A discovery by Algernon
I thought this a nice complement to Nev Cole’s excellent series on the US primaries. Its about 20 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGc2nN9OguQ
09 Wednesday Mar 2016
Posted in Algernon, Politics in the Pig's Arms
A discovery by Algernon
I thought this a nice complement to Nev Cole’s excellent series on the US primaries. Its about 20 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGc2nN9OguQ
09 Wednesday Mar 2016
Posted in Mark
“Get the fuck up and get over here” roars the Bish down the end of the phone. “The Inner Cyberian Pleece are coming over to make sure that all of us here at the Church of St Generic Brand aren’t tax evaders”emphatically states the Bish.
“Excuse me Bish but we are now in a Father O’Way story and swearing is not allowed anyway you said Fax Evasion, see that’s easy, just don’t have one” I reply while scratching my nuts then farting, as you do. Hmm, that fingernail needs attention. Now we have done the on wee gag enough for sure however it just seems to fit here beauteously.
“Oops, sorry Sandy, thought we were still in Foodge but you are a pudenda sometimes” laments the Bish “Just seems like everyone is fucking everyone these days and I said tax not fax you ninny”
“Bish, no swearing in my stories please. In Foodge your Emmjay and you can swear all you like there but here you are Bishop Billy Bishop we all call the Bish” I inform but shush, knowing secretly, I mean, keep this to yourself right, don’t tell a soul, on your honour, it’s because he is the BISH(Big Important Sh#t Head).”
“Well, between you and me, just our little secret right” confines the Bish “Rouge can at times look rather attractive and I must admit, even though I’m a Gordonian, and yes I know Gordonians can have girlfriends etc but if she ever dropped the soap as they say then I would try and you know” flippants the Bish.
“But what about Mrs Bish?” I ask in a non forensic way if you know what I mean.
“Am I married in this series?” asks the Bish.
“Actually, now you say that I don’t think Hung married you off in this series although you and a blow up dolly were caught in a compromising situation that you assured us was an accident” I needle without temptation, wasn’t that belted into us somewhere.
“Hey, I know” says the Bish “ why don’t I shoot her with a 12 gauge shot gun?”
“Nah, a bit messy plus everyone doing that theses days, pretty ordinary in my view” I express.
“I know” sparks off the Bish “ Lets ask the author whatever his name is”.
!!Warning: The Church of St Generic Brand wishes to advise that any material written in-between [ ] square brackets are talks between the characters and the author. No responsibility is taken for this bit or something, you know what I mean!!
[Well, it’s Mark here Bish. Seeing that anyone reading this will basically need lots of help, why don’t we have one of those interviewer style thingys. This means I don’t have to say he said then he replied etc., etc., get the picture?
Bish: Sure Mark but am I married in the Father O’Way series?
Mark: NFI mate CRAFT disease, who are you again?
Sandy: Mark, please, no swearing, not in FOW please and by the way, what’s his 45 thing you bring up all the time?
Mark: Well if you say are really old like say 58 when they is born, just sayin like, then you will be 103 when they turn 45, kiddies, that simple.
Sandy: Oh
Bish: But am I married Mark, Rouge is hot?
Mark: Look, it’s like this. If I go back through the archives I’ll cut Mrs Bish out if she exists or technically she may or may not exist in non existence. This is complex fiction Bish, I know of all people hat you will understand it but then again I’m a lair with limited IQ, wat wood eye no.
Bish:Cheers thanks mate.
Sandy: Now Mark I want you to stop all this excessive swearing and sexual references. Surely you don’t want anyone to be interested in your stories do you?
Mark: Yes Sandy, No Sandy, Whatever Sandy can I go now please?
Sandy: Suppose. But look Mark you truly are a DICKHEAD
Mark: Hey Pal, what about the swearing, you just called me a dickhead, hmm.
Sandy: Yes, Decent Intuitive Compassionate Kind-hearted, Helpful, Earnest ,Adaptable, Dependable , um, see ya.]
!The Church of St Generic Brand wishes advise that the story has now returned to normal, well sort of!
Bloody hell, forgot the story now, look I’ll tell this Mark guy anything to keep the story going, okay, thinks Sandy as he looks to the left to see the next paragraph.
So Gordon and the Bish meet with the tax office officials and then they interviewed me, appeared to be painful process for them, can’t understand why, can you?
Then after the considerable consumption of 2000 year old brandy that Gordon picked up on one of his previous visits, from a place now called France, the tax folk left happy and rather meritorious.
We all stood any waved then goodbye, blew kisses and yelled silly statements like “We must do this again some time…”, how simply ludicrous as only as these stories can be. Fancy wanting to meet regularly with the tax office? Hmm, how very French brandy of us, no thanks.
The Bish heads back to he comfort of the Rectory. Probably for a few smokes, help settle his nerves.
So it’s just me and Gordon. Not very often one gets to stand and talk with the creator of the universe. So my neural pathways are becoming a bit disorganised and I ask “What did you say to the tax office Gordon? They seem pretty sweet”
“Well” says Gordon “you won’t like it but I told them to fuck off and never come back. Once they verified that I own all the money on this planet they were happy as. The brandy was a bonus and by being succinct here I’m keeping the word count down, eco-friendly like.”
07 Monday Mar 2016
Posted in Bands at the Pig's Arms, Mark
Brian Eno did a lot of work with Fripp. I find Fripp maybe a bit to Bach for me however I do just love some of his material for example, google the Californian Guitar Trio, brilliant.06 Sunday Mar 2016
Posted in Foodge Private Dick, Mark, The Mens
Episode 60 – Story by Mark aka Hung One On
“Bloody hell” says Merv in his usual laconic style, not that Merv understood what laconic actually meant, see he was born laconic, at the Inner Cyberian Hospital, any one born there has to be laconic other wise they are up shit creek without out an outboard, know what I mean. “Hung has done it frigging again, he’s written another fucking episode of Foodge using us, even has an episode number, what is this world coming to.”
“This is true Pigs Arms style we’re none the wiser. This is excellent” says Earnest Moncrieff, the deadly sparrow killer from one of the many other meaningless episodes of Foodge. “Another kayak Merv, and no fly shit this time mate, it upsets me acid” continues Earnest.
“I thought that this episode was really funny, till I read it, then I realised it had a deeper esoteric meaning, I mean line 69 tells you that in one go” says Hung who as usual was propping up the bar trying to remember if the magic mushrooms he had consumed for breakfast were blue meanies or gold tops. Memory wasn’t one of Hung’s assets, lets just say he would be classified as disabled under DSM-V if any one knew what it actually means.
“Please, sir, what’s a kayak of beer?” queries Yvonne, a quiet single lady who regularly sits at the bar sipping her Pink Drinks. Yes, the beautiful, picturesque Yvonne has now been dragged into the story, ever since Hedgie went to jail and all he wants to talk about now is all the anal sex he is getting in jail, Yvonne on the other hand is a much nicer character.
“Kayak refers to a schooner glass 15 ozs in the old money” bores Emmjay, typical scientist, still reckons 1+1=2, dear oh dear, lets face it, the rest of us know that 1+1 is somewhere between 1.9 and 2.1 but never tell Emmjay that otherwise we will all have to sit through another routine lecture on mathematics he had published in a science journal called the No Idea.
Emmjay continues in his typical monogamous style “In NSW (which didn’t have until recently half pints, but pints (20 ozs) were also used – albeit more rarely). Large glasses are for showing off – more moderate ones are for keeping the beer colder for longer” he lies.
“Why don’t you just shut the fuck up” says Merv, forever the diplomat. “Hung’s trying to write another drug story to make us all laugh and all you can do is talk facts. Haven’t you read line 69 yet?” questions Merv which is truly a rare occurrence.
By this time however, Emmjay was in full teacher mode. As if anyone actually cares. Lets face it, this story is pure fiction and facts are basically useless, similar to members of parliament.
“Deivad Eyland wrote a novel in the 1980s called The Non-Crystalline Amorphous Solid Kayak set in a pub called “The Shit Carters Arms” drones Emmjay. “That pub actually exists, unlike the Pigs Arms, on the corner of Anal Rd and the Rectum Highway near Glenda’s House of Pain. But the pub at the heart of the novel was actually “the Toothless” for a couple of factoids. One, if you survived the night at the pub you will probably come home without your teeth and two, it was a dwelling for plasma” says Emmjay.
“Will someone tell this bloke to shut the fuck up” says hph who had just arrived after a bad trip and a train journey on the overnight flyer which really fucked up his drumming, big time.
“In the Toothless Estate on G-Spot Rd” continues Emmjay, much to the disinterest of the Patrons ah la Pork, ”My dad used to drink there – until he moved in 1956 from Long Bay to Silverwater.”
“Has anyone told Emmjay to shut the fuck up?” says Vivienne DeOliveria, a gourmet chef who helped Granny invent her famous Vegemite and Anchovy sauce to serve with potato wedges. “Anyway, when do we get to the good bit?” asks Viv, as only Viv can.
“The novel, The Non-Crystalline Amorphous Solid Kayak, was and remains the inspiration for the Pig’s Arms. You can buy a copy in any decent second hand bookshop” continues Emmjay and lets face it, by the time this story is finished second hand book stores will be too busy selling SFA due to ennui from the general public but on wee go.
“You can get one for sure online, or offline or at a second hand book store if any still exist” says Gib W, who just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as all purse carrying nancy boys tend to do in this story.
“Gez, now I have to become illiterate?” replies the gorgeous Yvonne. Now we all know that Gez is Gerard Oosterman, genius and multi millionaire who is married to the delightful Helvi, but he doesn’t turn up till the next chapter disguised as a potato. Again on wee go.
“Nah, just semi-literate, like most of the patrons here at the Pigs Arms” interjects Gib W, wanting a bit more air time seeing that Emmjay has dominated the story so far.
“I take offence to that statement, I’m demi-illerate” says Hung as the mushrooms kick in. Hmm, wedges with Vegemite and anchovy sauce, my favorite, as he heads for the Men’s to practice his regurgitation skills.
“Sorry Sister, didn’t mean to offend the demis.” says Gib W reading the script on his laptop. Gib was more worried about offending GILBET(Gay, Intersex, Lesbian, Bisexual, Extraterrestrial and Transgender) folk especially seeing that Hedgie is now batting for the other team.
“Is that like a movie trailer Gib?” pipes in Earnie as he puts the bong along side his half full kayak then skulls the water from the bong instead of the Trotter’s. Fly shit again he he thinks. Pfft.
“Yes, Earnie” says Gib, “You thought a the trailer was big, wait until you see the demi-trailer” asserts Gib. “But has anyone told Emmjay to shut the fuck up lately?” Says Gib.
“So trailers carry containers and trains carry containers so they must be bigger than a trailer or say a finch. The debate could be about trains or for that matter rhododendrons. We’ve had the train one and anyway Hung hasn’t said anything in ages so at least he got the message to shut the fuck up” says Earnie.
“Oh well, that’s sorted.” mentally groans Viv, kind hearted to the bitter end of this story and waiting for line 69 like the rest of us.
“Has your goat had an orgasm lately?” says Kneeville Coal, who is apparently from North Armenia as he orders a kayak of Trotter’s Ale. North fucking where??
“In a fashion” says Emmjay, “such a typical Pig’s Arms explanation” explains Emmjay on line 69.
“Sorry for the delay, Gib” says Emmjay who appears to be struggling with the concept of shut the fuck up. “I’m still re-configuring MF’s dead, but flat, cat, but this looks like a setup. The Pleece are working better than ever now they and have got the challenge of sifting through 13,000 tabs to find the eleventeen I want to take” says an oblivious Emmjay, high on Trotters Ale and Acetic Acid, his favorite trip. “I hope you liked the sly pic. Don’t you just love a dead machine” says Emmjay adding yet another red herring to the story.
“Loved the pic” says Gib, “I imagine it would be easier to rebuild an Ariel Square Four, than resuscitating a dead but flat cat” continues Gib and seeing that no one on the planet will know what an Ariel Square Four is makes him an expert. Remember, an “ex” is something that was and a spurt is “drip under pressure”, so we can all assume that this statement is truly meaningless.
“Probably died of boredom or dare I say ennui. The squaffer was a classic bit of British engineering design genius which was a first for Britain. Lots of poo being impossible to air cool – bad in a cold, moderate, hot, wet, dry, windy, rainy, cloudy or sunny climate. Disastrous in Australia.” hyphens Emmjay.
“My biological father reckoned you could always fukka venal woman cheep after a night at the Toothless. A great kebab on the way home, lots of emesis overnight then panadol and sick leave the next day, doesn’t get any better than this don’t it.”
29 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in Mark, The Dining Room
This is a variation of a recipe that I got from a Greek cookbook. I love the way Greeks eat and in summer, it’s usually grilled meat with fresh salad, crusty bread and of course, yogurt sauce. All washed down by a good crisp Chardonnay which is a town in Greek somewhere.
Ingredients
Lamb – I’ve used both minced lamb from the supermarket and left over lamb from a roast. They both work. I don’t roast much lamb any more so I use minced. If you use roasted lamb, trim excessive fat and chop.
Cumin
garlic, onion, chilli(optional) all chopped
salt and pepper to taste
tin of chopped tomatoes
Spinach – frozen is okay, fresh is better, chopped, but no matter which one try and get most of the water out. I use a sieve and then push it down with a potato masher. When it is baking the rest of the water should evaporate.
Carrot, grated
Zucchini, grated
Tomato paste
Short crust pastry
Method
In a fry pan with oil added on medium heat, add the garlic salt and pepper and cumin.
Stir through for a couple of minutes once you see the oil start to bubble.
Add onion. Stir through and cook a few minutes, don’t let this mix burn. If it does throw it out and start again.
Add the lamb and brown, breaking the mince up to get the meat finer. If it has been roasted you may even want to mince it slightly.
Add tomato paste and tinned tomatoes.
Add spinach, carrot and zucchini. Cook then down for just a couple of minutes.
Mix well, leave heat on low with lid off.
Get this as dry as you can without burning.
Turn heat off. Keep the lid off till cool, then cover.
I usually make this in the morning for that night but remember I’m a nut job. But truly the mix needs to be cool before it goes on the pastry.
I don’t make my own pastry. I get mine from the supermarket. Cut it like this, four cuts at roughly 45 degrees, this can make one big pie or several small ones.
Fill the centre with the mix and fold over each edge leaving an opening at the top. Spray the pastry with oil and top the opening with feta. The picture one is similar but a is a full pie and is made with pastry strips across the top for effect.
I have used mashed potato instead of feta or grated cheese and there are a thousands of substitutions. Enjoy and many thanks to out Greek community.
28 Sunday Feb 2016
Posted in Foodge Private Dick, Mark

The World according to Foodge. Episode Number: Under “On Water Matters” Operational Secret. Written by Mark, well sort of.
Foodge examines his navel, curious as to where it came from, was he really an alien or was it really O’Hoo, he looks like he is from outer space. Anyway,this reads like a “don’t Do loop” nested in another “don’t do loop” a great tale of survival and utter confusion. So for Foodge it did bring back memories of the Willy Willy at Woy Woy. I’m sliding in here thinks Foodge, so wildly ridiculous but he loved good drugs and grog. Like paracetamol and passion pop summer wine, a real avocado.
The Wardsmen are spotty and greasy here, well not like growing up but my younger days and they are nomadic and are not very good at gardening. Who knows what that’s all about, certainly not the authors and in Ward 17 the nurses are purty sweet, with their beards and non shaved underarms, yeah, sweet as.
“Where the fuck are we?” asks O’Hoo in his usual coy manner.
“Dunno, looks like the Crazies ward, lets face mate, you’re in here and you’re crazy” says Foodge.
“Well Foodge old boy, you took the words right out of my mouth except mine were more along lines of who knows” says O’Hoo
“But I haven’t said anything, you know, it’s all that sound over work like on General Hospital. I think the words and the sound over man comes out the speakers, it’s called a script or something” informs Foodge.
Sure thing mate, just relax fella, thinks O’Hoo Now if one could believe a true lie here, O’Hoo’s good ideas are ecliptic or even epileptic, something like that.
“Anyhoo I’d say all the more delicious we’ve read of all the episodes and still don’t know but it’s a story with a bit of a flutter in it.” laments Foodge. As only Foodge can like the day he first met the gorgeous Paris Brown, long legs, blonde and yep you now.
“If I was you, I’d hesitate to join them.” says O’Hoo “ I think we are re-creating the 70s in fact they are forking awful but they still seem to be able to rake it in” as the story flows like defying gravity.
Foodge lets out a deep scythe but it is O’Hoo that always has such lovely sweet thoughts.
“How about a cuppla lemonades” laughed O’Hoo and for that matter Foodge, so much in fact they nearly shat themselves or some how euthanasied themselves, something like that.
“I was thinking they should bring back Hunter Old Ale.” reflected Foodge back to the good old days when beer was beer. That was all ya drunk he reminisces. Poor old Foodge seems to have forgotten that beer was the only drink you could get, hmm.
“There was Tooheys Old and Tooheys Hunter Old. I think they were the same thing though the Hunter Old was brewed in Newcastle. You could drink a skinful of the stuff and never wake up with a hangover. It was nectar when I was growing up.” says O’Hoo
“Bullshit mate, how can anyone not get a hangover after a skin full of beer, un bloody believable you are O’Hoo” cries Foodge.
“As someone who knows beer I can tell you a thing or two young fella, my middle names Beer and the first is More, More Beer everyone, cheers” says the stranger behind us only to reveal himself as Emmjay. Roars of laughter all round but then seriousness descends.
“What are we going to do next?” asks Emmjay.
“Fucked if I know” says O’Hoo “Yous?”
“Nah, me neither” reply Foodge and Emmjay in unison.
“Actually” remarks O’Hoo with rare insight into a world where he is all ones and zeroes “ not even fuck actually knows”.
26 Friday Feb 2016
Posted in Bands at the Pig's Arms, Mark
Tags

John Mayer
This is what Wiki had to say about this John Mayer album.
“Continuum is the third studio album by American musician John Mayer, released September 12, 2006 on Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during November 2005 to September 2006 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, California, Avatar Studios and Right Track/Sound on Sound in New York City, and Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.[4] Production was handled primarily by Mayer and Steve Jordan. It marked a change in Mayer’s musical style, and incorporated musical elements of blues and soul more heavily than in his previous work with pop-rock.[3][5][6]
The album debuted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 300,186 copies in its first week. It also reached the top-ten in several other countries and sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Upon its release, Continuum received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Mayer several accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 49th Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone magazine named it the eleventh best album of 2006.” Thanks Wiki, love ya stats.
I love this album mainly because Mayer sings from the heart, his guitar skills and song writing style are immaculate. Lovely melody and great lyrics. If nothing else at least listen to “Stop this Train” where Mayer confronts the aging process.
Track listing
1. “Waiting on the World to Change” John Mayer 3:21
2. “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” Mayer 4:52
3. “Belief” Mayer 4:02
4. “Gravity” Mayer 4:05
5. “The Heart of Life” Mayer 3:19
6. “Vultures” Mayer, Steve Jordan, Pino Palladino 4:11
7. “Stop This Train” Mayer 4:45
8. “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” Mayer 4:02
9. “Bold as Love” (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover) Jimi Hendrix 4:18
10. “Dreaming with a Broken Heart” Mayer 4:07
11. “In Repair” Mayer, Charlie Hunter 6:09
12. “I’m Gonna Find Another You” Mayer 2:43
(Source: Wiki, thank you)
My favorite is “Vultures” as it reminds me of Steely Dan. This live version has more punch, as most live gigs do however I prefer the version on the studio album . If you listen to the studio version you will hear the Dan influence better. I think it is more like the Dan’s later stuff when Walter Becker took over playing the lead guitar. This is a musical connection to me, my neural pathways I guess. You can hear a live version of Vultures here,
Mayer’s version of Hendrix’s, “Bold as Love” is a lovely cover but for me this doesn’t suit the album. “Waiting for the World” to change and “Gravity” were the main hits from this album.
The song names tell you whats in them, to me magic. “In Repair” touches me, mainly cause I’m insane but it’s about about a person listening to their heart and suffering frustration. Time heals all ills no doubt however he remains wounded but is getting there. A very difficult place to be.
I believe he recovered from vocal cord surgery to return to music.
The full album can be heard here. Great album, give it a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIfoUqSmo1Q
24 Wednesday Feb 2016
Posted in Mark
Tags
Okay, here’s the deal, read parts 1 to 3 first then come back here.
Okay, we all good, cat okay, lorry driver found yet, anyhoo, this trilogy has turned into fourthology so there goes the book deal. But look at it like this, if you stick it out to the end you can think to yourself “Today I have done a good deed.” In return for your deed you don’t have to go to church ever again, well not really just foolin’. Let’s face it there will be weddings, funerals and that thing where they poor water on ya noggin and I’m sure there are more but I can’t cope with more than I already know.
Okay, so the story goes, um, hang on just reading the last few paragraphs from episode 3, yeah, yeah know that bit, tell pokies, starts at ten, now I remember.
So ten comes and I head to my least favorite place, a church. As I turn the corner I see the church up ahead and it looks beautiful, restored and tastefully renovated, it was outstanding.
Billy was the gate and shouted “Come on Sandy lets meet Father Bent” and off we go. “So Billy what is it you want me to do today?” I ask sincerely, truly out of character. Pretentious I know, as we walk along the road to damnation, gee, so dramatic Sandy it’s just a friggin church I says to myself as I forgot to add the inverted commas.
“Dunno” says Billy in his usual non-chalant way. Now seeing that my spell checker doesn’t like non-chalant, oh, I see it wants me to put it as one word, fancy that, a spell checker running your life, strange story we are in, hmm. Maybe it isn’t a real word and what’s real anyway. Yet I digress. “Just tag along with me and see what I do today, it’s great you’ll love it” enthuses Billy.
“But Billy” I push bringing us to a halt, the anxiety was palpable like it was something that you could palp, anyhoo “ I don’t believe in God” I confess.
Billy goes pale in the face and dark clouds come over and blackens the sky. The wind starts to roar like a thousand lions, rain lashes our clothes and we are drenched to the bone. Billy rises in the air and revolves to turn and face me as if magic.
[Cut cut cut, Mike the editor here, you have just blown the special effects budget on that scene Mark. We had zero cents to start with now we have minus zero. Mark: Thanks mate, it matters so much to me ennui appears a more preferable option…]
[Billy here Mark, nice lead in, how’s my hair look? Mark: You’re cool dude…]
“Okay Sandy this is how we deal with God here in our church. There is nothing wrong with believing in God, that’s fine as long as it’s peaceful it’s cool. Me and you don’t believe in God, that’s cool too as long as we are peaceful, we don’t shove ours down them they don’t shove theirs down us. Okay, is that clear.” asserts Billy. Wow an assertive speech in a Father O’Way story, what is the world coming to or too but not two?
“Yeah but why be a church at all and for that matter why priests?” I ask sensibly which is incredibly rare.
“If I told you that I’d have to kill you” grins Billy “there’s lots more you need to know and anyway I can’t give away the whole story now can I” frowns Billy.
And yes we had a day to remember for sure. We guide each group to their own individual prayer room, well I was going to say chapel but for all the words that describe a room where people meet and say prayers, to their God, recite ancient texts to each other is a prayer room, okay, all good.
After the service, all the different groups gather under a large marquee where each group provides some food and drink on a giant table for everyone to eat. Not for the groups, it’s for the invited guests first, we serve them, assist them and when their needs are met we eat.
This weeks invitees are the residents of the St Porcine Nursing Home. Its just down the road and round the corner, so we bring them over in buses. Another bus will drive around the streets and ask any of the homeless to come over for a shower, meal and clean clothes. This is complex fiction here, hope you are hanging in there.
It just felt great, not like the taxing wing nut job. Now I’d wish I’d come over with Billy. “Sandy, come over and meet Father Veritas Bent, he prefers just to be called Veri. Now Veri is going to be promoted to Bishop and that means there is a vacancy for a ‘kind hearted boy‘ at the church.” informs Billy. “You would be great, you enjoyed yourself today I can read you like a book…
[Mark: Billy,working on a book but it’s a slow process. Billy: Cheers Mark, good for you]
“…and fancy having a job that is fun and that you can’t wait to start” continues Billy like all good proselytisers do.
But yes, I didn’t look forward to going to work and even though Madame La SpaghettiBolognaise has a genuine heart I didn’t look forward to there either, well not quite, her garlic and mushroom linguine was stunning.
So I met Veri and that’s how the whole thing began. I’m now Father Sandy O’Way of the Church of St Generic Brand, Inner Cyberia.
24 Wednesday Feb 2016
Posted in Bands at the Pig's Arms, Mark
This what poor old wiki had to say “
The Rite of Strings is a collaborative album by virtuosi Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty, recorded after their world tour in 1995. The album was recorded at Studio 56, Hollywood.
The trio reunited for a performance at the French jazz festival called “Jazz in Marciac” in 2007.
Material from the album was performed on tour by Trio! in 2005, also featuring Clarke and Ponty, with Béla Fleck on banjo instead of Di Meola on guitar.” Thanks Wiki, how dull.
What they left out that this album is absolutely brilliant. This has become my breakfast album i.e. the first album of the morning.
Every track is brilliant and again this is from Wiki,
The full album can be heard here on Youtube,
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rite+of+strings
This is jazz/jazz fusion. My favorite is Renaissance but I even asked Gordon on this one as it was really hard to pick. To any guitar players, I love the guitar work in this song, how it blends beautifully with the violin.
Renaissance can be heard here,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRbahXoqFFI
23 Tuesday Feb 2016
Posted in Mark, The Dining Room

A man who was a chef in a previous life
Well for Gordon’s sake, here I am writing under Hung again, so many identities so little time. Anyhoo I’d like to provide a nice recipe. Oh yes nice, just to get even with my English teachers however the real Hung would say delicious and simple but never let a chance go by, like starting sentences with And and But, now one of my favorite get backs but hey I don’t hold grudges.
Ingredients
White fish fillets – now me I’d eat flathead tails. Whiting or Bream would be good but get what you like, prawns, squid can also be added or substituted.Fish filleted, skin and bone out. If small leave fillets whole.
Bunch of spinach or silver beet, can use frozen[don’t you love the irony, I do], need some of the water,as least a cup. Chopped or pulsed in a food processor.
Chicken or vegetable stock, at gel stage. From the supermarket is easiest
Jalapeno chilies, mild. Look it needs chili, banana peppers if you really can’t.
Anchovies, at least 2. This is for the salt, add as many as you need or replace them with salt.
Red Pepper that have been char grilled and skins removed,chopped.
Black pepper
Olives I like green ones,I don’t know how black ones will go in this recipe. Chopped.
Tomato paste
The Method
In a sauce pan non stick 23cm with lid, put the in spinach, allow to steam off, you what enough fluid for the fish. When reduced add all the other ingredients tomato paste last and mix thoroughly . Add fish and cover with sauce. Return heat to simmer and when simmering put the lid on and turn the heat off. Five to ten minutes is enough. I prefer 10 minutes.Serve with anything your heat desires, I had rice but do what ever you like really.