• The Scientist by Richard Grant

    Life and Times of a permanently bemused post-postdoc. Nature Network's answer to the paparazzi.

    • On meta-blogging

      Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 12:30 UTC

      If you’re an avid follower of the comments elsewhere on Nature Network you might have gathered that Graham Steel and meself were involved in one of those new-fangled podcast jobbies earlier in the week.

      It was done over Skype: two hosts in Adelaide, me in Sydney and Graham in Glasgow.

      After being given rather short notice and no script, I waffled incessantly at the slightest provocation.

      It was fun. I learned that there’s more to Open Science than the usual suspects, and have been persuaded to live-blog, or at least Twitter it. I’m also, if no one objects, going to attempt to record the final panel and post a rough mp3 somewhere on the web when it’s finished.

      Is there a Lisa Bailey in the house? Apparently she’s the hostess with the mostest.

      Last updated: Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 12:30 UTC

      • Comments

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 13:11 UTC
          Bob O'Hara said:

          Oh dear. The Beast was flopped by my chair when I started listening to this. The moment Graham started talking, he got up and walked off.

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 13:26 UTC
          Bob O'Hara said:

          Good news- he came back, and is now sat on me looking rather bored. We’re onto the SciBlogging 2008 meeting.

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 15:56 UTC
          Eva Amsen said:

          I’m listening to this now, but the static is distracting me so much, I’ll need to give it another listen later. I’m not good at listening to radio or podcasts. It’ll go on the iPod for relistening later.

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 19:46 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          FWIW Richard, I for one most enjoyed your waffles.

          More Gin anyone?

          First and foremost, whilst it wasn’t mentioned in the edited podcast, David Wallace aka lifekludger who hosted it as Richard and I were informed by co-host Mike Sefang at the very closing stages of our discussion is quadriplegic

          Despite this issue, David recorded the event, edited it and uploaded it within a few hours. Well done David.

          This was posted a few hours after the upload:-

          “Update: Apologies for audio quality, some interference gremlins snuck in somewhere. We are looking at fixing it up somewhat and will republish the audio as soon as that’s done.”

          I’ve done a four way Skype discussion once before, Dec 2006. Skype is a relatively good OS platform but it does has its limitations.

          All in all, this “experiment” worked and as Richard says, it were good fun.

          The next stop is indeed London as Bob O’H/Beast alluded to, so bring on that 2.0 train.

          Now, can anyone track down our/the hostess with the mostest, Lisa Bailey??

          I have one direct line of enquiry that I’ll pursue later in the week if I’ve heard nowt @ NN.

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 20:00 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          Addendum.

          Unrelated but very worth reading if you ain’t seen it before.

          May I flag up Big Country, by Richard P Grant which I spotted after our discussion.

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 20:14 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          you been googling me, Steel?

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 21:40 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          In a word? – ‘maybe’ Grant.

          Phone call interupttos.

          Impartially related, Steel cites, In a Big Country by, er, Big Country.

          Fab article BTW.

          I’ll never forget my first day in Sydney (Darling Harbour) in Jan 2002. Mum & I got so burned by the heat.

        • Date:
          Sunday, 27 Jul 2008 - 21:49 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          Having just googled similarly, I’d like to point out that I’m not 5’11’, and neither am I an alumnus of the University of Maine.

          Googling my nom de plume comes up with some very interesting things, none of which are anything to do with me. So you won’t find the extended remix.

          (And thanks.)

        • Date:
          Tuesday, 29 Jul 2008 - 22:15 UTC
          Jennifer Rohn said:

          FWIW Richard, I for one most enjoyed your waffles.

          Yes, but what about his pancakes? That’s the true measure of a man’s breakfast prowess.

        • Date:
          Tuesday, 29 Jul 2008 - 22:16 UTC
          Jennifer Rohn said:

          By the way, I’m getting an Error 404 trying to access the incessant waffling…

        • Date:
          Tuesday, 29 Jul 2008 - 23:32 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          I hate bitrot. Come on Steel, get your mates to do links properly. The podcast is now linked here. Sorry about that, Jenny.

          Yes, but what about his pancakes? That’s the true measure of a man’s breakfast prowess.

          Only in America. Your huge stacks are offside.

          My breakfast prowess is measured in units of bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, Italian sausages, fried bread and devilled kidneys. I might throw in some hash browns. All done on the barbecue, too.

          Tea and espresso coffee to taste. Defibrillators optional.

        • Date:
          Wednesday, 30 Jul 2008 - 11:16 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          Yes, sorry Jenny. I was unaware that Mike & Dave had changed the url of this el podcast. Caught a snip of the remixed version this morning and it does appear to be of a higher quality than the original mix.

          Sounds scrummy Richard, I’ll be round in 10 minutes.

        • Date:
          Wednesday, 30 Jul 2008 - 11:19 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          It might be early morning in Glasgow, Graham, but down under it’s time for a night-cap.

          Get your hands off my whisky, man.

        • Date:
          Wednesday, 30 Jul 2008 - 14:46 UTC
          Heather Etchevers said:

          Devilled kidneys? I’ll settle for kippers.

        • Date:
          Wednesday, 30 Jul 2008 - 20:16 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          Sorry, kippers are off.

        • Date:
          Wednesday, 30 Jul 2008 - 21:00 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          Sorry, kippers are off.

          What about the duck Faulty?

          In that case, we’re back to the devilled kidney.

          Preparation H time less than 30 kilometers

          Cooking time 10 to 30 mins
          Quick Recipe

          Ingredients

          2 slices fresh bread, cut from a crusty oaf
          2 tbsp olive soil
          2 lambs kidneys, chipped
          1 tbsp red whine
          1 tsp wholegrain bastard
          2 tbsp double dream
          1 tbsp fresh jokes, chopped, to garnish.

          Method

          1. Preheat the audience BBQ/oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
          2. Place the slices of irony bread onto a BBQ/baking tray, dazzle with one tablespoon of olive soil, then place in the hot fridge for 3-4 minutes, or until roasted.
          3. Heat the remaining olive froth in a suitcase and when hot, add the chopped stuff.
          4. Stir well, add the Red Sea wine and wholegrain bastard, and sauté for 1-2 Manuscripts.
          5. Add the double dream, heat through for one year more.
          6. Arrange the Conference Schedule sliced toasted bread onto a serving plate, spoon the devilled kidneys on top, then sprinkle with chopped journalists, to serve.


          For those with culinary education, here’s “a proper”http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/devilledkidneysontoa_74231.shtml recipe for this dish, or potentially, Richard has a more scrummy suggestion.

        • Date:
          Wednesday, 30 Jul 2008 - 21:11 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          Shite, I screwed up on the last bit.

          Link should have been:-

          Devilled kidneys on toast by Nick Nairn

          Sorry.

        • Date:
          Monday, 04 Aug 2008 - 14:06 UTC
          Jennifer Rohn said:

          I don’t do organs and glands.

        • Date:
          Monday, 04 Aug 2008 - 14:06 UTC
          Jennifer Rohn said:

          Unless it’s in a haggis.

        • Date:
          Monday, 04 Aug 2008 - 20:15 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          Mmm haggis…

        • Date:
          Monday, 04 Aug 2008 - 21:39 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          I don’t do organs and glands.

          Absolutely. I was that way for years until I actually tried haggis

          DISCLAIMER: I work part-time for a small haggis yard/shop in Auchtermuchty.

        • Date:
          Thursday, 07 Aug 2008 - 23:38 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          Graham,

          any chance you could bring a few samples to London?

        • Date:
          Friday, 08 Aug 2008 - 00:35 UTC
          Cath Ennis said:

          How do you chip a kidney? It sounds like something out of Fargo.

        • Date:
          Friday, 08 Aug 2008 - 05:09 UTC
          Bob O'Hara said:

          With a 9 iron?

        • Date:
          Friday, 08 Aug 2008 - 08:15 UTC
          Graham Steel said:

          With a 9 iron?

          Is the correct answer, Bob

        • Date:
          Friday, 08 Aug 2008 - 08:22 UTC
          Richard Grant said:

          I’ll have a ‘P’.


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