Ah, the mystical wonder of the A-list. For years, it was the Golden Calf at the End Of The Rainbow and the Prize That Was Beyond Reach in the Land of Nirvana. And stuff. The A-list was where the Beautiful People resided – the people with perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect code and perfect blog entries. Of course, the downside was that in reality they were mostly lonely, anti-social geeks who needed to get out more. Life is cruel like that.
But now, finally, the truth can be told …
An Incomplete A to Z of Blogging
- Comments: 5
- I'm surprised he has a name at all. I thought Vaughan Simons was a fictional character cre... - Doctor Badgett
- You wouldn't find him. That's not his name. Not his real name, anyway. - Pete
- I wouldn't dream of searching for "Vaughan Simons" on Google to see what the fir... - Graybo
- Good for you. My mother's even more backward, in that she thinks the internet is called 't... - Vaughan
- My mother still thinks my website is called Google. - Karen
The best of Uborka
We’ve added a few of our recent favourites to the highlights of Uborka page. If you’ve never been there, pay a visit. Entries go back as far as 11/09/03 there.
- Comments: 2
- Nope. Those links include everything since we moved to this domain in September. Remember,... - Pete
- Would they go back further if the archives didn't mysteriously disappear by solar flares o... - Adrian
The Grape Pretender

Well, of course they are quite small. But one day, they will be big.
- Comments: 6
- Do they have Grape Expectations? - PerfectlyVocal
- I would assume those are more semi-sweet. - Adrian
- I wrote a song about my garden. Perhaps I should post it here sometime. Hell, perhaps I sh... - Pete
- Nice grapes, that man. I'm sure there's an innuendo in that post somewhere, but I'm damned... - Vaughan
- No. I'll just make sweet love to them. And if my weight is too much for them and it crushe... - Pete
Karen’s Inkomplete Kookery Klass
Last week there was a Farmers’ Market in the town where I work. I enjoy these, because I’d rather believe that I’m buying seasonal, local vegetables than the bland and uniform supermarket variety that probably comes from the same place. I also like the little crackers spread with samples of strange-tasting cheese and relish; and I always buy lots of stuff from the Lesbian Olive Lady, because she gives good value for money, and her marinaded chillies give Pete hiccups, which is most entertaining.
There were gluten-free sausages, mounds of plum tomatoes, WI chutney; I filled several very unecological carrier bags with goodies. And I accidentally bought a camembert.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. I like strong cheese, and they were oozy and soft, and looked delicious. Of course, looking delicious is not the point where cheese is concerned; I should have considered such matters as smell and taste, and therein lies the rub.
It does smell and taste delicious, in its own unique, overpowering stench kind of way. We attacked it with great determination and sharp knives over the weekend, and have managed to eat a quarter of it. What on earth am I going to do with the rest? Does anyone know any good recipes for camembert? It has to go, before everything else in the fridge starts to reek of odorous french cheese.
- Comments: 6
- A friend of mine suggested putting camembert in an ovenproof dish, add some olive cloves, ... - Clair
- I listened to 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue' at the weekend too. The things you learn (about... - Vaughan
- What Graybo said. Er, about the camembert, that is. I wouldn't know nowt about The Other M... - mike
- Camembert - deep fry it and serve with cranberry jelly. Hiccups - apparently, if one stimu... - Graybo
- I can't handle buying things in markets. I get nervous. People yell a lot. Supermarkets fo... - Adrian
Graybo’s Incomplete Lexicon of Luuuurrvve
P is for Passion
After "A" comes "P", as every bright and well-educated child will tell you. And they will also tell you that, in Graybo’s Lexicon of Luuuurrvve (a book that should be in every school’s library), P is for Passion.
Passion is one of those things that can be both good or bad. In the right context, it can mean intense emotional feelings of love, lust and desire. In the wrong context, it can mean nailing some bloke to a tree.
It is important that you ensure that you are in the right context. Whilst there may be instances when it might be desirable to nail a bloke to a tree, the feelings that might drive such an action would not generally be considered to be positive in the context of luuuurrvve.
For a positive outcome, it is generally preferable for passion to be reciprocated by each member of a luuuurrvving partnership. If you are new to such a partnership (for example, having just met someone in a dodgy bar, or recruited someone to your team at work on the basis that they’re good looking) then you need to ensure that there are feelings of passion being returned to you. If there are not, then your own passionate ardour may result in at least a slap, or, at worst, unrequited luuuurrvve (q.v.).
So, how does one go about testing for feelings of passion in someone that you have only just met? Well, naturally, we at the Graybo Institute for Researching Luuuurrvve (G.I.R.L. – such an unfortunate acronym) recommend the patented G.I.R.L. Passion Meter available by mail order, only £29.99 each plus p&p.

Where you insert the probe is entirely up to you and will depend on the level of familiarity that you have with the subject. The Institute will not be held responsible for any consequences that may arise from the use of the meter. Terms and conditions apply.
- Comments: 4
- Sorry m, but at least you can now truly say that you are wise after the event. - Graybo
- I could have done with the passion meter to probe a certain someone the other week. Your t... - emma
- I would suggest aural implantation, as you may also take the opportunity to ascertain the ... - Doctor Badgett
- Unrelatedly, the phase of the project I am working on currently is called the "A&P" phase.... - Adrian
Racist Manifesto
I fancy myself in the upcoming local elections, as candidate for the Racist party.
- Comments: 2
- Boo! Get off! - Karen
- I'd vote for you. - Adrian
An Incomplete A to Z of Blogging
A is for Aardvark
Let’s start at the very beginning, because it’s a very good place to start.
Aardvarks are ugly little animals, in all honesty. Only an aardvark’s mother could really love an aardvark. However, despite their distinctive and off-putting features, they have served one important purpose in modern society, and that’s as a useful name for companies that want to appear at the front of telephone directories. So it is that you will often see Aardvark Minicabs, Aardvark Industrial Waste Operatives and Aardvark Dry Cleaners – although some less imaginative companies simply go for A1, AAA or AA. (The latter, in particular, causes all sorts of unfortunate mix-ups between getting your car fixed on the hard shoulder of the motorway and getting support to conquer your addiction to pouring Bombay Saphhire on your cornflakes instead of milk).
“But,” I hear you ask, in exasperation, “how is the humble aardvark connected to the world of blogging?”
- Comments: 7
- Aardvarks are yummy. Apparently. ... - mike
- Ya know I'm really getting pissed off with people using my name for their own nefarious pu... - Aardvark
- D for denial. Since I don't have an Aadvark, aardvarckless.co.uk would be an entirely legi... - Doctor Aardvarckless
- Computers, bless them, consider the first 10 letters of their bizarro computer alphabet to... - PB Curtis
- A Uborkan vulcanologist? Isn't that something from Star Trek? - Hg
Relationship breakdown
So, it seems my partner has a week-long headache and doesn’t want to join in with my Week of Luuuurrvve. Well, I’ll do what any sensible adult would do in any long term and serious relationship when faced with a situation like this:
- Comments: 2
- Boo! Get off! - Graybo
- Hey, but the lengths to which Pep - Pete
