Food for Thought 004: an interesting approach from Quorn
Quorn describe their creamy garlic mushroom escalopes as "surprisingly tempting". The use of the word surprising is a little, er, surprising. It implies to me that most people imagine the escalopes will be pretty revolting and have to pinch themselves when a tempting garlicky, mushroomy kind of smell starts wafting from the oven.

The detail: Delicious Quorn escalopes topped with mushrooms in a creamy garlic & soft cheese sauce, coated in golden breadcumbs.

04.07.06 @ 11:12 AM PDT [link]

The next series of The Apprentice
Aliche of Folkestonia (blogs passim) wonders whether we should get Mohammed Al-Fayed to present the next series of the popular BBC reality TV show.

The advertising slogan would then become: Ready, Aim, Fayed.

Nice one, FBT.

Incidentally, I'd had a couple of glasses of red wine the other night and found Alan Sugar staring at me in a pub toilet. Well, not in person. His poster. And it said "Ready, Aim, Fire". I complained to my friends about the typo. Surely it should have been "fired"? But Phil was made to look a fool. Because what I'd seen was actually the BBC's clever twist for the urinal execution.


04.07.06 @ 09:19 AM PDT [link]

Quincy ME
One of all-time favourite American TV shows is Quincy. For those readers too young to have had the pleasure, the eponymous hero is a Medical Examiner (ME) or Coroner on the West Coast of the States who's always sticking his nose in where it's not wanted. The movie that followed the TV series was called Go fight City Hall to the death, which gives you a flavour of his crusading zeal.

In the US, the Coroner's Office apparently supplies its chief scientist with a police-type badge and wagon, complete with flashing lights. Quince, played by the always-entertaing Jack Klugman, tackled a different social issue every episode. Ones that particularly spring to mind are the right of women to practise midwifery in certain American states (where it was previously considered to be the kind of dangerous mumbo-jumbo of the village wise woman) and the control of firms that used dangerous dogs as security patrols.

On ITV3 this morning (around 8 o'clock), the Quincester was campaigning against hazardous loads being carried on commercial airliners. We certainly made our own entertainment back in the late 70s.
04.07.06 @ 04:25 AM PDT [link]

Undercover chuggers
I understand from reliable sources that charity muggers are now going plainclothes in London to trap unsuspecting punters. The ubiquitous chugging bibs are being discarded and clipboards are being loaded into rucksacks. Tricky customers, eh?
04.03.06 @ 03:27 PM PDT [link]

ABSOLUTE AGONY: ALICHE OPTS OUT AFTER EIGHT
Would-be marathon runner denies training crisis

Marathon hopeful Aliche Farebrother, 24, last night angrily rejected suggestions that her training regime was in turmoil following an early retreat from the Kingston "Race for Life". The Docklands-based advertising copywriter claimed she was advised by medics to pull out of the picturesque, yet punishing, 16-mile event held in South-West London. But race observers were bemused to find her sipping cappuccino while other entrants pushed themselves to the limit along the gruelling course.

"You would have thought she'd have gone straight from the race to her physio," commented one well-placed source, "but we saw her wandering around and asking officials whether she could have a free commemorative mug."

Farebrother, known to her fans as FBT, had already seen the withdrawal of her long-time running partner Caroline 'Cazzamondo' Winder, whose own fitness is in question following a bout of sciatica. The latest news will come as a shock to supporters of the pair, who had assumed that first and second place in this month's 26-miler were a foregone conclusion. Concerns had recently been raised, however, that Farebrother regularly lost valuable seconds munching jelly babies while running. She's also been accused of spending more time blogging than jogging. Her website at www.bloggersnipple.co.uk has attracted a cult following.


Mug's game: Farebrother asks charity bosses for free gift
04.02.06 @ 08:34 AM PDT [link]