Now that Messrs Porky Pig et al have introduced us to a new way of dying horribly, the entire world’s press is screaming “pandemic!” People in shops, offices and bars are discussing the possibility of a pandemic, and the World Health Organization has moved the status of porcine influenza A (H1N1), swine fever, or good [...]

Having spent a lot of my youth exploring different music, I have always had a soft spot for the Cajuns. The music of the swamps of Louisiana, USA has always seemed evocative of good times, good food and copious quantities of Bourbon. Check out the music of Balfa Toujours, Jo-El Sonnier, Beausoleil or Canray Fontenot [...]

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You know the situation. You’re sitting around chatting with friends about the new closed-circuit TV cameras going up in the high street and it’s not long before one of them will say “It’s [...]

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Ah, the humble spud. The potato (solanum tuberosum) has a rich etymology and a confusing history. Quite a big deal for something which has become a staple food for much of the developed [...]