The Blood is the Life!

[miss_s_b]

Fresh Squeezings from the veins of the internet:

• One of my current favourite blogs is Crust of the Grouch (crust_of_the_grouch_feed). Grouch is a non-aligned political commenter. The text of her comments tends towards the pithy, so she won't overwhelm your f-list with essays like some. But the best bit is that she's an artist, and therefore each post has a satirical illustration of some kind. The one that jumped out to me today is here.


• Count Packula, Prince of Markness documents what happens when the twitterverse applies itself to a Daily Fail poll. Basically, hilarity ensues.


• The European Court of Human rights has SENSE shock! Via Feminist Law Professors (feministlawprofessor_feed) comes the news that the European Court of Human Rights has unanimously found that a state violated the human rights of the applicant and her mother in failing to protect them against domestic violence. Hurrah!


• Of all the fallout from my resignation from Liberal Conspiracy, this is the bit that makes me saddest. Aaron was the person who convinced my to write for LC in the first place, and although he might not have the purity of liberalism some of my fellow Lib Dems would like to see, he's a good man, and his heart's in the right place, even when his typing fingers aren't. Hope the sanity break does the trick, sweetie.


• Today's Lib Demmery: Mr Quist is one of many commenting on the Michael Brown thing today. Honestly, other parties have SHITLOADS of dodgy donors. We have ONE and nobody will ever let us forget it... And Lib Dem Voice has a post illustrating the importance of literacy. Nob = posh person. Knob = cock. Spelling is important!

And now for today's meme:

If your comment to this post includes the words Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable I will ask you five questions. You must then answer those questions and make a similar offer on your own blog.

sideshow_meg asked me the following five questions:

1. If you could buy anything, what would it be?
2. What did you want to be when you were little?
3. What is your favourite tv show?
4. What is your favourite alcoholic drink?
5. Where would you like to travel if money was no object?

and the answers are here:

1. If you could buy anything, what would it be?
   A nice house, with a garage bg enough for all the motorbikes I would like to own. It would be SO nice to not have to worry about the roof over my head.


2. What did you want to be when you were little?
   A female version of Rumpole of the Bailey. I got quite a long way towards it, too...


3. What is your favourite tv show?
   This is a hard one. The obvious answer is Doctor Who, but I haven't even seen most of the most recent episodes because my dislike of ten is so strong. Then there's Top Gear, but Top Gear is more of a guilty pleasure (if they still had VBH, or if Suzi Perry was on it, I'd feel a lot less guilty about my love for the show). I love Red Dwarf, and Question Time, and Being Human... But I think I'm going to have to say This Week. Always irreverent, always interesting, and crammed with UST between Michael and Diane, This Week is possibly my perfect TV show. They always have great music, they have lots of geeky injokes, and they get Hot Sexy Vince as a guest on a regular basis. What more could a girl ask for? The only fly in the ointment is that they still keep having that sexist pig Quentin Twat on it as a commentator.


4. What is your favourite alcoholic drink?
   Arrgh! Another hard one! I may have to break this down... My favourite beer is Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby. My favourite gin is Hendrick's. My favourite brandy is Remy Martin XO. I also like Bailey's, Malibu, lots of cocktails, various single malts, the mighty Jack, several other gins, brandies and beers... I don't like Vodka - or rather, I don't see the point of it, because it doesn't taste of anything - and I don't like cider/perry. I like red wine, but it doesn't like me, and I am picky about whites and rosés. I like rum, especially Captain Morgan's Spiced... Basically, I'm a pisshead. I'm not that picky about the type of drink, but I'm extremely picky about brands within types. And if you ever buy me a pint of lager, expect to wear it, rather than see me drink it.


5. Where would you like to travel if money was no object?
   This, on the other hand, is EASY. I'd go into space.

---

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Comments

[purplecthulhu]

I never understood the point of vodka either until one christmas party where our russian showed me how to drink it. The key thing is that you don't 'taste' it with your mouth. You knock it back and 'taste' it with the oesophagus. I could even tell the difference between two different vodkas.

I still don't like it, and it gets me drunk way too much way too fast, but I have some idea of the point.

And I had no idea Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable.

[miss_s_b]

Well, he doesn't any more. He's dead. But it's a good song anyway.

1, If you could only choose one of your stories to be published and publicised, which would it be?
2, What is your favourite living creature, and why?
3, If your house was on fire, what would be he first thing you'd take out?
4, If you were on Death Row, what would you order for your final meal?
5, What is your favourite film?

[ponygirl72]

Sure, what the hell?

Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable.

So, um, you realize that's going to be in my head ALL DAY NOW, yes?

Thanks. No, really.

[miss_s_b]

1, how many horses have you ever had?
2, Who is your favourite fictional character?
3, What is your favourite pizza topping?
4, If you could only read one more book before you die, what would it be?
5, Why is there a 72 in your user name?

[ponygirl72]

1, how many horses have you ever had?

After casting my mind back over a 23 year period, I come up with 25 horses. Of those, the vast majority were purchased (or bred) for the purpose of selling or re-selling at a profit. During that 23 year period, 5 have died in my care-- 2 of old age, 2 of injury or illness complicated by old age, and 1 premature foal who died after 72 hours of round-the-clock nursing. I currently own 6, not counting one who is under contract but has not been shipped to her new home yet. 4 of those are for sale, which will make it the first time in 15 years that I have owned fewer than 3 horses.

Assuming they sell. :-/

2, Who is your favourite fictional character?

Doctor Leonard McCoy, played by the dearly departed Southern gentleman, DeForest Kelly. I was driving my delivery route when his death was reported on the news, and had to pull over to the side of the road. I cried buckets. I'm not completely sold on the new guy, whasisname, yet, though I acknowledge that he's a very good actor and was eerily Kelly-like, in places.

3, What is your favourite pizza topping?

Mushroom. Unfortunately, I am now allergic to dairy (cheese), and sensitive to wheat (crust) and nightshades (tomato). This does not stop me from ordering a cheeseless beef, mushroom, artichoke heart, and onion pizza at Shakespeare's once every 2 months or so, and consuming it with 4-6 activated charcoal tablets to keep me from dying (or at least *wanting* to die) afterward.

4, If you could only read one more book before you die, what would it be?

If it's one book that I've already read, it would be Water for Elephants. If it's one book that I have not read yet, it would be Dressage Naturally by Karen Rohlf.

5, Why is there a 72 in your user name?

Because I was born in 1972. :-)

And a final side note: that song is STILL in my head. Damn you, Peter Cushing, and your vegetables, too!

[miss_s_b]

And his bicycle of course.

I cried when DeForest Kelly died too.

This is brilliant

[sassy_scot]

I love this - it's very you, everything about it brimming with imagination, irreverence, the right amount of darkness and a tiny little sprinkling of evil in its purest form (is that a quote, I wonder?)

Anyway, I know I'm really going to regret this, but did you know that Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable?

A little opt in box that people could tick would make me look slightly less of a prat, you know:-)

Re: This is brilliant

[miss_s_b]

A little opt in box that people could tick would make me look slightly less of a prat, you know

Yes, I know, but that would be less fun for me...

1, What made you get into Formula 1?
2, Describe your oldest cuddly toy.
3, What is your favourite radio show?
4, What is your favourite sweet and why?
5, Why did you join the Lib Dems?

Re: This is brilliant

[sassy_scot]

Ok, here you go - I've put it up on my blog as well:
1, What made you get into Formula 1?

Hot, red, sexy Ferraris, especially driven by Jean Alesi who was so passionate and aggressive on the track. But generally, the scream of the engine, the skill of the drivers, who earn every single penny of their exorbitant salaries, the genius of watching the teams work together to find n extra tenth of a second. It's sexy and dramatic and amazing and I could go on about it forever but I won't.

I think what completely held my interest was the symbiotic relationship between lovely genius Ross and maybe not so lovely but absolutely compellingly brilliant Michael Schumacher. One built fabulous cars, the other took them to within a thousandth of a millimetre of destruction to achieve unprecedented success.

2, Describe your oldest cuddly toy.

It's a Yorkshire Terrier puppy that I saw in a shop in Waverly Market in Edinburgh in 1991 when we were in Scotland for 3 weeks looking after my teenage sister (who was going through one of her obnoxious phases) while my parents were off on a Caribbean Cruise to celebrate their Silver Wedding. I managed to resist it once, but when we were back in town the next week, I had to have it. It loved on my bed for years and now Anna has requisitioned it in the way children do. She's never been one for dolls - but we will soon have to get a bigger house to accommodate all her stuffed animals. Her daddy took her to the school fete a few weeks ago and I thought he might have shown some restraint - but he came back with five more. Honestly!

I adore Yorkies. Some evil people call them horrid names, like rats on strings, but these dogs may be small but they are full of personality. Our family's first one was called Lucy and she completely ruled the roost. She arrived in her house, the size of tuppence, after a very long journey back to Caithness and sat in front of my dad's chair and let out this very insistent, but tiny bark. From that moment, he was smittten with her.

Several years later, my folks were, shall we say, less than impressed when I jacked in university to go and live with a divorced man twice my age. Eventually, they agreed to meet him. Almost the minute we arrived in the house, Lucy came and sat on his knee which led to his acceptance into the family. Given that he might no longer be twice my age, but we've now been together for one week short of 22 years, I'd say the dog showed immaculate judgment.

A year after Lucy, Jamie came along - he was a very gentle dog in all matters apart from his libido, which was legendary. My sister used to dress him in her doll's clothes and push him around in her pram and he just let her. He spent his days being bullied mercilessly by Lucy, but he was a great big soppy loving bundle of fur.

3, What is your favourite radio show?

I thought this would be easy to answer - but when it came to it, there were a few nominations. Special mention has to be given to the BBC's F1 coverage on 5 Live. I love Anthony Davidson's informed and easy to listen to commentary. He describes things in a way that's easy to understand if, like me, you haven't got a degree in aerodynamics and engineering. In fact, I don't even have a Primary school understanding of these things. Then there's Women's Hour -I found out about Harry Potter on that programme, when they interviewed JK Rowling in the very early days. I've gone through phases of the Archers, too but I'm off them at the moment. Then if I'm feeling bloodthirsty, I can listen to Mr H take people apart on the Today programme, although in the mornings I will most often opt for the television, and the bee-keeping sex god that is Bill Turnbull on BBC Breakfast.

Any Questions is sometimes even better than Question Time and Jonathan is definitely less annoying than his brother.

I think it would have to be Just a Minute that takes it, though - it's so funny and a real test of humour and mental agility. It has never failed to make me laugh out loud. I'm listening to last week's on the iPlayer as I type this - it's one with Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo and Paul Merton which I actually remember from listenign to at the time and it's still hilarious. If you want to listen to it on iPlayer do so before the end of today.

4, What is your favourite sweet and why?

Does anyone remember the Bubbly? I wasn't allowed bubble gum, but my lovely Granny bought it for me anyway. We used to call into Freddie's on the corner of Innes Street in Inverness on the way home from town and she'd buy me one which I'd savour and make last as long as I could.

5, Why did you join the Lib Dems?

Watching Roots when I was 8 or 9 filled me with a huge sense of anger that human beings could so brutally enslave other human beings so my passion for equality started there. I might have been taken in by Mrs Thatcher in 1979, but it didn't take me long to realise that the Tories were (and still are, don't be fooled) only bothered about protecting the interests of the rich. I abhorred the Labour collectivist approach. This party is an ideal home for someone with a social conscience who respects that people are individuals and celebrates difference and diversity.

I'd like to be able to say that all that was my motivation for getting involved in the SDP in 1983 when I was 15. I'd been impressed with the fact that the Alliance wasn't either Labour or the Tories and went in to their Wick office to ask for a copy of their manifesto. I left with a bundle of leaflets and the rest is history.

[etoile]

Red wine doesn't like me either, which is fine since most of it tastes either like something that should be thrown on chips or like engine degreaser. As for the voddy, try Grey Goose but (as with all good vodka) make sure it's been in the freezer first. That stuff is made of win.

Also, Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable, you can see him on his bicycle. He goes shopping for his vegetables, arrrrrrgh!

[miss_s_b]

1, What is your favourite memory of HGS?
2, Roxy or Byron?
3, What is your favourite BPAL?
4, If you could go back in time to any period, when would it be?
5, Jack Daniels or sex?

[etoile]

1, What is your favourite memory of HGS?
Driving past it and knowing that I never have to go back. I know that probably sounds a tad harsh but spending the best part of seven years being told you're lazy and useless by a number of different staff really didn't do much for me. I was good at everything else, clearly the reason I kept coming bottom in maths exams was due to me not trying hard enough and not at all down to the dyscalculia that uni picked up after *one* class. I mean, it was bad enough being picked on by the poor little rich kids every day, I never expected the teachers to join in. Did I end up a slacker though? Probably. When you're told that it's not good enough even after you have tried your hardest, you just give up trying.

Of course there are a few notable exceptions to that, your dad never ever made me feel like a prat and was generally lovely but you already know that. Mr Jones used to be driven to despair by me muddling equations up but he never gave up on me. I always got on with Mr Rushton too, even if he did dogear the corner of one of the Radiohead albums he borrowed.

Heh, thought after so many years I wouldn't be bothered by this stuff anymore but the eye leakage says otherwise.

2, Roxy or Byron?
They're both lovely but I got the sense that Byron is very much your doggy and I was but a poor substitute you. I imagine that over time, I'd like them both equally and maybe even find having a Roxy shaped shadow a bit annoying but that weekend I needed a snuggle.

3, What is your favourite BPAL?
Embalming Fluid.

4, If you could go back in time to any period, when would it be?
Hmm... Edwardian probably but only if I was loaded.

5, Jack Daniels or sex?
When I was with Mike, if the question was "Toilet cleaner or sex?" I'd have asked whether I got to pick between pot pourri or pine but quite happily downed a bottle of both. Now, I would rather go teetotal... will probably need a holiday to recover when I get back from Clogland >.>

[miss_s_b]

I've still got a couple of Mr Rushton's albums, I think...

[jamie77]

I guess if money was no object (and the law of physics too for that matter) a few jaunts back in time would be nice; though I have no actual ideas as to actual destinations. I guess Kent sometime in 1970s/1980s/pre-1992 might be in order so I could say 'Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable' but I am sure there are more important things one could do.

Space would be pretty cool but since flying has been know to turn me into a state somewhat resembling jelly (the William Shatner type in The Twilight Zone (or John Lithgow if you are a Twilight Zone movie type))so money might not be the only issue there. Astronaut was probably something I would have said 'I wanted to be when I grow up' in the days when I was wee lad unaware that Her Majesty did not have a space programm and before that fateful day at school that I failed my first eye test.

[miss_s_b]

1, Why are you a Tory when you're poor?
2, Why is Six your favourite Doctor?
3, If you could (comfortably) travel into Space, which planet or star system would you visit first?
4, Who is your favourite minor Doctor Who character - i.e. not a major villain or a companion - from books or audio or TV, whatever?
5, Cravat, tie, or bow tie?

[muffin-nuffin.livejournal.com]

Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable...

(already done this quiz, so I'll repost the answers here, mmkay?)

[miss_s_b]

But I am going to ask you DIFFERENT Questions!

[muffin-nuffin.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Fire away then...

[miss_s_b]

1, Why muffin nuffin?
2, What is your favourite Top Gear Challenge?
3, Where do you hope to work when you finish uni?
4, James, Jeremy, Hamester or Stig?
5, When will you learn not to tempt me in a meme? ;)

As I quite often sing this anyway...

[(Anonymous)]

Peter Cushing live in Whitstable,
I have seen him on his bicycle,
I have seen him buying vegetables,
Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable,

Peter Cushing live in Whitstable,
I have seen him on his bicycle,
I have seen him buying vegetables,
Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable,

Peter Cushing live in Whitstable,
I have seen him on his bicycle,
I have seen him buying vegetables,
Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable,

Peter Cushing live in Whitstable,
I have seen him on his bicycle,
I have seen him buying vegetables,
Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable,

Peter Cushing live in Whitstable,
I have seen him on his bicycle,
I have seen him buying vegetables,
Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable,

Peter Cushing live in Whitstable,
I have seen him on his bicycle,
I have seen him buying vegetables,
Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable,

resumo infinitio
Andrew@onehourahead

Re: As I quite often sing this anyway...

[miss_s_b]

1, Why are you one hour ahead?
2, Star Trek or Star Wars?
3, Did you always want to be a brain doctor?
4, What is your favourite drink?
5, Why haven't you changed the link on your blog roll over to the new blog yet? :P

Re: As I quite often sing this anyway...

[(Anonymous)]

1, Why are you one hour ahead?

Because I started blogging when I lived in Switzerland, and therefore was one hour ahead of UK time and it seemed like a cool name for a blog. Unfortunately I didn't really think far enough ahead as I now live on the east coast of the US, so am five hours behind. That didn't seem like such a good name though.

2, Star Trek or Star Wars?

Trek. I am not really much of a sci-fier (a lib dem that doesn't like Sci-Fi? Say it ain't so) but used to watch quite a lot of star trek when I was a kid. Both in its original 60's glory and TNG. In both it was more the characters than the stories that compelled me - Spock in the original and Piccard in TNG. But never really followed it on to Deep Space Nine and whatever else followed. Star Wars is good for what it is, but it is for kids.

3, Did you always want to be a brain doctor?

Nope, wanted to be a pilot, flying Harrier Jump Jets (I think the Falklands left an indelible mark on me) but that would have meant cutting my hair which didn't seem like a good idea when I was a teenager. Did Psychology A-level and found that I liked learning about all the weird things that can go wrong with the brain through pure biology (Favourites being Contralateral Neglect Syndrome where patients literally forget the left half of the world, in some cases only eating from the right side of the plate or drawing half a clock, and Capgras Syndrome, where the sufferer believes a friend or relative has been replaced with an identical imposter and that the original is dead). Then went and did Neuroscience undergrad and postgrad leading to my current job in Brain-Machine Interfaces, which are systems that take direct brain activity (firing of brain cells) and translate that into a mechanical action for use in prosthetic devices for those either with spinal cord injuries or amputated limbs. I now work on this project, though this work was done before I arrived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8oAz4WS4O0&feature=related

4, What is your favourite drink?
Yorkshire Tea, like Tea used to be. I almost cried when I found a shop here in Durham, NC that sold it. Not much of a drinker but you'll be pleased to know I always try to sample something interesting on tap rather than going for the normal choices.

5, Why haven't you changed the link on your blog roll over to the new blog yet? :P

I have. You must have missed it! :P

[andrewhickey.info]

Yeah, it's a shame that Aaron unwittingly made himself into 'the face of LibCon' at precisely the wrong time. I think he was trying to defend the indefensible there, but overall he's one of the better-intentioned LCers...

[miss_s_b]

Aaron is a good bloke, and yeah, I think he was just trying to do his job.