I tried not to like The Killers because they are so hot now and they are from Vegas–and face it, Vegas is where bad musicians go to fade into oblivion.
However, Hot Fuss is one, um, killer album. I highly recommend it.
Tiffinbites
July 28, 2005 by
The work days have been very long this week, since it’s the new opening of the facility. Students are now here, and we’re still behind schedule, so we’re working all day, trying to squeeze in little bits here and there, and arriving early/staying late in order to work when they are not around.
So no time to do much, including eat out. However, at Mooregate Station I discovered (thanks to a co-worker) fast food that is pretty damn cool: Tiffinbites. It’s a fast-food Indian place. So they have your standard Indian dishes, lamb rogan josh, briyani, various tandori, etc. in these little takeaway dishes (plastic tiffin, actually). You pick out what you want and they heat it up, make you some fresh naan, and you are good to go. Or you can pick from a selection of “snacks” like samosa, aloo, poppadums, etc. three for two pounds.
It’s a damn good deal for London and tasty to boot.
Speaking of London pricing… everything here is numerically equivalent… so a t-shirt at the Gap that would be 9.99 dollars in the states is still 9.99 pounds here. Which sucks. With an exchange rate hovering around 1.75, it makes London a pretty expensive city, even if it is really world class.
You know what I hate?
July 27, 2005 by
One Pence coins. You think pennies are good for nothing? Pence are truly, absolutly and completely worthless. I hate them. I’m no fan of Two Pence coins, either.
Brick Lane
July 25, 2005 by
Tonight it was time to sample some of that delicious Indian food that London has been tempting me with since I deplaned. So I hoped on the tube and made my way to Brick Lane.
If you haven’t been to Brick Lane, it’s several blocks of Indian eats. All types, including a lot of Bangladeshi places as well. Tonight, I opted for Bangladeshi. I chose this place called City Spice, I will admit, mostly because they had a good “tout” and they had good reviews from Time Out London in their window. I was not disappointed.
The place was pretty reasonably priced for the food, all in all, I spend £12 on dinner, and it was worth every pence.
I started off with some Aloo Chop, which is lamb and some vegetables wrapped in a nice spicy potato mixture and fried to a crisp. It was really fantastic! It was served with a sweet yogurt sauce that was the perfect compliment, really a great starter.
After that, I had chicken Ureebisi Gatta, which is chicken cooked with green chili coriander, onion, many other spices and the seeds of Runner Beans. It started off pretty mild, but had a real nice spice build to it, so by the time I was finishing, I had some nice sweat coming off my upper lip. Good stuff.
The waiter told me it was an authentic Bangladeshi dish, which I have no reason not to believe, although, the most popular Indian dish in London is this stuff called Chicken Tikka Masala, which is an entirely British creation. Still, I might try it. After all, when in London…
Whilst I’m Away…
July 25, 2005 by
I’ve been noticing the differences between Londoners and Chicagoans. The one that always sticks in my mind is “whilst”. I’ve never heard an American say, “whilst” anything. I have no idea why that interests me, but it does.
I’m still shaking out my schedule a little bit, it generally takes me a few days to get really localized, but I’m pretty good today. Since I’m here working, I didn’t really have much of a chance to ease into anything. Just woke up the first morning and go-go-go.
Fortunately, my hotel is nice, with great wireless access. I’ve been able to “call” my wife easily (thank you, Skype!!) and for free. I did call once on the actual phone, and you know, Skype sounds better! I really do love travel in the modern age.
Getting here was a real hassle though, because the tube line that would be direct is closed in the middle due to the bombings. I didn’t notice people being more spooked on the tube, but I must admit, it crossed my mind when I was riding. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m an American, blasted by the media into an irrational fear of terrorism, or if it is because the bombings here were just so recent. Either way, I did notice a very pronounced police presence around the tube stations which have never been there on any previous trips to London.
I’ve started a new Flickr gallery for this trip, although, I didn’t bring the “good” camera, since I wanted to travel light. And it is a working trip (for now) so I wouldn’t expect any brilliant images, at least whilst I’m working.
So, if anyone out there has any suggestions for places to eat or evening things to do, I’m all ears.
London
July 21, 2005 by
I leave for London on Saturday. I sincerely hope this is the most uneventful trip I’ve ever taken.
Q101
July 15, 2005 by
Normally, I’m pretty strictly NPR when it comes to radio during my commute. However, during a story I don’t care about (or a pledge drive) I would normally flip over to WXRT… but lately, I’ve found myself flipping between XRT and Q101.
I used to hate Q101–I can’t stand Mancow (he’s just not funny) and the music format used to blow. But something’s changed… they switched formats or something, because in the past week I’ve caught some really great stuff. In addition to the standard new “alternative” stuff, like the White Stripes and the Postal Service, in the last week I also heard old school stuff from the Violent Femmes, the Jim Carroll Band, and Ween. It was the first time I ever hear Ween on the radio. It was cool.
Friday Spies
July 15, 2005 by
This weeks Friday Spies : Living and Dying in 3/4 Time Edition from BTQ is pretty good, so here goes:
1. What time do you go to bed? What time do you wake up?
I usually go to bed between 1:30-2:00AM, and I get up at 6:30AM. I found out last year that I have pretty bad sleep apnea. Since I got my CPAP machine, I’ve slept so much better–it’s amazing. It pisses off my wife, who constantly says, “You’d be a lot more tired if you didn’t have your magic sleep machine.”
2. What do you want done to/with your body after you die?
Well, I’m pretty outspoken about it, but my vital organs (if they are usable) such as my kidney, liver, heart, etc. are to be donated. But I am not–100%, absolutely, in no uncertain terms–to be buried. I would rather not be embalmed, either. I want to be cremated. Fire that baby up and toast my dead ass to a crisp. The thought of my body decomposing just plain creeps me out. Cremated. Got it?
3. Describe your dream house.
First and foremost, it must have a front porch. And not a wimpy, tiny little thing but a real, prairie style, large and fit for entertaining porch. I’m partial to older homes. I’d love an older prairie style or restored Victorian. Wood floors and lots of wood work. And a basement, a finished basement where I could have a studio… I really miss having a nice studio space. Condo living in the city is cool, but the space restriction does cramp my style somewhat. A nice back-yard would be swell and trees are an absolute must.
4. Are you an excellent driver? Do you speed, or drive the speed
limit? Ever been ticketed?
I drive like ass, generally. Not intentionally; I just have a tendency to let my mind wander, zone out on the road, or rock out to music. Or I get wrapped up in a “driveway moment” on NPR–except I’m not in my driveway. And I have one major lead foot. I’ve gotten a ton of speeding tickets and once had so many points on my license that I had to go to mandatory defensive driving school.
5. What is your favorite animal, mineral, and vegetable?
Animal: Cats
Mineral: NaCl
Vegetable: Spinach
Bush and Rove, Sittin’ in a Tree…
July 13, 2005 by
President Bush is neither a friend of, nor loyal to the American People.
When Bush welcomed an investigation into the Plame leak back in 2004, he said, “If there’s a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of.”
Last week, Bush let us know, “I’m loyal to my friends.” (Defending Alberto Gonzales)
So clearly, unless Karl Rove is charged with a crime related to the leak, it doesn’t matter if he confirmed the story for reporters or if he actually told Novak everything. None of it matters because Bush places his loyalty to his friends above his loyalty to the American People.