Firstly, I owe you all an apology. I didn’t manage to post anything for #HHOTW last Friday. Blame my boring new health issues, along with a mini-heatwave for preventing me from posting anything. I let you down, I let the internet down, and more importantly, I let myself down. What’s worse is this week’s #HHOTW is not an all time great. It’s mediocrity at its mediocre best.
Hippy Health Update
Will keep this super brief. Saw a GP at my surgery this week, who sent me straight back to A&E, telling me my spine might be crumbling. Spoiler alert: It’s not crumbling, but it is in bad shape.
Had a much better experience at A&E this time. It wasn’t as busy, and I was seen relatively quickly. The doctor was fantastic, did the most thorough exam that I’ve had since this bullshit started, and tried to get me some tests done that same day, as she said my problems were urgent. Urgent, perhaps, but not urgent enough for the radiographers to squeeze me in. I was actually a bit relieved as I am dreading the test, but also because my spine isn’t as bad as some doctor’s have thought. I am going back on Monday morning, bright and early for the test with the same sense of dread. On top of all that, it’s meant to be 30C+ on Monday, so I am not looking forward to the whole thing. I hate extreme heat, London doesn’t cope with it well.
500 Days
Technically, this is a highlight from last week. And if we really want to get pedantic, it’s not really even a highlight, as it has been overshadowed by my “crumbling spine”.
Staying with the theme of mediocrity, here’s are two very quick ones which might illicit a guilty giggle or two.
Not sure why you’d want to come back next week, but the invitation remains open. Some weeks are much better than others. I have a lengthy list of things I want to write, and graphics and videos I want to make. For the last couple of weeks, I just haven’t been up to it, which sucks. I think once I am properly diagnosed, and I know what the treatment will be, I might feel a bit better, and more creative. Unless I need surgery, which could be possible, in which case, I will continue on my sad, depressed path. Hey ho. See you next week, you glorious mofos!
The hippy reflects on 500 days without a major seizure. You’d think he’d be happy about it, but you probably know him well enough to think otherwise. You would be correct.
I hit a significant milestone this week. I haven’t had a major seizure in 500 days. That’s a new record for me, beating my previous record of 361 days. The last time the paramedics made a house call to me is also over 500 days ago.
You might have noticed I used the words “major seizure’. Not having any major seizures is an extremely good thing. I should be celebrating, I guess.
Are my seizures now well controlled? Sorta. I continue to have occasional partial seizures, both simple, and complex.
Partial seizures are what trigger my major seizures. Major seizures are my shorthand for tonic-clonic seizures. They’re the ones that can kill you. I haven’t had one since February 2024.
Even though I haven’t had a major seizure in what seems like a long time, I still worry about them. Constantly. The continuing partial seizures don’t help. And as much as I want to believe the big ones are now under control, there’s a part of me that still expects one every day. It limits what I do to a worrying degree. I continue to have a lot of anxiety around the possibility of a new seizure.
The fear itself is not new. I was referred for counselling by my neurologist over a year ago, as my reaction to my epilepsy diagnosis is not uncommon.
I’ve now have had around half a dozen telephone sessions with a really nice psychologist who specialises in epilepsy, over the last 6 months. I was given a choice between 6 sessions over 6 weeks, or 6 sessions randomly over a period of months. I chose the latter.
I had made a bit of progress. I went for longer walks, I went up to my local high street too. The high street was especially hard, as the last time I went up there, I had a seizure on the way back home, outside. That’s my biggest fear, my next seizure happening outside of my home.
Then a couple of weeks ago, a brand new health issue presented itself, just to cunt my life to fuck just a little bit more.
I have altered sensations in my feet. It feels like a combination of “pins and needles”, and numbness. It has now crept up my calves a bit. In other words, it is worsening.
My GP sent me to A&E, and they discovered I have some compression fractures in my spine. I am now waiting for more tests. Walking is not easy, as the altered sensation is bad for my balance.
I had to pop out to buy a lightbulb from a nearby shop earlier today, which I managed to successfully do, but I am now paying the price. My feet feel super weird, and my lower legs too. I am sure I overdid it, and it was literally a 5 minute walk there, and a 5 minute walk back. FML.
The weirdest part of all of this is I have no back pain. The theory from the doctors is that the compression fractures are pressing on a nerve, or pinching my spinal cord, cause the issues with my lower extremities.
The doctors told me I could end up paralysed. They also told me if I find myself unable to walk, to get to A&E urgently. That would involve the paramedics, again. Obviously, all this is adding to my anxiety. So much for making any progress of trying to be normal again.
I have too much wrong with me, and too many ongoing conditions. I am now taking 24 assorted pills, tablets and capsules daily. Depending upon what these new tests show regarding my spine, there will probably be more drugs to come.
I never thought I would ever say this, but I take too many drugs. If I were a horse, they would have shot me by now. This isn’t my depression talking, I have genuinely had enough, and that newly approved assisted dying bill won’t be implemented quickly, so it probably won’t help me.
I’d hit my limit when I was diagnosed with epilepsy, and I’ve been in a bonus round ever since. Piling more health issues on top of that, and the others, is a recipe for madness.
What’s a poor, sad, sick hippy meant to do? Wait for more health issues I expect. Eventually, one of them will be bad enough to finish me.
My life actually ended a little over 6 years ago, when I stopped working, just as the partial seizures were ramping up. Had I known what was going on with my health at the time, I wouldn’t have resigned. But I did.
Sure, I might have some occasional fun making weird shit for the internet, but mostly the last 6 years have sucked ass. I could have just as easily done without them. I spend a great deal of time wishing things turned out differently on the day of my worst cluster of seizures. And I waste even more time being angry about my birth.
With so much time on my hands, I reflect on my life a lot, and I think it was mostly a good one. I’ve done some cool things, been some cool places, and had some cool friends. You might not believe it, but there was a time when life was good for me. It’s a long time ago now. Looking back, I only have three real regrets, which isn’t that many when you think about it.
Regret number one is that I didn’t become fluent in a second language. It would have been useful at times.
The second is not having a dog as an adult. My family had dogs when I was growing up, but I didn’t manage it myself.
My third regret, is by far the most significant. I regret surviving my tragic premature birth. That’s the root of nearly all my problems. Had things gone differently, I wouldn’t be suffering today. Or any day. I guess ultimately, I mostly regret my existence. It’s not a fun regret to have.
After a 30 year career as a journalist, working for some of the largest news organisations in the world, including Associated Press and Reuters, and 15 years as a duty news editor for BBC News, Doug – the northlondonhippy is now a full time hippy, and writer. And for the last few years, he’s been #EpilepsyHippy. His life was a whole lot more fun before gaining that new title. For real.
Doug is also the author of “Personal Use by the northlondonhippy.” “Personal Use” chronicles Doug’s years of experience with mind altering substances, while calling for urgent drug law reform. It’s a cracking read. You will laugh, you will cry, and you can bet your ass that you will wish you were a hippy too!
If you want even more, (and who wouldn’t?) you could always check out Hippy Highlights – which is the best of the best stuff on the site, and it’s all free to read. What are you waiting for?
Gotta be honest, didn’t plan on edition 113 of #HHOTW to coincide with Friday the 13th, but there you go. And if you’re here, today, how lucky are you? So much for superstition.
I won’t say the pickings are slim this week, but I haven’t had any time to make much new stuff. That’s a lame excuse, I know, since this is what I’m allegedly doing full time. Anyway, onwards, and upwards towards the fun.
Made these a while ago, but haven’t published them here until now.
Three Film Posters
Don’t judge. A cheap laugh is still a laugh. It counts.
Speaking of laughs. Or not. This is the first posting anywhere, and it’s inspired by events at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC earlier this week
One Shitpost
That’s it for this week. Told you not to get your hopes up too high. I trust you followed my advice. Next week’s will be super kickass to make up for my lacklustre material this week. Until then, have a groovy time, whatever you’re up to for the next 7 days.
Greetings fellow Earthlings, and all the space aliens, and inter-dimensional beings snooping on our internet. Such wonders, and horrors you all must see. Not sure where I fit on that particular scale.
I’m back for another week of fun, games, and a minor health update.
My make-believe advertising agency signed up a brand new imaginary client this week. Here’s the first, and I expect only advert I will produce for them.
One very short video
A brief hippy health update
After my A&E adventure, I saw a GP at my surgery. I need some tests, and supplements, and probably yet another prescription drug. I have compression fractures (plural) in my spine. It doesn’t sound good, does it?
I’ve written about my health before, rather extensively. Many of my health issues can be traced back to my tragic, premature birth. I was born 6 weeks early, in the early 1960s’s. I was a miracle baby, which sucks. I don’t recommend it. One of the many things I was born with, was a hiatus hernia, which is where a bit of your stomach pokes through your diaphragm. It causes chronic heartburn, and can be confused with an ulcer. My issues began when I was 13 years old, and I wasn’t properly diagnosed until I was 18.
There is a surgical option, but I was advised against it by a gastroenterologist, as my condition has been well-managed via medication for a very long time. The meds are called proton pump inhibitors, and I have been on various forms of them for decades. They keep me symptom free. The downside to them, as I’ve recently discovered, is that long term use causes bone loss, and osteoporosis. In laymen’s terms, my skeleton is fucked.
The good news is my GP says it is treatable, they can prevent it from worsening, and hopefully restore some of my bone loss. I asked if there were any activities I should avoid, and my GP told me I should not do any extreme sports. I was way ahead of her, as I have been avoiding them my entire life.
So you see, my current new health issue, is related to effectively a birth defect, which was caused by my premature birth. It’s the circle of life, or some such nonsense.
Anyway, that’s it for this week, but I will be back next week, fractured spine and all.
It’s the last #HHOTW of May, and I have an overwhelming amount of stuff to share with you. And check it out, I added the “S” to the end of “Highlight” The second “H” in the hashtag is now plural. #HHOTW now translates into “Hippy Highlights of the Week”. Update your records accordingly. And thanks for your attention to this matter.
Before I get into the highlights, I’m going to start with the lowlight. Cue the violins as I solicit your pity. I lost an entire day, yesterday, at the Whittington A&E.
My GP insisted I go, and the staff was amazing, as always. But the lack of resources, and funding means people with non-urgent issues need to wait. My GP told me I needed to urgently get myself to A&E. The A&E people told me it wasn’t urgent, and I had to chill in the waiting room for a long time. Having been an actual urgent case several times myself, I was cool with them dealing with heart attacks, seizures, and the like, before getting to me.
Once I saw the doctor, he didn’t rush with the exam, he was thorough, he did several tests, explained the results, recommended some further, future tests, and sent all of that info to my GP surgery. And when I spoke to my GP again today, she was able to quickly read the results of everything they did to me. It’s a very joined up system. When I’ve had ambulance rides to A&E in the past, the ambulance, and A&E reports were accessible by my GP immediately.
And before anyone gets too worried, I’m fine. I had a minor complaint, that out of an abundance of caution, meant my GP had to send me to A&E. I was at risk of a very rare syndrome that could cause paralysis. Already forgot its name. I didn’t think I had it because I lacked most of the symptoms, but I was a good boy, and did what the doctor told me to do. Guess what? I didn’t have it. They ruled out all sorts of stuff, and found something brand new.
They discovered an issue with my spine, that requires more tests. Yawn. I am so bored of having stupid health issues. Getting old sucks so much. Nobody tells you, but it is really no fun. I one-hundred percent don’t recommend it, so start working on your eternal youth cure, before it’s too late. Big hint, aging is in our genetic code. Turn off the right gene, and you won’t age. Don’t worry, A.I. will figure it out. You could still get hit by a bus though. There’s more about A.I. fun further down. Please try to contain your excitement.
All this leads me to what I wanted to say, and that I am so lucky to have access to the NHS. If I still lived in America, I would be sooooooo fucked. Or already dead. Hey ho.
Something from the Lazy Hippy Kitchen
Speaking of America, how’s that for a smooth segue? I’m about to share with you another Lazy Hippy Recipe. This time it’s Lazy Hippy – Ranch Dressing & Dip. It’s easy to make, and it tastes so good.
It only takes about 5 minutes to make it
I wrote a thing this week
And staying with the American theme, I’m not actually American any more. Nope, I’m not. Not me. I’m Canadian Again. Can you blame me? It’s embarrassing to be an American these days. And it’s not the first time either.
I only posted one shitpost
Not sure what generation would get this. Definitely not mine
I did make another, first posting below
It made me laugh, and isn’t that what really matters? 🙂
A.I. is coming for your job. And yours. And yours too
Did you read the big scary warning from the head of Anthropic, CEO Dario Amodei? You really should, because he says half of all white collar jobs are about to disappear. I don’t think anyone realises just how fundamentally our lives are already changing due to A.I., except bosses, who are already plotting to replace you with an A.I. Agent. It’s already happened in some call centres. But the joke’s on the bosses, as they’re even more replaceable. Seriously, click that link, the source is the Harvard Business Review.
Chords – G C G F G C Am F G C if you want to play the home game. Send me a video of you performing the song, and I’ll send you a free copy of my book, Personal Use.
I considered performing it for you myself, but then I remembered two key things. I haven’t touched a guitar in a really long time, and I can’t sing. I thought that was justification enough for simply including the lyrics.
Told ya it was a busy #HHOTW. Go me and whatnot. Next time I post one of these, it will be June. This year is already flying by way too fast. Wasn’t New Year’s Eve just a few weeks ago? Catch ya next week.
I’m going to keep the preamble short, because I know you want to get to the recipe. I just want to briefly explain why I came up with it.
Wingstop opened up a branch near me, and I had a big coupon for delivery, so tried it out. The food was good, I enjoyed it, but what blew me away was their Ranch Dressing Dip. I’ve tried just about every store bought ranch dressing you can get in the UK, and none matched what I remember from the USA.
So I hit Google to find out Wingstop’s secret, and I discovered why it was the taste I remembered. According to some Wingstop employees online, they use Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, mixed with sour cream, mayo, and buttermilk.
Hidden Valley Ranch is the most popular American brand of ranch seasoning, and it’s stocked in every supermarket there. Here in the UK, it’s a specialist item, and it costs a small fortune. I reckoned I could look at a bunch of recipes online, and synthesise something convincing. So that’s what I did.
Why is it lazy? Because it takes 5 minutes to make, maybe a minute to longer if you include any of the optional ingredients.
First of all, the ratio of sour cream, mayo, and buttermilk was the same in just about every other recipe I saw: 2 parts sour cream, 2 parts mayonnaise, and 1 part buttermilk. The main flavours are garlic, dill, and onion, but I’d worked that part out already, you know, since I’ve had it before. All I did was play around with the ratios, and add a few optional ingredients, one of which is well worth the tiny bit of extra effort. Without further ado, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
227 grams sour cream (8 fluid oz, or 1 US cup)
227 grams mayonnaise (8 fluid oz, or 1 US cup)
113 grams buttermilk (4 fluid oz, or 1/2 US cup)
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion granules or onion powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice from 1/4 of a fresh lemon
Combine the sour cream, mayo and buttermilk in a large bowl, and stir. Add all the seasoning, and mix it until well blended. Cover the bowl, or transfer to another container with a lid, and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, but even better, overnight. I used an old glass jar (see pic). The flavours will meld, and you will end up a very tasty Ranch dressing or dip.
Notes
Use real buttermilk. A pint cost me 90p, and you could use the leftover for a 2nd batch of dressing, or fancy buttermilk pancakes. Even scones
If you can’t find real buttermilk, allegedly you can make it with normal milk, and some lemon juice. I have not tried it, but the internet has, and says it works as a substitute
Onion powder or granules – I had granules to hand, but either would work
Optional ingredients that take it over the top
1/2 clove of fresh garlic – minced. Thought about adding it to the main ingredients, but it makes it slightly less lazy. It’s worth the extra effort, trust me. Yum!
Fresh chives – use a pair of scissors to snip them into bits
Fresh dill – use scissors again, best way to cut herbs
Flavour enhancer – I use slightly less salt, and replace it with a pinch of this. Yes, I mean mono sodium glutamate, or MSG. Don’t believe the lies, MSG is safe, and natural, and it used by chefs, and food manufacturers in many dishes, and products. Start reading ingredients on prepared foods. You’ll find it in most, especially snack foods.
I’ve been having my homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip with Buffalo Chicken burgers, chips, salads, even sliced up carrots and celery. It goes with just about anything. and It tastes amazing!
A few months back, I had an awkward interaction with an Uber driver, and I hadn’t had one like this in a very long time.
I requested the ride, and the driver picked me up in less than 2 minutes. Turned out, he lived very close to me, and I was his first trip of the day. We got chatting and he asked me if I was American.
Technically, I am American. I was born and raised there, but I self-deported over 30 years ago, and have not even set foot in the country in over 20. I don’t really identify as American, even if I sound like one. I have a British first name, a British surname, a British passport and I’ve lived in London longer than Iived in the US of A. At this point, I’m am much more British than American.
I replied to the driver in the affirmative, that I was indeed American. He said he recognised my accent, because he had spent a lot of time around Americans.
I then asked my driver where he was from originally. He said he’d lived in London for over 20 years, but was originally from Iraq. My driver didn’t need to tell me why he left when he did.
Then there was a bit of silence, before I uncomfortably, nervously began laughing, while apologising for America’s terrible actions in his country. I was against the Iraq War, but that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty, and embarrassed about it. It was shameful. He didn’t seem to hold a grudge, or if he did, he kept it to himself. Like I said, it was awkward.
Similar interactions used to frequently occur to me during the second Gulf war, and it was just as uncomfortable back then. So much so, that when a stranger asked me my nationality, I began to say I was Canadian.
Everyone likes Canadians, They are friendly, non-controversial, and innocuous, so pretending to be Canadian made my life easier. My interactions with strangers of all nationalities suddenly became more pleasant. There were no pregnant pauses, no awkward silences, and no judgement, or criticism. People stopped telling me George W. Bush was a total dummy. As if I need to be informed of something so basic.
It wasn’t hard to pretend to be Canadian. My accent is neutral enough, and influenced by living in London so long that no one ever questioned my claim.
Once the war ended, and Obama was president, the USA became less of an international pariah, and I returned to being American again.
America is once again disliked by the rest of the world, perhaps more so than at any point in my life. And that’s not hyperbole. In just a few months, Trump has resurrected the whole evil empire thing, only this time it’s a domestic policy, with a level of intentional cruelty that I didn’t think was possible.
I’m not doing this out of fear. It’s embarrassment. I’m ashamed of what America has become. The Trump regime is attacking freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, freedom of everything. They’re even attacking institutes of higher learning, like Harvard, one of America’s oldest, and most prestigious universities. And don’t forget all the illegal deportations, er I mean the kidnapping and trafficking folks to other countries – US citizens and non-citizens alike. No one is safe in Trump’s America.
I’m hoping I won’t have to be Canadian forever. I’m not a fan of deception. That said, I don’t know how America comes back from this. If Trump really fufils his dream and becomes “President for life”, then I might be Canadian for quite a while. It’s cool, I already like maple syrup, and I’m sure I can get a Canadian hockey jersey online. After all, I’m Canadian, again.
After a 30 year career as a journalist, working for some of the largest news organisations in the world, including Associated Press and Reuters, and 15 years as a duty news editor for BBC News, Doug – the northlondonhippy is now a full time hippy, and writer. And for the last few years, he’s been #EpilepsyHippy. His life was a whole lot more fun before gaining that new title. For real.
Doug is also the author of “Personal Use by the northlondonhippy.” “Personal Use” chronicles Doug’s years of experience with mind altering substances, while calling for urgent drug law reform. It’s a cracking read. You will laugh, you will cry, and you can bet your ass that you will wish you were a hippy too!
If you want even more, (and who wouldn’t?) you could always check out Hippy Highlights – which is the best of the best stuff on the site, and it’s all free to read. What are you waiting for?
Yep, it’s Friday again, and I am here to rock your world. And by “rock your world” obviously I mean providing you with bitter disappointment. I’m setting the bar high this week.
Strategic Vertically Integrated Re-Brand Synergy
After threatening to make some new graphics, I finally got around to it this week. I’m not a graphic designer, but I have been playing at it for a while. I’ve gotten faster at it, if nothing else. I hope they are an improvement. I was aiming for more depth, and texture, while still maintaining my historic multicoloured theme. The palette is deeper this time, and more spread across the spectrum.
While testing out the graphics on various websites, I noticed that my new logo, and banner don’t display on phones. It looks much better on a real computer screen, or an iPad. That’s how you get the full-on hippy experience. Anyway, here’s my new banner, in case you can’t see if by default.
My giant clear out continues, slowly, and for good reason. I don’t want to toss out anything I’d like to keep. The plan is to be extra careful, and thorough.
For this one, please grab a violin, and a box of tissues. It’s a sad tale, with a happy ending.
I don’t have many photos of myself. It’s a combination of me moving continents, and a dysfunctional family. Hey ho. So imagine my surprise when I discovered a treasure trove of old photos. And by trove, of course I mean around a couple of dozen, and more than half of those snaps are from a 2 week stay in Mogadishu in 1992.
Here’s one of the most sentimental things I found: It’s my baby picture. I thought it was lost a very long time ago. I hadn’t seen it in decades.
This little guy was me a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away
I was a miracle baby way back in the olden days of the early 1960’s. They didn’t think I’d survive. Spoiler alert: You already know I did.
And that’s not all…
Here’s the coolest thing I found. And I’d been trying to find it for ages. Yes, I should have definitely taken better care of it. But then, come on, there’s lots of things I should have done, but didn’t.
Check this out:
Someone else got that autographed photo of Springsteen for me, way back in the olden days of 1978 or 1979. I didn’t meet Bruce myself until the summer of 1982.
I mentioned Mogadishu. I was there in December of 1992. I arrived just before the US military did, on what was meant to be a humanitarian mission. It was long before Black Hawk Down.
Sat-phones back then weighed nearly a tonne, and were bulky to carry as well. Also they were worth a small fortune, and the per minute call charges were insane. My new iPhone can connect to a satellite in an emergency, if I don’t have normal mobile service available. I’ve not needed to test it out, which is a good thing, but the fact that it’s possible still blows my mind.
One shitpost
I’m a meme now.
That’s probably more than enough for this week. Perhaps even too much. I’ll try and tone things down for next week. Don’t want anyone to overdose on me, I just want you hooked.
A hale and hearty hello from sunny north London. Welcome once again to another edition of Hippy Highlight of the Week!
I had another busy week IRL, so I didn’t get to make nearly as much as I would have hoped. That’s true most weeks, and my list of fun ideas of stuff to write, or make, just keeps getting longer. And I still want to give my website and graphics a fresh coat of digital paint. It’s time I blew the cobwebs off this place.
Three shitposts
Here’s the first one. It’s a little late, but I haven’t it posted here yet.
And this second one is brand, spankin’ new, and I haven’t posted it anywhere until now.
And finally, Signalgate, the sequel!
From the hippy archive:
“My Summer of Springsteen” is a piece I wrote a couple of years ago, and it has become the most read piece on my website. It’s about me meeting Bruce, and seeing him hanging out, and jamming all around the Jersey shore. It’s also about me “growin’ up”. It’s part of the “Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Collection”, which is a series of pieces I wrote and published online that’s an unofficial sequel to my book, “Personal Use”.
That’s it for this week, but in 7 short days, I’ll be back with more high quality, you know, whatever it is I do around here. Until then, keep on groovin’, you groovers!
A very pleasant Friday to one and all. Greetings from north London, and whatnot.
Remember I said that #HHOTW could be anything I wanted? It’s okay if you don’t recall, but I really did say it, and it’s never been more true than this week.
My highlight was coming up with a new recipe, making it, and it being a massive success. I call it “Lazy Hippy – Welsh Rarebit Mac & Cheese”, and I’ve shared it online. I don’t think I’ve ever published a recipe before. It’s really easy to make, and it is seriously tasty.
Believe it or not, I didn’t make a single shitpost this week. Either my mental health regarding the state of the world is improving, or I’ve been staying occupied with other things. Trust me, it’s number two. I’ve been occupied. When I have more free time, I will produce more shitposts.
I did manage to make another full moon alert animation. It’s on Monday if you’re keeping score. Duck and cover motherthuckers!
I’ll be back next week for more #HHOTW fun. How about you?
I like to cook, but I’ve never posted a recipe before. Don’t worry, there won’t be a lot of preamble, like you get on most internet recipes. You don’t need my life story, just how to cook this delicious dish that I came up with myself. I’ve blended the traditional flavours of Welsh Rarebit, with a classic mac and cheese. It’s really tasty. And you can whip it up in less than an hour, and a good chunk of that time is just waiting around.
I call it “lazy” because I try to keep things simple. I’ll explain more in the notes below. The recipe itself is easily saved to your photo roll, as I’ve done it as screen caps. There are three of them:
Notes:
Neglected to mention another optional ingredient: Cayenne Pepper. Just a pinch or two of you’d like a bit of warmth.
Pasta – Any tube shaped pasta will do. Cook it in salty water. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a big bowl to put the strainer in, but it helps.
Béchamel Sauce – I’ve always found it hard to make from scratch, so I use store bought. I told you it was a lazy recipe
Cheese – Mature cheddar is best. And always grate it yourself. Store bought grated cheese has an anti-caking agent to keep it from sticking together, which makes it melt funny. I use a box grater, they’re cheap, and really useful. Some things are worth the extra effort, even if you’re being lazy.
Welsh rarebit flavours – The golden/pale ale, the Worcestershire Sauce, the English Mustard give it that distinctive flavour, but you can experiment. Leave them out for a more traditional mac & cheese. Maybe try some paprika, or cayenne pepper for a bit of a warm kick. Even some dijon mustard would elevate it. Or how about some crispy, smoked streaky bacon, crumbled up into it. Yum. I did really like how my Welsh Rarebit version came out, and would definitely make it again.
Pale Ale – I don’t drink alcohol, but I do cook with it, so I just got the cheapest, smallest bottle of ale I could find. If you prefer not to use alcohol, the dish would still work.
One big pot – Another lazy thing is to just use one pot to cook the pasta, and then use the same pot to make the sauce. It saves up on washing up too. But you could always use two pots, if that’s your preference.
Baking – is actually optional. You could serve it straight from the cooking pot. I do recommend baking it, as it is nicer with melted cheese, and a crisp crust.
Breadcrumbs – I used golden breadcrumbs on mine, as that’s what I had to hand. I would have preferred normal breadcrumbs, and would use them for next time.
Salt – Sea salt is my preference. And if you’ve salted the pasta water enough, the finished dish should only need a pinch or two.
Black Pepper – Freshly ground is so much nicer than pre-ground. It’s worth the extra effort. Not everything has to be lazy.
The finished dish & recipe – I didn’t know this was going to turn out so good, so I did not document the preparation with photos. I did take a couple of photos of the finished dish. Here’s the second one:
Mrs. Hippy is not a huge fan of mac & cheese, but she absolutely loved this one, so I will definitely be making it again. If you make it too, let me know what you think. I’d welcome the feedback!
After a 30 year career as a journalist, working for some of the largest news organisations in the world, including Associated Press and Reuters, and 15 years as a duty news editor for BBC News, Doug – the northlondonhippy is now a full time hippy, and writer. And for the last few years, he’s been #EpilepsyHippy. His life was a whole lot more fun before gaining that new title. For real.
Doug is also the author of “Personal Use by the northlondonhippy.” “Personal Use” chronicles Doug’s years of experience with mind altering substances, while calling for urgent drug law reform. It’s a cracking read. You will laugh, you will cry, and you can bet your ass that you will wish you were a hippy too!
If you want even more, (and who wouldn’t?) you could always check out Hippy Highlights – which is the best of the best stuff on the site, and it’s all free to read. What are you waiting for?
Hey ho to all you hippies and hooligans hangin’ out with me on a Friday! Welcome to another edition of Hippy Highlight of the Week.
#DJHippy
I’ve had a fairly busy week. Well, busy for me anyway. So this week my main highlight for you is a ten song playlist of some of my favourite Soul and R&B tunes from the 1970s. Chances are you’ve heard them all before, but you never know… You might discover a groovy new fav for yourselves as well.
When I was a kid back in the olden days of the 1970s, I had a clock radio in my bedroom. I’d lay in the dark, and listen to the local top 40 station just before I slipped into slumber. Many of these are the songs that sent me off to dreamland back then. I am still digging all of those tunes today.
I make a new playlist every month, and all of these songs have been in heavy rotation in my house for a while, and are still going strong. Welcome to “the northlondonhippy’s 70s Soul/R&B Vibe Playlist”.
I subscribe to Apple Music, so that’s the first place you can find my playlist. If you click THIS LINK, it will open the playlist in the Apple Music app, as long as you have it installed.
I know not everybody has Apple Music, so I’ve also put the playlist on YouTube. You can check it out by clicking on THIS LINK. YouTube won’t let me embed it here.
You could always make your own version of my playlist on the platform of your choice. Here’s the list:
1) Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up – 1970
2) Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul – 1972
3) What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye – 1971
4) Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & the Pips – 1973
5) Across 110th Street- Bobby Womack – 1973
6) Living For the City – Stevie Wonder – 1973
7) Backstabbers – O’Jays – 1972
8) Can’t Get Enough of Your Love – Barry White – 1974
9) Fantasy – Earth Wind and Fire – 1978
10) When Somebody Loves You Back – Teddy Pendergrass – 1978
I could have added more to the list, loads more, but I thought 10 tunes was a reasonable length. It’s around 45 mins of music, which is the standard duration of an album or CD.
I did mention I would be sharing some playlists, and if you guys dig it, I’ll do more of this.
I defy you to sit still while listening to this music. At a minimum, your toes will be tapping. And if you end up dancing around your place, carried away by the groove, you can blame me for bringing a tiny bit of joy into your life.
Clear Out – Discovery
My giant house clearing exercise is ongoing. My goal is to get rid of as much junk as possible. It’s slow going because it’s amazing how much crap you end up with over the years. I do keep finding interesting things. Like this flyer from the early 2000s, when magic mushrooms were sold openly, and (quasi) legally. The loophole in the law was shut tight in 2005. It was a sad day.
I used to shroom regularly back then, and it was the most mentally healthy I’ve ever been. It’s also why I started writing stuff online, and why I have an entry in the Urban Dictionary. They even sell NLH branded mugs, but I don’t get a cut, so please don’t buy one.
One Shitpost
This one’s a #HHOTW exclusive, so far. I only made it this morning, and I’m saving it for social media, when this horrible little man undoubtably does something else unpleasantly newsworthy. He’s Trump’s border creep, and he has a hard-on for illegal deportations. Gross.
That’s it for this week. Have a bitchin’ bank holiday weekend if you’re in the UK. Catch ya later you wonderful human! Come back soon!
A very warm welcome to my website. I hope you enjoy your stay.
I’ve had a relatively busy week IRL, which means the pickings are slim for this week’s #HHOTW.
I have been trying to clear out old junk that’s accumulated around the house for about 30 years, and it seems to be an endless task. Last week, I showed you one of my finds, my MTV baseball cap from the mid 80s. This week’s discoveries were photos, mostly of me. One of them is from 1991 or 1992, which makes it the oldest photo of myself that I have, outside of old press credentials, and passports. I won’t be posting my photos online. I expect that won’t cause too much disappointment.
All I have to share are two shitposts, both related to the passing of the Pope.
The first one features JD Pants:
And the second one was snapped especially for Instagram:
Oh, and I’ve got one quick GIF that I made. Full disclosure: The version I’ve posted here is video because for some reason GIFs stutter when I post them here. I have no idea why.
That’s it for this week. Told ya the pickings were slim. I’ll aim to do something double extra special next week, to make up for my piss poor performance today. Catch ya next Friday for more #HHOTW hilarity and fun.
Greetings groovers. It’s already Friday again. How’d that happen so fast? I’ve got a small selection of treats, but you don’t need to wait till Easter to enjoy them.
The main highlight this week is a piece I wrote about the rapidly deteriorating situation in the US of A. Whether you follow the news closely, like I do, or you just dip in and out, this piece pulls together a whole bunch of evil stuff that the Trump regime is doing. You can read the piece RIGHT HERE, or you can click the distress graphic below.
One photo
I actually went outside this week. It was good. I should do it more often.
One Shitpost
I’ll let it speak for itself. Additional commentary is not required.
An Easter treat!
If you need some entertainment this weekend, I suggest you check this out. If the special is successful, we’re hoping to take to a full series.
And that wraps us up for this week. Make sure you pop by again next Friday for even more hippy hilarity!
Most of us knew it was going to be bad when Trump got back into the White House, but few could have anticipated the speed at which he is destroying everything. From international alliances to the actual US Federal Government, he is slashing and burning it all down. The hippy takes a look at a country in distress.
In less than 100 days, Donald Trump and his regime have done more damage to America than I thought possible. In that brief time, Trump has managed to show the world that the USA has become unreliable, unstable, nasty, dictatorial, and imperialistic. And let’s not forget what his batshit tariff plan is doing to the international economy.
America is no longer your friend, ally, or partner. America is now a transactional actor. What’s in it for them? And beyond that, they want to dictate laws in other countries as well, and they will make any treaties or trade deals contingent on their weird whims.
America is now unapologetically an evil empire, and Luke Skywalker ain’t coming to the rescue. America is lost, and it won’t be coming back any time soon. The faster the world accepts this new reality, the easier it will be for everyone.
Sicko-fants
Trump is not doing anything he didn’t promise to do if re-elected. None of it should be a surprise, except for the speed and intensity of it all. He has surrounded himself with sycophants and ass-kissers who encourage and applaud his every move, as if the idiot were a genius.
Trump makes several heavily curated media appearances daily. He loves a good photo-op while surrounded by his cabinet, who all praise him mercilessly.
I don’t recommend playing a game where you take a shot of whiskey every time one of them says “Thanks to President Trump’s strong leadership…”. If you do, you’ll be hammered before the photo-op ends.
An unnamed administration official told the media not long after the inauguration that Trump looks at each day as an episode of an ongoing TV series. And every day he has to vanquish his enemies. He needs to create the illusion of winning constantly.
Trump’s cabinet of crazies aren’t just his Greek chorus of approval. They also enable him, and carry out his instructions, and further his evil agenda thoughtlessly. Loyalty, and fealty are the chief requirements to be in this administration. Plus looking good on TV. Naturally.
Trump lies constantly, and then they all parrot his lies. It’s a continuing, non-stop firehose of falsehoods. Critical thinking, truth telling, and standing up for what’s right and best for the country, won’t ever happen with this bunch of fascists.
Look again
Full Fat Fascism
Yep, I went there. The American government is full of full-on fascists, enacting full-on fascist policies. The entire world should be concerned.
Even if you’ve seen this list of early warning signs of fascism before, it’s well worth revisiting now. A copy of this is displayed in US Holocaust Museum.
Here’s the list again, annotated with links to examples of each item on the list, all from Trump’s first term. The Trump Regime Mark II is already so much worse.
I didn’t have imperialist ambitions on my bingo card for the second Trump administration.
Trump has threatened to take over the Panama Canal, to annex Greenland and take it away from America’s NATO ally, Denmark, and he wants to force Canada to become the 51st state. Even weirder, he won’t rule out accomplishing those goals via military force. He wants to invade, and take over sovereign countries, and territories. He claims it’s all needed to keep America secure. Sure thing, Donald.
At first people assumed he was joking, but Trump doesn’t joke. He doesn’t even laugh, except at the expense of others he deems lesser. No, Trump is deadly serious about being a conquerer.
North of the border, Trump’s threats and insults have actually helped Mark Carney and his Liberal Party. They have gone up in the polls in the lead-up to their general election. Trump is unwittingly assisting them towards victory.
Plain-clothed immigration cops are acting like “snatch squads”, kidnapping both legal and undocumented immigrants, as well as legal residents right off the street. It doesn’t seem to matter who gets swept up in these raids.
America then traffics these abductees across state lines, and to foreign countries. There is no due process, it’s just pretty much just this: “These are bad hombres. Trust us bro”.
They’re trying to justify these clearly unconstitutional actions by citing an archaic law from 1798, called the Alien Enemies Act. It’s quite a legal stretch, not that laws matter any more.
The Supreme Court has instructed the White House to “facilitate” his return, but they have refused, as has the Salvadorian government. The US Attorney General said he is never coming back. They say the only way anyone leaves CECOT is in a box.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to “deport US citizens”, You can’t deport citizens, whether born on US soil, or naturalised. If the US government really did this, then we need to call it out. It’s kidnapping, or trafficking, but not deportation.
We are in uncharted territory now. No one seems to know what will happen once the White House unquestionably defies Supreme Court rulings. Who can enforce the laws, when the government breaks them?
The one Supreme Court ruling Trump does respect is that he has “absolute immunity”, so laws don’t really matter to him now that he’s president again. The actual ruling is slightly more nuanced than that, but Trump doesn’t do nuance.
America has never been perfect, but it feels like Trump and his winged monkeys want to diminish it. Destroy it. And take the rest of the world down with them. So far, they’re succeeding.
The worst person in the world has been elected the President of the United States, again. The sooner the rest of the world accepts it, and reacts accordingly, the better.
America is lost. And it’s not coming back any time soon. Say it out loud. RIP USA.
After a 30 year career as a journalist, working for some of the largest news organisations in the world, including Associated Press and Reuters, and 15 years as a duty news editor for BBC News, Doug – the northlondonhippy is now a full time hippy, and writer. And for the last few years, he’s been #EpilepsyHippy. His life was a whole lot more fun before gaining that new title. For real.
Doug is also the author of “Personal Use by the northlondonhippy.” “Personal Use” chronicles Doug’s years of experience with mind altering substances, while calling for urgent drug law reform. It’s a cracking read. You will laugh, you will cry, and you can bet your ass that you will wish you were a hippy too!
If you want even more, (and who wouldn’t?) you could always check out Hippy Highlights – which is the best of the best stuff on the site, and it’s all free to read. What are you waiting for?
