EDF smacking what looks like a giant clamp with a sledgehammer against the side of their truck, which has been running now for 30 minutes, even though it is stationary. Have they not heard of global warming through air pollution? Nice to see EDF workers can take a gung-ho approach towards petrol consumption knowing full well the customer will end up paying for it. Ridiculous.

STOP PRESS! They've now started using a circular saw to fix the clamp. I'd almost put money on one of them injuring themself and/or the other.

Scrabble geekery.

Yes I realise I have bored you in the past with my tales of Scrabble/Scrabulous geekery, but I have to do it once more. I not only beat my previous highest bingo, but completely destroyed it. The word? Samshoos! It's a Chinese spirit made from rice. I didn't realise it existed until I checked the dictionary in the Scrabulous game. The score I got for it? As if you are really interested, but to play along - I got 194 points! To say this made me whoop with excitement wouldn't be a lie. Yes I'm a geek. Yes I know you don't care. I'm going to have a cookie now in celebration, with a nice wee cup of tea. Oh and for proof, here it's:



I might just do nothing for the rest of the day since I'm unlikely to surpass these heights. Oh, but Nigerian 1970s exchange rate policies are calling me!

Cats are better than dogs.

No question. You want proof? Click here. All the proof you need. I've been laughing myself stupid daily since I first clapped eyes on that site. Top dog!

Culinary delights.

FINALLY I've found a good place for curry in London. The bad news is that it takes a while to get out to Tooting Broadway, but still now that I know there is at least one place that is capable of serving a good curry (also cheap), I'll perhaps be more inclined to go out there for it. The place in question is called Masaledar and thankfully manages to do a Saag Paneer that actually tastes of something and doesn't have a watery, milky consistency to it. Plus it did amazing Peshwari naan and nice, non-dyed pilau rice. Not too shabby at all. Oh and for four of us the bill came to an incredibly reasonable 40 quid, and that with food left on the table no less. All good. Don't get me wrong, it was no Mother India in Glasgow, but for London I'm impressed.

That was on Friday, on Saturday we went along to Patogh by Edgware Rd with Freeman after trying and failing to get into Mandalay, a Burmese restaurant further up Edgware Rd. As disappointed as I was that we wouldn't be eating Burmese food, Patogh was a more than ample substitute. It didn't have much in the way of vegetarian options for main courses, but the special bread was one of the best breads I've ever eater. And I've eaten a LOT of bread in my time. It was so good I'd put it just behind a tasted slice of Mother's Pride plain loaf with loads of butter on it. Because NOTHING beats that bread. Still, Patogh was fantastic though. Well worth a visit. If only they'd do a vegetarian kebab though. Ach well.

What did I do on Sunday? I cooked a Moroccan chickpea stew in a tagine! Which was nice. In fact, I'm going to have some of the leftovers for dinner tonight I think.

Oh dear, I appear to have turned this into a culinary blog. See what happens when not a morsel of food has passed your lips by 4pm? I should go eat.