Dis-gust-ing
A chicken chain, which consists of five whole London restaurants, has joined forces with Oreo, of all things, to make this disgusting chicken and Oreo meal deal.
The Oreo shake is fairly orthodox – though that one looks a touch Oreo heavy, if you ask me. The thing on the right is garlic fries topped with crushed Oreos, the hell.
The abomination in the middle is the Big Twist Burger: “fried chicken is layered between nacho cheese, smoky chipotle mayo and an exclusive mexican-inspired mole sauce made with OREO crumb in a burnt chocolate charcoal bun.”
The article – which I found in a Sussex news source – is obviously just the press release verbatim. They describe the meal as “sparked by a social movement which has seen fans celebrating and debating the different ways they enjoy eating the iconic black and white cookie.”
Which is bullshit. There is no such conversation. Oreos are not particularly popular here (Uncle B says, “why would you eat black food?”). I can’t find anything on social media.
Maybe it’s on the ‘gram. I don’t have an Instagram account.
There’s something weird going on here. It’s only on the menu for three days (the first three days in September). Each store is giving away 150 of these abominations free per day, first come first served. That’s 2,250 free meals.
At a guess, I’d say they’re trying to go viral for some reason. They’ve launched it two days ago with the hashtag #OREOtwist, which is getting zero engagement on Xwitter.
Five English fast food joints and American cookie giant Nabisco? Beats me.
August 17, 2023 — 7:37 pm
Comments: 10
What’s going on here?
We’ve been cheated of a summer this year. I had the central heat on every day in May and much of July. June had some nice patches and August is mixed, but certainly not hot.
So when it’s sunny and fine, I’m out there in my deckchair staring at the sky (alternating with my phone) as much as poss.
About an hour ago, I saw this. It’s a ribbon of (cloud? contrail?) with a twist in the middle. We do get a fair bit of small plane traffic out here, including the occasional acrobat, but I’ve never seen anything like sky writing.
If you’d like to see it larger and in color, including our wonky roofline, click this here thing.
The hell?
August 16, 2023 — 7:43 pm
Comments: 8
Lookit the purdy weasel
Such poise! Such grace! Such weasel crotch!
I always make a bee-line for the ferret tent. This one had open sides, so the pong wasn’t so cruel.
This girl wasn’t much bigger than a stoat and, in white, looked very erminey. I assumed it was a baby, but he said jills are just that small. I don’t remember them being that teeny compared to the males, but I guess the man should know his stuff.
I still want one, but I always remember the ferret owner I met who also kept chickens, but on opposite sides of the house. One day, a chicken came around the house at the wrong time and the pet ferret bit the man’s thumb to the bone to get at it.
Chickens and mustelids don’t mix.
August 15, 2023 — 6:42 pm
Comments: 3
Behold! I have chosen my hattery!
It’s the height of the summer fête season. Two on Saturday. I found these in a sale bin at a country show.
They’re reversible, it says – the other side is black. So I suppose you could turn them inside out for ordinary use. I think you can still make out the words around the brim, though.
Wearing these out probably constitutes a public order offence (Brit for disorderly conduct).
A poetic people.
August 14, 2023 — 7:16 pm
Comments: 12
YESSS!!!
I met my deadline!
The backstory is, one of our very senior researchers is increasingly old and frail and has been in the hospital for the last three months. Naturally, being the academic type, she used the time to write this book and the corresponding display. She has just returned to work a few hours a day and is there any way I could get it all laid out by the 11th?
I may be a weasel, but I’m not a monster.
I won’t say it was fun chasing a deadline, but it does feel good not to let an old skill fade away.
Nothing would do but a glass of my lucky whisky. Have a good weekend, everyone!
p.s. the big-ass lens flare is because it was out of focus and I was too lazy to get up and retake the photo. I have booze to drink, you know!
August 11, 2023 — 7:38 pm
Comments: 5
Hey! Blog’s back up!
Too late! Burger night…gotta go burger.
Noooo, not cooking a Big Mac. I posted this here picture because I have downloaded the McDonald’s phone app.
We only go to Mickey D’s about once a month – if that! – but it seems stupid to ignore discounts. Also, I can order food on the way and it will be ready when we get there, so they tell me.
I feel kinda dirty, though.
True story: in 1975, I had a Big Mac, fries and a Coke every single day for the whole year (not counting summer when I was down on the farm). And I was skinny. Okay, I had to walk a mile there and back, but still.
If memory serves, it was less than a buck.
August 10, 2023 — 8:04 pm
Comments: 9
Google Photos is weird
I have no idea how Google Photos chooses which photo to highlight when you open it, but this one is January 25, 2005 and my sweet old cat Charlotte in snowy Rhode Island.
It’s usually a dead pet. Thanks for the gut punch, Google.
Zo! I’m sitting here with a well-deserved G&T in front of me. With one or two little tweaks, I think I’m ready for printing and proofing tomorrow. Last minute fixes early Friday and done.
This is me, skittering around the corner on two wheels.
August 9, 2023 — 7:41 pm
Comments: 3
Phew!
Not only did I finish a first draft of the layout – which means I’m going to make my deadline, even if I skitter around the corner on two wheels – but the company bought me a copy of Microsoft Office for home.
I know what you’re thinking – Microsoft Anything is shit. And so it is. But I’ve been sitting in front of it for 40 years now(!) and I kinda know how things work, even if I have to kick them in the shins from time to time.
The open source substitutes like Libre Office and Open Office do a really good job mimicking the function of Office, but I’ve struggled for years with compatibility issues trying to take documents back and forth from home to work. Objects disappear or move or crash. They don’t play nice together.
They didn’t buy Office for this project, by the way – they bought it to get into an Access database. So I’m unsure whether to work on the book with this software – the version I have at work is 2007. Do I trust it to be backward compatible? The clock is running out…
p.s. Ooo! It’s fun to have an up-to-date version! I’ve been fiddling with the fonts in Outlook all afternoon.
p.p.s. Who you calling sad?
August 8, 2023 — 6:18 pm
Comments: 11
I swore I’d never do this again
When I did a lot of deadline-driven work, I had a terrible habit of taking on jobs that were simply impossible in the time given. Sometimes procrastination was involved, so it was my fault. Sometimes, I overpromised what I was capable of, so I guess that was my fault, too.
Okay, fine. It’s my fault.
I always succeeded, somehow. Mostly through sheer terror of the shame of failure. But I swore I’d never put myself through it again.
Anyway, I was all, like, “sure I can lay out a book in four days. And take the photos? Of course. The copy isn’t finalized yet? No problem, just dribble it to me. Announce it ahead of time in the local paper? Swell!”
So, while I run in circles yipping, please enjoy some trivia. This stamp, as you may know, is a Penny Black – the world’s first postage stamp. And because it was first, England is the only country in the world that doesn’t have to put the name of their country on a stamp.
If you find a stamp without country information, it’s English.
Now, excuse me. Expect me scarce and terrified.
August 7, 2023 — 7:00 pm
Comments: 4
Add title
Rather interesting article today on Going Postal about Tollund Man.
Actually, the article is about an old archaeology series on the BBC, available via iPlayer, which I haven’t watched myself yet. You might be able to watch it for your ownself if your VPN is set to the UK and you swear you’re British and have paid for a TV license.
They do ask. Yes we have :(
Anyway, among the revelations are horned helmets. I’m sure I’ve always read there were no horned helmets in antiquity.
Changing the subject, I’ve had a good look at Google Images headshots and I don’t think Possum Lady is Porno Lady. I think they both used a common theatrical alias and when Possum lady discovered this – lovable scamp that she is – she leaned into it.
Right. I brought some work home. If I don’t want to booger my Saturday, I better hop to it. Have a good weekend!
August 4, 2023 — 6:56 pm
Comments: 6