Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Sunday, 17 May 2009

Hipsters, General asshats
Circle I Limbo

Goths
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind

George Bush
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

The Pope
Circle IV Rolling Weights

Militant Vegans
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled

River Styx

Republicans
Circle VI Buried for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Creationists
Circle VII Burning Sands

PETA Members
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement

Scientologists
Circle IX Frozen in Ice

Design your own hell

Monday, 4 May 2009

Goodbye Blogger.

You can now find me here:

http://noapproval.wordpress.com/

Fare thee well.

Monday, 13 April 2009

Eric the Half A Bee

Half a bee came to say hello to us whilst we were at the pub yesterday.



Courtesy of Ben Farmer.

Saturday, 14 March 2009

A new tea every month

After passing by the tea aisle in Tesco recently, a thought struck me: I've never really given any tea other than standard black tea a chance. I'm not being adventurous enough, and I can't really call myself a proper tea drinker unless I actuall try something other than Yorkshire Tea (which is delicious, mind).

So I had a quick look at the teas on display and discovered a wealth of different flavours and types just waiting to be drunk. It was at that point that I noticed the price, and my friend mentioned that they were a lot cheaper at The Natural Store, just up the hill.

So, off we went.

I decided to buy two different types there and then: Clipper Chamomile, and Twinings Lapsang Souchong. I picked up a box of Chamomile tea bags and a box of loose Lapsang, paid the man and left.

Later that evening I decided to try the Chamomile. Now, the smell of the teabag, I have to admit, was a little off-putting at first - it smelled like a cross between a campsite at night and a hamster cage. Nevertheless, I persevered and realised that, actually, the smell was quite pleasant. Since I didn't have my little teapot to hand, I chucked a teabag in a mug and let rip with the kettle.

After letting it brew for a while, I took a sip and realised that I may not have let it brew for long enough - it tasted a lot weaker than standard tea, and was a much lighter colour. That being said, it was a very pleasant cup of tea. Very relaxing, and despite the smell, it didn't taste like a campsite at all.

Later on that night, I dug my teapot and tea strainer out of the cupboard and gave the Lapsang Souchong a go. When I opened the packet I immediately got a strong whiff of smoke and peat. Reading the back of the box confirmed this - "[t]he unique Lapsang Souchong flavour is produced by laying the tea leaves on bamboo trays, and allowing smoke from pinewood to permeate through them." Unusual (to me, probably not to a tea connoisseur), but hey. I'll go with it.

Two spoons of tea in the pot, boiling water in, leave it to brew.

The taste is not unlike standard tea, but obviously with a smokier flavour. The peat smell doesn't come through in the taste at all. In my humble opinion, although the box says this tea can be enjoyed with a dash of milk, it tastes a lot better without it. Probably true of most teas, I would imagine.

These two teas are only the first step in my new quest: to try a new tea every month. I have a short list drawn up...

  • Earl Grey
  • Lady Grey
  • Assam
  • Darjeeling
  • Chai
  • Oolong
  • Ceylon Black
  • Fennel and xxx (there seem to be many different variations on fennel tea)
  • Rooibos
There are obviously loads more than that to try, but this list should do me for now.

Time for more Lapsang I think!

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Finished!

So I finished my script. Once I got into it I quite enjoyed it. It's been a good introduction to scriptwriting and, although it's not the best script in the world, at least I know I can do it now. I have something to work with and edit and make good.

It's rubbish now, but I'll make it better. This is just version 1.0 really.

Monday, 3 November 2008

Work, Work, Play, Work.

So I have a dissertation to write. Or rather, two dissertations, one each semester. The first will be a sitcom pilot; How To Write Yourself Out Of A Paper Bag.

I'm sure you'll get it when it's inevitably snapped up by Channel 4 or BBC 2.