Prices! Please read this! (If nothing else!)

It had to happen eventually! I've now heard from all the hosting companies we use and without exception they are are all increasing their prices by 10 to 15% from 1st January 2011. To be fair to them this is the first serious increase in 6 or 7 years and also a 10-15% increase will only mean £10 - £15 per year for each website. It actually sounds much worse than it is.  However to try to combat even this we'll be sending out invoices for any renewals due for Dec, Jan and at least early Feb in an attempt to get them renewed at 2010 prices. So if you get an invoice in the next few days and it seems very early this is why. (If you don't like the idea - call and we'll cancel the invoice and re-invoice at the higher rate in the new year!)

Also and after 12 years we've decided to increase our labour rate from £45 - £50 from January the first (yes we have checked this is the first increase since 1998). Therefore if you've got anything that needs doing any work requests received between now and Xmas will be done at the existing rate. This doesn't effect regular and on going search engine work - that will remain the same as it currently is, as will fixed price search engine specific jobs.

That's it - bad news over!

Politics, world affairs and other stuff...

Yippee!!! Good News!!! So William and Kate are tying the knot - good for them, more to the point it's good news, a day off, a street party, a bit of pomp and circumstance (something we still excel at).  Yes it'll cost a few quid but probably less than our illustrious politicians have been ripping us off in their expenses for years, considerably less than keeping the troops in Afghanistan and a mere fraction of what was paid out to bankers to bail them out! (Surely by now we should be getting at least some of that back?)

I for one will be warming up the TV for a relaxing day watching the British people doing what they are really good at - queuing for hours, if not days for a brief glance of the happy couple - and it will be brief! There will be troops on foot and horseback, marching bands, cheering, flag waving and essentially people doing their damndest to have a good time! Why on TV - because the TV cameras seem to get all the best angles, of course I'd love to go and get involved and soak up the atmosphere but at the end of the day you miss so much!

I suppose this makes me a Royalist! OK I admit it, actually I'm proud of it! But more to the point give this young couple a head start! Switch off the whinging and whinnying for one day!

Wot's the recipe today Jim?
Brussels Sprouts
Love 'em or hate 'em, Brussels Sprouts, like Marmite, are a food that everyone has an opinion on and this time of year they are at their best! If only they weren't so good for you, we could probably ignore them and leave them as ornamental vegetables in the allotment. But they're packed with nutrients and, cooked properly, are surprisingly tasty. So, if you can bring yourself to do it, check out alternative Brussels Sprouts recipes - with an open mind!.

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar

Really simple, really tasty beats the hell outta boiled sprouts!

1½ lb. fresh Brussels sprouts
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil (I use extra virgin)
1 med. yellow onion, peeled & sliced
2 tbsp. butter

Trim off the stems and remove any limp leaves from the sprouts. Blanch the sprouts in boiling water to cover for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil and onion. Sauté until the onion just becomes tender. Add the blanched, drained Brussels sprouts. Sauté a few minutes until they are cooked to your liking. Add the vinegar and toss. Add butter, salt and pepper and toss again. Makes 6-8 servings.

More sprout recipes

Bah Humbug!

Christmas Kiss
William: What would it take to make you kiss me under the mistletoe?
Kate: An anaesthetic.

Christmas Presents
Of the presents received at Christmas, one in 10 will be broken by the New Year, only 40% will make it to March and just a quarter will be intact by next Xmas.

Snowman Jokes
What do you call a snowman in the summer?   A puddle.
What do you call a snowman in the tropics?    Lost.

How Was Your Christmas Meal?
We had grandma for Christmas dinner.
Really? We had turkey.

Reindeer Joke
What did the reindeer say before launching into his comedy routine?
This will sleigh you.

Christmas Pizza
Good King Wenceslas phoned Domino's for a pizza.
The salesgirl asked him:-
'Do you want your usual? Deep pan, crisp and even?'

Mike walks into a bar with a newt on his shoulder.
The barmaid looks at the creature and asks the man what he calls it.

'Tiny', answers Mike.
'Why's that?' enquires the barmaid.
'Because he's my newt' concludes Mike.
(My newt - minute get it?)

Anyone who believes men are the equal of women has never seen a man wrap a Christmas present!

I wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year,
A stocking full of presents
And a fridge full of beer.

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