Conference Security Lockdown

Security at the conference this Autumn has crossed the line from reasonable to plain daft. On the way in this morning I had a small padlock confiscated. I carry it on my laptop bag so I can lock my bag when on the tube. The conference organisers had instructed security not to allow locks (even small ones like mine) in case I chained myself to anything.

I wouldn't mind, but I have already been screened by the Police and sent in a note from my mom, so you would have thought any delegates finally allowed in would be considered safe.

Following the confiscation a few of us were then held in the security tent due to another security lock down. The police won't say what the issue was, but I suspect it was something to do with the gentleman I was earlier with a shoelace undone.

Its always dangerous trying to kettle Liberals and after a few minutes we had formed a Liberation committee and had already got around to agreeing the agenda for the first meeting to decide the wording of a strongly worded letter, when the doors opened and they let us go about our business.

This amused me.

Watch "Hackgate: The Movie" on YouTube

Baked Sweet Potato with spring onion, cabbage and bacon

Just invented this great dish - very quick, delicious and healthy.

One Sweet Potato (or a normal one)
1 glove garlic thinly sliced
2 spring onions sliced
1 rasher of bacon, with the rind removed sliced into small squares - (or you can use Lardons, sliced meats, pancetta, bresola, anything really)
A few cabbage leaves finely shredded (chiffonade) you should end up with a large handful.
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
A spoonful of wholegrain mustard
A dollop of creme fraiche
A little Parmesan
Ground black pepper


Bake the potato - microwave or the traditional way in the oven. If you are using an oven wait till the potato is about 10 minutes to completion. If microwaving start the next bit straight away.

Meanwhile in a frying pan or wok, heat some olive oil and fry up the sliced garlic till just starting to turn golden, then add the spring onions.

Add the chopped bacon (or whatever you are using) and fry till the fat has started to render out

Add the Cumin seeds and fry till they start to pop. Add the cabbage and fry till the colour turns deeper and it starts to soften.

The baked potato should now be ready. Put it on a plate and open it out, mash the inside a little.

Turn off the heat on the pan or wok. Add the mustard and the creme fraiche and give it a good stir - but not too much, you don't want the creme fraiche to melt and go watery.

Pour into the potato, grate on a little parmesan and a black pepper.

‘God Particle’ Supercollider Experiment may open doors to other dimensions

‘God Particle’ Supercollider Experiment may open doors to other dimensions Top CERN Boffin admits.

IT news site - The Register reported this afternoon that Scientists believe there is a serious chance that dimension portal events will soon be generated by the Large Hadron Collider.

CERN’s Dr Bertolucci previously briefed the Register on the Theory of Supersymmetry, which suggests that space-time actually has up to ten dimension. Bertolucci explained that the LHC might cause a "door" to "an extra dimension" to open up admitting "Out of this door might come something, or we might send something through it".

The Register did admit in a footnote that until the planned upgrade of the CERN LHC planned after its regular shutdown at Christmas 2012 such inter-dimensional doors were unlikely to be large enough to allow through any ‘Dark Deities’.

Warwick does not want Fraud Lord

You would have thought that Lord Taylor of Warwick, as a barrister could have come up with a better defence than, "it had been a common practice among peers to claim for fake journeys and enter expenses claims with a false address as a main residence."

Lord Taylor in spite of facing a possible prison sentence will get to keep his title. Perhaps to protect the good name of our town we should petition the Lords to change his title to something more appropriate, Lord Taylor of Pentonville perhaps.

This all goes to show how much the system desperately needs an overhaul. We can now sack our MPs which is a huge leap forwards. We are going to have a referendum on our electoral system this year, so lets finish the job and create a properly accountable elected second chamber.