A moment of slightly disturbing surrealism this morning:

Walking to the train station this morning, I saw the unmistakable form of a fox sprawled on the lawn in front of a block of flats. Its back was to me, and its luxuriant tail trailed languidly onto the pavement. It seemed fairly obvious it was dead.

As I drew closer, I realised that it wasn't one, but TWO dead foxes lying on the lawn. They were facing each other, as close as lovers, and unmarked except for a bit of blood around the mouth. People were walking by, looking at them, and exchanging puzzled glances.

I'm worried. They don't look as though they were hit by a vehicle and dragged off the road. Could they have been poisoned? That wouldn't be great news for the pets in the neighbourhood.

Work function last night. Various senior types got completely wankered and then spent some time telling me how damn clever I am. Obviously, this is nice to hear, but I am now slightly afraid.

Why are you afraid, Adam? Did you think they trying to tell you that you're slightly TOO clever?

No, but experieince tells me that now that somebody has been randomly nice, something shitty has to occur.

An article in the October issue of Slammed, a Boston-based industry mag, on how food professionals should comport themselves properly on internet food forums...authored by one Jason Perlow.

[sorry, the article isn't available online]

I wonder if the dead foxes was a comment of some kind about fox-hunting. Hasn't it been outlawed recently?

It has been, but this morning's foxes are in a London 'burb that is always comfortably infested with urban foxes. Hunting, even if it was to continue, wouldn't be happening anywhere around these parts.

I'm thinking psycho, and I'm thinking of keeping my cat indoors. She'll hate me for it.

Ah, thanks, GG. I was just about to look there.

My favorite points:
Don't shill. (The author notes that some sites actually ban users who do, a practice he calls 'ridiculous and draconian.')
Don't engage in flame wars.
Report abuse to moderators. (It is assumed a site has a defamation policy, such as eGullet's 'comprehensive and strict' user agreement.)

Oh, and there's a sidebar about 'poster boy' Grant Achatz.

Just a thought: I wonder if it is worth excising the posts about food site influence and starting an appropriate topic. It's an interesting question, but although it has unquestionable aspects of surrealism to it, it's perhaps out of place here.

New topic here

Amazon wanting to sell me both a defibrillator and an ipod

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Completely surreal: attended by the Occupant and Laura Bush.

And Warren Beatty is 67! Who knew?

Arrival of Xmas trees at work: 10 lge ones (in the normal 7-8 foot sense) plus one monster the height of a house that goes up with a hiab in the courtyard outside my window.

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My local groceria has Renwood's Sierra Series – a Zin, a Barbero, a Syrah and a Viognier – on sale. Sign says “Save $3.00! Renwood Sierra Wines: $9.99, any flavor!”

Amazon is very smart at making tailored recommendations, but since I use it to order not only for myself, but also to buy gifts for others, my user profile must look very strange. Amazon currently thinks I am a big fan of both the theologian Alvin Plantinga and the Teletubbies.

A questionnaire comes from one of my almae matres, wishing to update its alumnae directory.

Among the checkboxes:

Which range most clearly represents the total net worth of your household?
__ $0 - $99,999
__ $100,000 - $499,999
__ $500,000 - $999,999
__ $1,000,000 - $4,999,999
__ $5,000,000 - $9,999,999
__ $10,000,000 - $24,999,999
__ $25,000,000 - $49,999,999
__ $50,000,000+

Santas Accused of Street Brawl

Church shock at Beckham 'Nativity'

After Church Shock, UK Media Tries To Locate Supporting Public Uproar

One of the more bizarre days of my life, involving selling a whole porchetta by the slice, a whole prosciutto on the bone by the slice, most of a whole gorgonzola by the piece, almost half a Parmesan (19kg) by the piece, nearly 3 whole Taleggi etc etc to people evidently starved for decent food. So tired I can barely communicate let alone eat or sleep. And the same for tomorrow and Sunday, but probably twice as busy

I got to take the prosciutto bone home

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Finally stopped into L.A. Burdick's in Walpole, NH. After shopping around Brattleboro, VT, and Keene, NH, in the cold pouring rain and fog, I pulled into this unremarkable white-clapboard New England town and ended up somewhere quite close to Paris. I'll try and write up a report over the weekend.

I've been to the one in Cambridge, MA. I bought some chocolate mouses and other delights and sampled the frozen hot chocolate and a pastry that I can only remember as heavenly. All that I tasted was great.

It's not just the product at the Walpole location. There's a bistro/bakery/café with the chocolate shop next door, all in an old New England building. Everything is softly-lit burnished-wood with with a distinctly French accent. And the help (125 of them!? between the café, the shop, and confectionery staff) all seem slightly pixielated, as I would if I spent so much time there.

And then there's the product.

From our "only in Santa Cruz" files....

There is a guy who probably went to way too many Grateful Dead shows once upon a time. He strolls the Pacific Garden Mall downtown with an umbrella lit up with Christmas lights. But what is surreal is his pace. He takes baby steps, probably one every two or three seconds, four-six inches at most. He smiles at everyone, and sometimes people with kids stop to talk to him.

It's the strangest thing watching the world whiz past him.

One of my technical contacts is a fellow in Germany; in order to get certain information entered into a database for my use, I have to submit a request to Guido (I would have thought that was Italian, but that's his name). Guido speaks and writes English well – well enough to get his point across – but is by no means fluent. I speak no German at all. After making several e-mail requests using my best, clearest English, I only managed to confuse the hell out of Guido. By carefully observing his use of English, I've developed a “new” form of English loosely based on Romantic language syntax. If I use this hybrid, I can make myself perfectly understood.

Can we have a sample post in the new language?

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Items from an actual menu of (one presumes) an actual restaurant:

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Gingerbread Griddle Cake, Butternut Squash, Molasses and Magenta Mustard Green Salad

Rabbit Leg Confit, Meyer Lemon Ricotta Goat Cheese and Black Chick Peas Wrapped in Savoy Cabbage with Cabernet Shallots and Mustard Froth

Those are just the apps. Mains:

Black Truffle N' Maine Lobster Mousse Stuffed Free Range Capon, Lentil Fricassee, Parmesan Pineapple Mornay and French Tarragon

Pumpkin Seed Oil Poached Wreck Bass, Rice Noodle Frittata, Chanterelle Mushroom Duxelles and Maple Caper Vinaigrette

and from the New Year's Menu:

Seared Maple Glazed Wreck Bass and Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Caramelized Onion Orzo Hoppin' John & a Preserved Meyer Lemon and Baby Collard Salad

My stomach hurts.

I think, as a public service, you need to reveal the restaurant.

I can't recall the last time I had a good pineapple parmesan mornay.

I find it hard to believe those ingredients were even available back then.

My boss just came past in barbour, cap, shotgun under his arm.

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