Normal Monday - Carrot and Coriander Soup

.
I am not about to venture into politics but this Obama campaign-poster is of interest from an Art point of view. In my talk at EPS I said that graffiti artists are not always mindless vandals.

Some of them are but some of them can draw extremely well and are brilliant colourists. One such is Shepard Fairey who drew this poster. It has great power of line and the black, blue and red are significant to Democrats and Americans alike.

Shepard Fairey has now graduated from graffiti artist to Graphic Designer and has under his belt a Led Zeppelin cover, the advertising artwork for the Johnny Cash 'Walk the Line' film and numerous others.

Please see below on the right for the last one. But I just couldn't cram it in where it should be. Y and I both loved the film. The lead actors were excellent, and the original Johnny Cash music was great ! (See blog-post March 2nd 2006)

Today has been an odd-job day and I won't bore you with a list. We had some left-over fresh coriander from our vegetarian curry of Saturday so I decided to make Carrot & Coriander Soup. I won't publish the recipe because you've all seen it more than once. For our main meal I did Sausage & Mash, carrots, brussels, and some button-mushrooms (also left over from the curry).

Talking about food, a few days ago Reg e-mailed me a link to the UK Food Bloggers Association where scores of blogs about food are listed as you will see if you open the link. It is a 2007 posting and some of the blogs are defunct. Some however, are most interesting and I'm having great fun going through them. Often around 3am. I'm not sleeping very well again but, as always, I make the best of it. Catch up on Radio via the BBC 'listen again' facility, or BBC iPlayer if I fancy abit of telly. Plus of course plenty tea/coffee and the odd biscuit. If I get bored I can always mess about with a few pictures in Photoshop or Picasa. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the night !

Anyway, to return to today -

Some photography was also squeezed in and the collage on the right charts my progress with the hyacinth bulb picture. My original notion was to have it bottom-lit but it isn't looking too good that way.

Constructive criticisms would be welcome. In fact 'destructive' ones would be OK too. If you feel it isn't worth pursuing please feel free to say so. I shan't become tearful.


My responses to your previous comments.

JBW ..... I think we've probably exhausted the 'competition' thread. Well, at least it has exhausted me and I would like to move on. In 'Citrine on Committees' one is always advised to propose a motion called 'next business'. Baron Citrine was the General Secretary of the TUC in 1926 at the time of the General Strike. Not that we are quite at that level yet !

Tilly (Hannah) ..... I feel sure that you now know just how much we loved our 'Full English' and my pal Roy isn't really serious when he invites himself ! He is just saying how lovely it all looked. And there's so much I never got round to mentioning. The Fresh-Fruit Salad was a cracker, and the freshly brewed 'real' coffee in the Cafetierre and so on.

The reason you finish up talking about food whenever you come on the Blog is perhaps because I talk about it so much and you are just reacting.

And I mentioned the Victorian Mini Sponge cake yesterday.

The Fantastic Five (Steve) ....... You are quite right to make sure that Lisa receives due praise. Not only for the idea, but masterminding it. At least she wasn't cowering in her 'pit' with a Proprietor-Sized hangover.

And the waiter/waitressing was superb. Joking apart mi' boy. they are a great credit too you both.

Jill ..... Like you I'm never quite sure whether the week ends or begins on Sunday. My Telegraph TV/Radio Times runs from Saturday to Friday, but I think the Banking week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. All very confusing - rather like Easter.

Whatever it is, the 'Full English' was an excellent start/end to the week. And I bet on board ship you didn't get such personalised service accompanied by hugs and kisses.

Yesterday we watched the third part of the series Christianity a History and it was Dr Roger Beckford - a black man testiculating so much he obscured the importance of his lecture. It was good, I think, but almost impossible to watch.

As you say, the photography in things is excellent these days isn't it? And when you add in the quality of modern TV receivers the telly can be a fulfilling 'art' evening.

Roy ..... Tilly will be happy to be either Tilly or Hannah I'm sure.

We are aiming for her to come over soon for a sleepover during which she is going to sort us out with Vista and Smilies and Bluetooth (don't ask) and various other bits we don't fully understand. Y and I will take copious notes which we can subsequently share them with you.

.......................................

Quotation time ..... I know I've used this quotation before .... but its so good....

"Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good"

Samuel Johnson

To use Miles's words from The Menu

"Sleep Well, Eat Well"

And here is a Smiley you might like


.