tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37840538101505164252024-03-05T17:27:37.516+00:00Plum's plumsRandom thoughts on random things, as frequently or infrequently as I'm able to present them for public scrutinyPlumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-82441143130053636942013-03-19T13:03:00.000+00:002013-03-19T13:03:19.870+00:00Sceptical or cynical?By now, everyone online, and most people reading any old media outlet, would have come across the story of the gay teenager's dad writing him an understanding and supportive note about his plans to come out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OZUJe2yveKA7XiuFdaNJcuGhge8in5pUyXz_G4WLtE1Vmx8SWBfiRVmB0dW6-ghS6rAxMwMMVKcHhyV7NiJhREXbB2IXOnvI5Nn6exx5O1rNv301Pp3nb0ato0rktcKJrW_2kw0m6uqr/s1600/letter17n-1-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OZUJe2yveKA7XiuFdaNJcuGhge8in5pUyXz_G4WLtE1Vmx8SWBfiRVmB0dW6-ghS6rAxMwMMVKcHhyV7NiJhREXbB2IXOnvI5Nn6exx5O1rNv301Pp3nb0ato0rktcKJrW_2kw0m6uqr/s320/letter17n-1-web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As far as I can see, this first surfaced on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fckh8com" target="_blank">FCKH8's Facebook </a>last Friday and since then has been posted, reposted, shared and talked about absolutely every-fucking-where.<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">Heart-warming as it is, I have my doubts about the veracity of this story. Lots of things don't really add up. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">Primarily, if
it were true, given that this picture has gone round the world several
times and made it to every single old media outlet, the people involved
would have been identified by n</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">ow
and put on a pedestal. I really, truly, want to know how this got online, who posted it,and WHY? </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">Is it cynical of me to have that as a first thought? I love stories
of human courage, compassion and love as much as the next person, and I
REALLY TRULY wish this were true, but I prefer to focus on genuine
ones, and this stinks of being manufactured to me so I refuse to share
it any more than I do well constructed heart warming short stories or
novels. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">After two days of intensive searching, I've still not discovered
anything approaching an original source - all provenance claims are
just going round in circles. And that is a truly bad sign of a manufactured meme designed to go viral rather than a genuine story. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">This story has sent FCKH8's profile stratospheric, and that is probably a good thing. However, the question I ask is, is fabrication of a morally "upright" parable that is being presented as a true story and plays on public gullibility, valid as a method of engendering public interest, attention and action?</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">There
are enough truly great coming out stories with real identifiable people at their core, why is this one, that stinks
of fakeness, the one that everyone has latched on to? </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">Am I the only one who thinks this isn't real? And am I the only one who is concerned that every single professional media outlet is repeating it non-critically? Why have the media, who are so good at dragging up every little tidbit of scandal and can identify people in the news on the flimsiest of basic information, not bothered to try to discover all the ins and outs of this story but just repeat it parrot-fashion?</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[688].[1][2][1]{comment545807158793147_6084034}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-19876903170163368532013-02-21T17:40:00.000+00:002013-02-21T17:41:24.512+00:00#SupportNotStigmaIn the last couple of weeks I have become aware of five guys I know
either online or in the real world who've been diagnosed with HIV, every
one of them under 30 (and only one over 25).<br />
<br />
This brings on
several, perhaps contradictory, reflections.So here's a bit of a stream
of consciousness of the thoughts going through my mind.<br />
<br />
It's
daft for anyone to contemplate unsafe sex. The original discovery of
HIV/AIDS in the early 80s coincided with my own sexual awakening and I
remember being shit scared every time I went close to a gay venue. Every
single one of my age peers, gay, straight or otherwise, knows someone
who died of HIV/AIDS, in the most ghastly circumstances. <br />
<br />
<b>DON'T DIE OF IGNORANCE</b>
intoned the doom-laden government campaign, and many of us took that to
heart. But it seems that like in most areas of life, the younger
generation has forgotten the lessons learned by their forebears, and
whilst HIV is no longer an immediate death sentence, it remains
seriously unpleasant and IS a sentence to take a cocktail of drugs every
remaining day of the infected person's life, and forces them to
sacrifice many things. <br />
<br />
To paraphrase a tweet from one of those guys, <i>I knew the risks but I engaged in unsafe sex anyway</i>.
Hang on, you fucking moron, maybe YOU knew the risks, but was every one
of the invariably VERY young and impressionable guys you fucked and
allowed to fuck you without protection aware of the risks? I don't
expect you to give them a health lecture before jumping in the sack with
them but behaving like a slag is NOT the behaviour of a responsible
adult who is aware of the dangers of his actions to himself and others.<br />
<br />
At
least he made his status public as soon as he found out. But one of the
others didn't admit to it for several weeks, all the while sleeping
around and being very active on gay dating apps and websites. There is
precedent for such behaviour to be considered criminal activity.<br />
<br />
Nothwithstanding
the above, these people have learned a hard lesson a very hard way and
moral lecturing aside, they deserve our support. Shouting them down in
public and avoiding them is not the right thing to do, and more often
than not, they are victims of difficult circumstances. HIV positive
people are not immediately contagious outside of intimate direct contact
with their bodily fluids, and stupid as they may have been, they
deserve our support as people. They need help and hugs and need to be
allowed to continue their lives.<br />
<br />
They certainly don't deserve to
be ostracised, unless perhaps they have been proven to be wantonly and
deliberately spreading a barely-treatable but incurable disease, but
even so, the rest of us also need to educate ourselves about the dangers
and frankly, there's no reason for us to behave any differently towards
them.<br />
<br />
I admit I find it difficult to be a true friend to someone I
know has behaved recklessly and stupidly, but they are going to get
plenty of shit from everyone else so the very least I can do is support
them and educate myself and others.<br />
<br />
I'm still coming to terms
with what this news means to me and some of my personal relationships so
I'd welcome any input from well meaning people to help me work out a
position in which I can be true to my friends while also being true to
my own conscience, and being able to condemn their stupidity while at
the same time unstintingly supporting the in their time of most need of
true friends.<br />
<br />
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</script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-42134699397161560822012-07-26T04:19:00.003+01:002012-07-26T04:19:23.314+01:00The Dark Knight Rises, Pros and ConsMy usual start to any blog entry, apologies for not having written anything for ages...<br />
<br />
I saw Dark Knight Rises yesterday evening and thought of writing a few words about it as soon as I got home. Then I decided to wait a little and to let my thoughts digest a bit before spewing forth. So here, about 15 hours after I walked out of the cinema, are some observations.<br />
<br />
I texted a couple of friends with spoiler-free "<i>reviews</i>" on the way out of the cinema (in fact even before I was out in the street) - one word each, <b>"WOW"</b>. But then I had to climb down a little and say that while this film is awesomeness on a stick, the stick is not quite as long or sticky as the first two entries in the trilogy - having re-seen them in the last couple of days I still can't decide whether I prefer Batman Begins or the Dark Knight - they each have elements to recommend over the other, but at this stage I would have to consider this the weakest - though given the incredibly high benchmark set by the first two, it's still one of my top movies of this year!<br />
<br />
What follows firstly are some general spoiler-free observations, and then a few minor spoilers followed by some detailed plot niggles which will by definition be spoiler-rich. Beware of warnings and scroll down only as far as you dare! (some spoilers will be hidden behind black-on-black display so you have to highlight the text to see).<br />
<br />
First and foremost, Tom Hardy as Bane is just astonishing. It's received wisdom that meaningful acting behind a mask is difficult, or even nigh on impossible. With half of his face concealed by Bane's inhaler and with his head shaved smooth, all Hardy had to work with were his eyes. And his distorted speech, in an odd accent-from-nowhere-or-anywhere, should have been really difficult to follow, and yet I for one could catch every word and every nuance. I understand from an interview with Chrtistopher Nolan that this was entirely Hardy's doing and he deserves every plaudit for it. (That said, while Bane's background and origins are gone into in very fine detail, the exact nature of his inhaler and what he's inhaling are given no exposition at all.)<br />
<br />
On the subject of Bane, another observation: with just two exceptions, if my memory is correct, Bane is only every shown from below, making him look even more massive, and pretty much literally, larger than life. By contrast, in those moments when we see him from above, he really does look small and puny - deliberately so. I realise this is Film Directing/Photography 101 but it is really effective and shows exactly how story-telling can be enhanced by clever camera angles rather than excessive use of CGI (though I expect a little was involved here and there) - all glory to Nolan and his regular DoP Wally Pfister!<br />
<br />
In fact, the cast did an amazing job all told, and the Nolans pulled off quite an amazing stunt by peppering the screen with a huge number of characters, but with a few exceptions (see spoiler section below) they were well drawn from the moment of their entrance and they all had a very good reason to drove the story forward. Given almost every major character in this film has a sidekick or assistant of some kind, that's no mean feat! And considering we are given at least four separate narrative strands within the first 40 minutes or so, it's down to intelligent writing and direction that they all come together in a largely satisfactory fashion (not to mention bringing in several other strands from the earlier two films in due course, too!)<br />
<br />
Without giving anything away, the two final scenes making up the end sequence (I don't remember in which order they come, both are awesomely done) really counter the bleakness of the foregoing almost three hours with hope for the future - depending on how you look at them. You could also think of them as just wishful thinking. Another master stoke of Nolan's genius direction and writing, it's all open to interpretation.<br />
<br />
One thing I really miss from the previous films is more of the Nolan brothers' pitch-black humour. Dark Knight Rises is not entirely without quips both visual and spoken, but there are considerably fewer than before and I think the film suffers for it. The nature of the story is so bleak that the occasional little pick-me-up would really have been helpful. I sniggered or laughed a few times but apart from one occasion, I realised that nobody in the packed auditorium had had a similar reaction.<br />
<br />
<br />
Something I found wanting even as I watched were the hand-to-hand fight sequences. I won't go into details for want of spoilers but these sequences never seemed to go anywhere other than their immediately obvious conclusion, story-telling 101, and the stunt choreography seemed somewhat wanting given what we've seen in the last few years in the Bourne or Bond films . This was a bit of shame, coming from the man who'd made Memento and Inception. That said, Lucius Fox's gadgets are just incredible, whether old, new, or old ones given a few tweaks, and do some astonishing stunt work. If it's possible, even more so than the first two films, all of these gadgets look like they belong in the real world and should exist, whether or not they come in black!<br />
<br />
One problem I have with this film (a bit like the latter Bourne or Bond films) is that is is possible to have too many plot twists. After a while, you end up going back on yourself, and that does the audience no good at all. Again, coming from the writer/director of Memento and Inception, which had astonishingly tricksy and convoluted plots, this was not a very good move. The big plot question throughout the film is, who is pulling whose strings, and I for one went a bit <i>WTF</i> when all was made clear, not least because I genuinely saw it coming and was disappointed that this is all it was. I certainly didn't expect it to be greeted as a major revelation! (I think I've seen too many modern spy films!) <br />
<br />
That said, oddly enough, for an intelligent film director who unlike most others
chooses to accept that his audience might have more than two
functioning grey cells between them, there were a few <b>too many </b>knowing
nod-winks to those paying attention - it would have been better if they
hadn't been quite so blatant or written quite so large! (<i>minor kind-of-spoiler that everyone can see coming from a mile away anyway but I'll black it out, highlight the box to see: </i>In particular,<i> </i><span style="background-color: black;">Robin's big reveal</span> left me groaning rather than smiling - unlike the character's smirk: it really, really wasn't necessary to bang us on the head with it!)<br />
<br />
Which brings me on to the music. Despite being musically illiterate, I
am fairly sensitive to the use of music in movies and on television.
I've never really been a fan of Hans Zimmer, his orchestrations or the
way he uses music, but in the other two films, his excesses were
undercut by the presence of co-composer James Newton Howard (Zimmer
scoring the action while Howard dealt with the more personal drama).
Here he goes out full throttle and some of his cues, especially at
moments of major plot revelations, are straight out of cartoon
composition, banging us on the head musically blaring out THIS IS IMPORTANT, PAY ATTENTION. Bleurgh.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Read on at your peril, specific and detailed plot descriptions will follow!<br />
<br />
By way of spoiler space, here's a kitty... <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaZ6w001DUm2KFBC1xVIRy4WPHtYjI5DAzRZ-YXsJZQNYfCW-bM5oR4q2Gs12XS8Q0gVaZ_773dCwfAnX9v3wp7pu02em2UpnSoWSotICaXSWVVcVz8rJheErYle9by5X6n0CmY-DlkcN/s1600/banekitty.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaZ6w001DUm2KFBC1xVIRy4WPHtYjI5DAzRZ-YXsJZQNYfCW-bM5oR4q2Gs12XS8Q0gVaZ_773dCwfAnX9v3wp7pu02em2UpnSoWSotICaXSWVVcVz8rJheErYle9by5X6n0CmY-DlkcN/s320/banekitty.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
and some bats<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cute-animals-daily-squee-batty-ritos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cute-animals-daily-squee-batty-ritos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On with the spoilers which will get more spoilerific as I go on...<br />
<br />
I said above that the characters are all well-rounded and have defined functions to play in the story and personal dramas. I was utterly baffled by the Nolans' decision to write Alfred out of most of the movie though. While I can understand the notion of leaving Bruce Wayne totally alone and with his spirit broken, I just don't see it as part of Alfred's character to leave Wayne Manor - and Gotham - on the flimsiest of pretexts. Wayne is presumed dead at least three times during the course of the movie by some sub-set of the players, and of course Alfred's speech about his absence during the events of Batman Begins becomes prescient. But for Alfred to disappear completely and not try to keep contact with Fox or otherwise try to help Gotham in its hour of greatest need - or provide minimum backup for Wayne, if not Batman - just rings entirely false. Yes, he berates himself at the graveside but to quote another English superhero in a uniform, it's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teTxexINY38#t=1m03s" target="_blank">just not good enough</a>!<br />
<br />
As with any superhero movie, I remain perplexed by the astonishment on anyone's face (not least SuperCop James Gordon's) at the revelation of Batman's true identity. Just far too corny for words in a film which otherwise eschews the corniness and cheese which come with superhero territory!<br />
<br />
<br />And the death of a certain female character was just ... insipid. As some people know, I'm part of an <a href="http://actingout.org.uk/" target="_blank">am dram group </a>here in Birmingham and our last performance included several of us dying on stage. I must say we all did a considerably better job of it than this distinguished personage. <br />
<br />
I am equally baffled by the general population of Gotham City which succumbs to Bane's invitation to revolution and anarchy. As I said above, I dislike being bashed over the head with allegories and parallels but the fall of the Roman Empire and French Revolution (storming the prison, come on!) were just a bit too far for me. And then the majority of the population just sit there for five months doing... nothing. And where are the women (except for that single character we see coming out of her front door at the end)?<br />
<br />
As, apparently, does the entire Gotham City Police Force, caved into their subterranean abyss. Who after five months of living on apparently nothing, come tearing out of the ground all together, in fine fettle, raring for a fight, every one of them to a man (am I the only one to note the complete absence of any women officers at all?) shaved clean and wearing pristine uniforms...<br />
<br />
I really missed some kind of view into the daily life of Gotham under siege from within, and why did nobody apparently care to discover who the holder of the detonator was? In a film a about paranoia and anarchy, why not ramp up the paranoia within the population? After all, the speech in the stadium was geared up precisely to engender it? This was fairly well foreshadowed in the middle movie of the trilogy, but seems to have gone nowhere. Shame.<br />
<br />
Another shame, and it has me scratching my head, is how does Bruce Wayne get back to Gotham after his escape (is it really a spoiler that he gets out?) , and indeed how does he manage to get over his back injury so quickly? I'm no osteopath but "You have a vertebra sticking out of your back, let me punch it back in and then you can hang around" seems a bit simplistic to me. Fairly recent Bond films (Die Another Day in particular) and even more the first Bourne film show that it's not easy to get back to . Some reference to his journey apart from an arty cut from coming into the daylight to encountering Selina in Gotham, please? Sure, Wayne showed his resourcefulness in the first movie but that was a lifetime and a repaired broken back ago...<br />
<br />
To end, I have a couple of pure nitpicks which don't really lessen my enjoyment of the film - but I did notice them and I'm sure many others are out there too.<br />
<br />
How does Batman in all his finery, plus half a dozen police officers, not to mention his little trick with lighting a trail of (?)petrol(?), manage to stay put on the half-frozen river when we've seen a single man on his own come a cropper?<br />
<br />
And another from the climactic end. This a significant spoiler for anyone who's not seen the film, so highlight to read. <span style="background-color: black; color: black;">Before Batman even attaches the bomb to the Bat there's roughly 1'30 left on the clock until it goes BOOM. The bomb has a blast radius of six miles - though as anyone will tell you, the damage caused by a nitro bomb isn't just the blast, it's the fallout, so he really needs to get it at least 12 miles off the shore. Twelve miles in ninety seconds while carrying a payload in the region of a couple of tons is some serious va-va-voom! Who designs a machine for crowd control (Fox's words) that does 500-ish mph while carrying more than its own weight?</span> <br />
<br />
When all's said and done, The Dark Knight Rises is a fine film and an honourable way for Nolan to say goodbye to these characters (unless he were to choose to pick up any of the potential spinoffs the ending sets up. It's just a pity that a little more attention wasn't paid to some significant narrative inconsistencies which ultimately mean this film ends up the weakest of the trilogy.<br />Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-75520338253909154642012-05-10T16:39:00.002+01:002012-05-10T16:39:32.532+01:00Same-sex marriageI’ve never considered myself to be the <i>marrying kind </i>- although as I
grow older I’m increasingly fond of the idea of settling down with
someone long-term (of course, the older I get, the less likely I am to
find anyone willing to share my life, but that’s a different matter).<br />
<br />
I’ve therefore never given much thought to the legalities, or even the concept,
of gay marriage, although the introduction of civil partnerships a few
years ago was a long-required step to protect the interests of long-term
same-sex partners. I remember the days when AIDS was seen as the “gay
plague” and I knew many gay men who fell to the disease when it was a
definite and fairly quick death sentence. None of those men’s partners
were allowed to sit at their hospital bedsides or to inherit their
pension or other rights without a lot of cajoling and complicated
legalese. The right to equality under the law was hard fought and changed many perceptions about gay lifestyles - noth least within the gay community itself!<br />
<br />
Socialogical research shows that young gays increasingly value long-term relationships and monogamy over one-night stands - certainly when I was growing up, being gay really was equivalent to being both sexually and emotionally promiscuous. Of course that's a generalisation and there's a great deal of sleeping around today (just pick up your smartphone and look at any gay "dating" app) and there are loads of famous long-term relationships from generations past, but over the last decade, the gays really have grown up a lot. Legal, social and personal pressures have meant that we have refocussed our energies and expectations. And this can only be a good thing.<br />
<br />
<br />
So while many were satisfied with the idea of civil partnerships, It’s not until I started talking with people like<a href="http://jaekaygoesforth.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"> Jay Kay </a>that I realised that if our society
really believes in equality regardless of religion (or lack thereof),
gender (or confusion about it) or sexual orientation (regardless of <em>nature or nurture</em> arguments), using two different terms for a legally equivalent state is <b>BY DEFINITION </b>discriminatory and inequitable. <a href="http://jaekaygoesforth.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"></a> <br />
<br />
On the day President Obama got off the fence and risked
political suicide by unequivocally coming out in favour of marriage
equality, a whole host of religious leaders have come out decrying his
statement in their wish to protect the “sanctity” of marriage.<br />
<br />
Dear Cardinals, Archbishops, Imams, Rabbis and other believers in
whatever imagined “higher powers”, please explain in what way opening
CIVIL matrimony to same-gender couples will undermine the values of your
religious marriage ceremonies?<br />
<br />
Despite their vows of chastity and celibacy, Catholic priests have
fathered innumerable children down the ages and raped (let’s stop
pussy-footing about with the word “abused”) children of both genders
since forever. All the while, church institutions consider it more
important to paint fig leaves over all this bullshit rather than
actually care for the people they have damaged. Until very recently, the
catholic view of marriage insisted that women had no say whatsoever in
the running of the matrimonial couple, and were little less than their
husbands’ chattels.<br />
<br />
Is this how you sanctify your vows and your views of <b>HOLY</b> matrimony?<br />
<br />
Anglican and miscellaneous protestant denominations who can’t
agree among themselves about the nature of marriage or divorce, you’re
happy to allow philanderers, avowed adulterers and other reprobates to
participate in your <em>sacrament</em> without making a hue and cry
about how the state of marriage has become completely debased and
devalued in the last 100 years and yet now all of a sudden you’ve found
the deeper meaning of matrimony and want civil unions to follow your
outdated and hypocritical values?<br />
<br />
Sort out what <b>YOU </b>believe in, act accordingly, and only THEN will you have the right to impose your views on the rest of society, which shares fewer and fewer of your beliefs and values.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Jewish and Muslim couples fare no better. The civil state has
accorded their ceremonies the full power and benefit of law and those
following your faiths full and equal protection under the law. Why can’t
you show the civil state the same rights and privileges so that those
who do not follow your outdated views born of generations of patrician
nomads?<br />
<br />
Mixed marriages, whether between races or faith systems, are increasingly common. My immediate neighbours are a Muslim-Hindu couple (he's Hindu, she's Muslim) with three adult chuldren (one daughter and two sons). Neither pair of grandparents has visited them for years because of religious hatred, to the extent that none of them turned up to the daughter's civil marriage ceremony (to a Westerner). <br />
<br />
If the religions can't agree among themselves what marriage is about, and that love conquers religious differences, how on earth can they all speak in one voice against same-sex unions?<br />
<br />
I have two questions to all you people of faith:<br />
<br />
1. Why should civic society, built on principles of equality and
democracy, give any credence to your ideas of what marriage is about,
given they are based at their very soul on inequality and patrician
values, generated when people rarely lived beyond 40?<br />
<br />
2. In what way will civil marriages between same-sex couples
undermine your definitions of marriage? All existing and proposed
same-gender marriage legislation protects your right to marry whomever
you want in whatever manner you want without forcing you to marry anyone
you don’t want to.<br />
<br />
In all the millions of words spewed forth, I have yet to see any
religious leader approach either of those questions, never mind propose
an answer. So please, religious nut jobs, how about it?<br />
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<br />
Their suggestion to share readings of it went viral and now there are loads of versions of it on Youtube and elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Being interested in this kind of thing, and after a little research into the text and its history, I've recorded my own reading. I have used the author's much longer version as the basis for my own, and have made a few changes, subtractions and additions. <br />
<br />
Here it is, my contribution to The Chaos:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hJeRIcj5Fb8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
I'd love to hear other people's attempts, and i can share the slideshow I used (either in the form of a Powerpoint presentation or a series of PNG graphics) , so if you want to do that, leave a comment ;-)Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-88239848762465483952011-09-04T04:22:00.002+01:002011-09-04T05:05:13.921+01:00PlumellaWhile recently searching for ways to use up the sack of damsons I was given by a friend, and tired of making chutney and jam, I re-discovered this amazingly easy-to-make but seriously tasty spread. I find Nutella much too rich and I've grown an aversion to vegetable oil in various products. This is less greasy (the only fat comes from the cocoa), and considerably less sweet. The damsons replace the greasiness of the nuts and oil with a more grown-up after-taste of fruity tartness, and the genuine taste of chocolate dominates and means that delicious as this is, you're not going to eat huge quantities of it before feeling sated. <br />
<br />
<br />
There's a bit of political history attached to this recipe.<br />
<br />
Back in the 1970s when <i>Nutella </i>hazelnut and chocolate spread was conquering the world and kids' palates, one part of the world it didn't reach was Eastern Europe. <br />
<br />
While some rough chocolate did get through to that market, there were chronic shortages of almost all of the other ingredients, and of course of the branded product itself. However, those inventive and improvising Poles came up with a replacement for the hard-to-find nuts and sugar, and developed an alternative. it was never sold in shops and doesn't have a brand name, but most Polish families with children in 70s were aware of this.<br />
<br />
I made this last week and as usual with my experiments took photos of the process but something went wrong and I've lost all the pics. I've managed to find some some replacements online which will have to do...<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhErHe95EEeRanJSSAJ4QKAFeUnviIWlz2tMYa9xCZ6arJ2uZkDuxEp5G_LHUiaJ-c7RWJM4_3bHToD-0tkVHsLvuFt2ysal_FnIk9IIi5Ftav7xYdb8Aed7PlknPDyUww-aqd2rQ7mWT-/s1600/ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhErHe95EEeRanJSSAJ4QKAFeUnviIWlz2tMYa9xCZ6arJ2uZkDuxEp5G_LHUiaJ-c7RWJM4_3bHToD-0tkVHsLvuFt2ysal_FnIk9IIi5Ftav7xYdb8Aed7PlknPDyUww-aqd2rQ7mWT-/s320/ingredients.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
2.5kg damsons, bullaces or plums, or combination thereof<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCt_Sh3gB6lafXBo51W_yhl5DSJ6kCHf0kPTA3-u3e0tYf6wxdKiA2jqWi7gxCDzXedlYsMRSiHf8pLpvhyphenhyphen3-g4W6uTud7MOgF1MCWtdchOqqE3U-zOnjcO2oliP0SqeydgtalgbKGWE9c/s1600/Sugar+Bag+One+Kilo+Bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>1kg sugar (plus potentially another 500g for taste)<br />
200g quality cocoa powder (or 300g high cocoa-solid [70%+] chocolate)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-T-rhSazPLJMEpzBkxCFndQm62zCCjrZNVOltv_PxHg-HmhAM1EQVhkSvCrUl63P61_zPi0mNsZPyHPhAXUCohbj-gueCRzMtzzTZnxkCow1JzV-GpNwYQ1AAF57Yo2HRn0ssBHmUgny/s1600/pure-vanilla-extract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>1 tablespoon vanilla extract (NOT "flavouring")<br />
<br />
Optionally:<br />
Handful of nuts of your choice <br />
1 stick cinnamon or one teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhQrrRtW8kfqALILgEYSi2EDVJgPoy_OnE3_deqw3w8rDd7hne83MtjDOOqem-ZU7HGJgrFOkIJAyPsWIa7RegLOTF6jqsEG5MQTXS9fACpH4MBlGQa-z0swqv8UONELVc3C5VMPUxzlF/s1600/cinnamon+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div> <b>How to make it</b> <br />
<br />
First pit your damsons. this is going to take a long time, as the stones are proportionately quite large, and the flesh is usually fairly tightly stuck to them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCYip_f-1A1PFBvjEcvG8DIDu_WXLIXAWhADw_U4q_shnSCR8gecR8XycT6wYp7QuBG8Oat95_KUFWEhCk10iMwVVfkYrfNQ3Yuz5QE1Acq1e7XQ8BH73lxwFmLlBEPWlf-5tvwppknbv/s1600/damsons+pitted+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCYip_f-1A1PFBvjEcvG8DIDu_WXLIXAWhADw_U4q_shnSCR8gecR8XycT6wYp7QuBG8Oat95_KUFWEhCk10iMwVVfkYrfNQ3Yuz5QE1Acq1e7XQ8BH73lxwFmLlBEPWlf-5tvwppknbv/s320/damsons+pitted+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Put the damson flesh through a mincer, grinder or blender until finely puréed, together with chopped nuts (if used). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCtyFfA_bruf6Grlyc1v4H14Ai-CdOv7K9JPaSGIjqoVxSCi3dJeTDcceWYQNlh2yA6vLTLLYNLNautrWW6z4pZOqja0pIGXQwYJvZuR6lsX9KXUkITNad2cdflnkuZq82ERxqWDvKS_4/s1600/damson+mince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCtyFfA_bruf6Grlyc1v4H14Ai-CdOv7K9JPaSGIjqoVxSCi3dJeTDcceWYQNlh2yA6vLTLLYNLNautrWW6z4pZOqja0pIGXQwYJvZuR6lsX9KXUkITNad2cdflnkuZq82ERxqWDvKS_4/s320/damson+mince.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Empty the purée into a thick-bottomed 5-litre stainless steel saucepan. <br />
<br />
Stir in 1kg sugar, mix well.<br />
<br />
Add cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon, if using. <br />
<br />
Put on low simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Surprising as it may seem, this will not stick to the pan and can be left for extended periods without stirring. The stirring is just to keep the liqiuid and solids well mixed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioVMdOVxLc1cmbYh4Ye9ktGKUIlBZRk04XjOiilDHL9aRF40R0kTCgVafulpdY5oOViRXMKDrXzDRpjgqZQNVQ3bix9vA5JUjgORqJJ-7HUMATcjnpEcFxV_03AuSHTM4X4g-I4S5X36_/s1600/damson-rolling-boil-jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8x4YK-3teV8wC7QTrOTsGg-ZiG3Acn-MVIg70AkC5s8CGhTuXX0mQ7Y6Cftq7yjSaoDXF3D11bdIP1s1gg3jJ-KAcZWUOoo1nYP1Z2qkbuUgQfdA7X9n8zE5eM8IJhkth9bg8JYIt4XAU/s1600/damson-rolling-boil-jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8x4YK-3teV8wC7QTrOTsGg-ZiG3Acn-MVIg70AkC5s8CGhTuXX0mQ7Y6Cftq7yjSaoDXF3D11bdIP1s1gg3jJ-KAcZWUOoo1nYP1Z2qkbuUgQfdA7X9n8zE5eM8IJhkth9bg8JYIt4XAU/s320/damson-rolling-boil-jam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioVMdOVxLc1cmbYh4Ye9ktGKUIlBZRk04XjOiilDHL9aRF40R0kTCgVafulpdY5oOViRXMKDrXzDRpjgqZQNVQ3bix9vA5JUjgORqJJ-7HUMATcjnpEcFxV_03AuSHTM4X4g-I4S5X36_/s1600/damson-rolling-boil-jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPbE_leBVwjDntAZTGDSvO-5AVNRvMwMJWgtWk05rkAQeia-q4rWTz1jqW87vWcZJWCMOM_QITxTGrF06fw6XUWFZM8npDx0X-3CUskUUui3NJ5crjcxrGr2KBySoQYdOKctt6gx7PG8w/s1600/damson-puree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
After 90 minutes, take out a spoonful of the mixture, allow to cool and taste for sweetness, tartness and texture. (Beware, the liquid out of the pot will be around boiling temperature!) Depending on the ripeness of your fruit and your own taste preference, stir in up to 500g more sugar.<br />
<br />
Continue simmering for another 30 minutes if you did not add sugar, or 60 minutes if you did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPbE_leBVwjDntAZTGDSvO-5AVNRvMwMJWgtWk05rkAQeia-q4rWTz1jqW87vWcZJWCMOM_QITxTGrF06fw6XUWFZM8npDx0X-3CUskUUui3NJ5crjcxrGr2KBySoQYdOKctt6gx7PG8w/s1600/damson-puree.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPbE_leBVwjDntAZTGDSvO-5AVNRvMwMJWgtWk05rkAQeia-q4rWTz1jqW87vWcZJWCMOM_QITxTGrF06fw6XUWFZM8npDx0X-3CUskUUui3NJ5crjcxrGr2KBySoQYdOKctt6gx7PG8w/s320/damson-puree.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Add cocoa powder or chocolate broken into pieces, and stir well with a whisk until completel dissolved. <br />
<br />
Stir in vanilla extract.<br />
<br />
Continue simmering for another 10 minutes until the cocoa has cooked through and lost its raw bitterness.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, wash, sterilise and dry six 500ml jars (see instructions provided in eafrlier blogs, or look them up online) <br />
<br />
If desired, put mixture through blender/liquidiser again to make it super-smooth, return to pan and simmer for five minutes.<br />
<br />
Pour into the sterilised jars, cover with cellophane circles and tighten covers. <br />
<br />
Ready to eat immediately, warm or cold, as a spread on bread or cakes, as a filling for doughnuts or spooned on pancakes!<br />
<br />
This spread does not want pasteurising/proofing (boiling would ruin the chocolate), and will keep for up to three months in a cool dark larder or cupboard. Once opened, store in fridge (unlike Nutella, which should never be refrigerated!) and use within two weeks.<br />
<br />
Enjoy! I certainly do! Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-185468175784565422011-09-04T01:46:00.000+01:002011-09-04T01:46:41.480+01:00It's been a while....While preparing a new entry, I noticed that I've not written anything here for ages.<br />
<br />
I've taken the opportunity to make a few changes, mainly to remove all the adult content and consequently the adult tag (I have tumblr for that).<br />
<br />
I'll also make a couple of other changes in the near future, mainly changing the title of the blog, and devoting it more to cooking and preserving food though I hope to continue making odd comments on other subjects too.<br />
<br />
Look out for a new recipe in the next few hours!<br />
<br />
<br />
Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-29622679827423496042011-07-08T23:53:00.000+01:002011-07-08T23:53:08.615+01:00OopsI just relised while reading a couple of other blogs that I've not written anything here since before Christmas.<br />
<br />
It's probably time for a new cooking blog, and so I might throw something together in the next few days as I have a load of gooseberries and cherries to preserve.<br />
<br />
Any ideas?Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-63126420341506314762010-12-24T03:06:00.000+00:002010-12-24T03:06:36.880+00:00Christmas Greetings - in LegaleseI've published these legalese and politically correct Christmas greetings once or twice before, but that's no reason not to share them here as well.<br />
<br />
BE IT HEREBY DECLARED THAT<br />
<br />
1. I would like you to accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for: <br />
<br />
a) An environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious or secular practices of your choice without prejudice to the religious and/or secular persuasions and/or traditions of others or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all; <br />
<br />
b) A fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated passing of the calendar year 2010CE, without prejudice to the calendars of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our (or your) country great without implying that our (or your) country is greater than any other country or is the only great country, and without regard to race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith (or lack thereof) or sexual orientation.<br />
<br />
2. The wishes expressed in Part 1 are granted on the following terms: <br />
<br />
a) they are to be considered extended to all members of your family or other social unit, including but not limited to:<br />
i) other persons directly or indirectly related to you by blood or otherwise and any such persons to whom you consider yourself to be related regardless of biological, legal, religious or other process, <br />
ii) any person or persons not included in paragraph 2a)i) hereof with whom you enjoy regular (or otherwise) consensual sexual activities regardless of gender, race, age or sexual orientation with or without the possibility for procreation, <br />
iii) other animal and/or vegetable organisms (or inanimate objects) you or anyone else may consider part of your family or other social unit;<br />
<br />
b) they are freely transferable with no alteration to the original wishes to any person in your wider social circle not included in paragraph 2a hereof;<br />
<br />
c) they are limited to a period of one terrestrial solar year or until the issue of subsequent holiday wishes, whichever occurs first; <br />
<br />
d) they are subject to clarification or withdrawal and are revocable at my sole discretion at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all;<br />
<br />
e) no promise to implement any of the wishes or responsibility for the consequences which may arise from the implementation or non-implementation of same is or may be implied.<br />
<br />
3. These wishes are void where prohibited by law and are specifically not extended to any extra-terrestrial or other beings who bear ill-will towards any or all members of the species known as Homo sapiens or any other life-form on planet Earth.<br />
<br />
4. In accordance with environmental policies, procedures and practices, no trees were directly harmed in the preparation or transmission of these wishes although a significant number of electrons was slightly inconvenienced.<br />
<br />
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto applied my signature, seal or other personally identifiable mark this 24th day of December 2010CE<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.formspring.me/brumplum/q/1483011426">In what ways are france better than england? And in what ways is french better than english as a language?</a></span></b></div><br />
To all intents and purposes, France is three different countries: there's Paris, there are other big cities, and there's rural France.<br />
<br />
In that respect, England is not dissimilar, with London, other big cities and rural England presenting quite distinct characters.<br />
<br />
I prefer to live in London rather than Paris (I've done both), but I prefer Paris to visit rather than London (I've done both). Paris is quite horrifyingly expensive (especially now, given the poor £/€ exchange rate) and the stereotype about Parisians being rude and aloof towards foreigners is generally a deserved one. They also consider themselves better than most Frenchmen, though, so there's no need to feel TOO aggrieved. <br />
<br />
As a place to visit as a tourist, Paris is quite exceptional: it's small and compact, and all the famous sights are relatively close to each other (except perhaps for Versailles which is still a lot closer to Paris than, say, Windsor is to London). Public transport is a damn sight cheaper and easier to use. And there are always a million interesting things to see in countless small museums and galleries. <br />
<br />
In London, everything is spread around and hard to get to. And it's all far more commercial, with all the sights selling the same tat just with different logos.<br />
<br />
Large cities in France have a different attitude to those in England: Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and a few other places are resentful of London and want to be London. French cities know they aren't Paris and delight in their own identity, and are much more easy-going for it. I've spent time in Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and a couple of other places, and they're much better than their English counterparts.<br />
<br />
I adore rural France with a passion. French farmers have an odd reputation on this side of the Channel as intransigent, money grabbing xenophobes but they're really just trying to make a living. Of course they're often not very highly educated and rarely speak a foreign language so you're better of speaking French with them. <br />
<br />
If you do take the trouble to converse in their language, you'll get an honest opinion about most things and they'll point you in the right direction to get the best produce and wine at the best price. And one real advantage of rural/small-town France over village life in England is that you can be accepted very quickly, if you take the trouble to integrate yourself and play a part in village life. <br />
<br />
By contrast, small communities in England are famed for their reluctance to accept strangers. The owners of holiday homes in small villages who price the locals out of the property market and are hardly ever there are generally seeen as intruders and are not very welcome. Small-town French people feel honoured that people from outside their community pay an interest and are aware that thanks to new residents, local craftsmen and traders can earn an honest living. They are simply far more pragmatic.<br />
<br />
Of course, any British tourist to small-town France will complain of the complete lack of any sense of punctuality, that arranging for a tradesperson to call "on Tuesday" actually means "any time between Monday morning and Friday night". And most places (even large ones) close down for several hours at lunchtime and it can be a right pain.<br />
<br />
But it's a more relaxed and convivial mode of life which it's actually easy to get used to.<br />
<br />
Village and rural politics are a nightmare in both cultures but the thing to remember in small-town France is that the Maire (mayor) is a truly important person. They are the foot of the pyramid of French democracy and of the national political system, and they can make life very easy for you, or - if you get on their bad side - very hard. The Mairie is the first stop for pretty much any administrative matter or local dispute. But not only - it is also your first port of call for things like utilities, so you make a personal enemy of the Maire and his staff at your peril. And in most small towns and villages the Mairie is also the post office, telephone exchange, police station and local information centre so knowing when it's staffed is a Very Important Piece Of Information.<br />
<br />
On the subject of language, every language has its strong and weak points, its advantages and disadvantages.<br />
<br />
English spelling is infamously horrendous, French is slightly lesss idiosyncratic but still full of potholes; English is good with expressing most technical things while French is generally more comfortable with matters of the intellect such as philosophy and the arts. (People say French is the language of love but I tend to disagree; Italian is MUCH better at it.)<br />
<br />
The main strength of English is that whilst English grammar is a minefield and most native speakers know very few of the rules which govern our language, it is very easy to be perfectly comprehensible and relatively clear by stringing simple sentences together, as long you stick to a <i>Subject - verb - object </i>structure. Grammatical correspondence, pronunciation and very often spelling and punctuation are largely irrelevant.<br />
<br />
In the musical <i>My Fair Lady</i>, Professor Higgins exclaims that <b><i>the French never care what they do, as long as they pronounce it properly</i></b>; this isn't entirely true - what's important is that the sentence is structured properly and the nouns and verbs correspond by gender and number, and the correct pronouns are used in the correct way to determine relationships. It's not fussiness or pedantry; the fact of the matter is that otherwise more than likely the sentence will literally make no sense.<br />
<br />
So in short, I would say that the beauty of English (and probably one of the reasons for its popularity world-wide, it's not JUST because of the ubiquity of American culture and technology) is the fact that it is a very fluid language, in which it is extremely easy to make yourself understood. It is a very diffficult langauge to master because rules of correct syntax and grammar (if one wishes to be prescriptivist) are instinctive and intuitive rather than learnable by rote.<br />
<br />
The beauty of French, on the other hand, lies in its precision and despite appearances, the sheer logic of it all. It is actually a fairly easy language to learn well out of a book of grammar, and speaking it idiomatically can be extremely difficult. Knowing which rules are relaxable and which are not takes much skill, experience and understanding.<br />
<br />
I'd like to conclude by bringing together the language point and my love of rural France. It is almost impossible to understand a French farmer if you have learned your French at school from books.<br />
<br />
There are so many regional variations where other influences from Spanish, Moorish, Italian, German, Flemish or various Old French varieties are so ingrained that you would need your interlocutor to speak slowly and repeat everything for you to understand him/her. Of course, they would understand you because the French media are Paris-centric and spoken in "proper French" to an even greater extent than English media are concerned with London.<br />
<br />
Over the years, it's become normal in British television, for instance, to hear voices and accents from all over our country and we can all think of significant television presenters with a strong regional identity. This remains almost unheard of in French television - even though many presenters are proudly associated with wherever they may come from, they MUST speak the French equivalent of Received Pronunciation or they will simply never get a serious job in broadcasting. Some of them are famous for havig the odd foible, in the way they might pronounce a certain word or phrase, but by and large Parisian French is Comprehensible French.<br />
<br />
I'd like to hear anyone's views on these topics, however well or badly informed, either in comments here (which can be a pain) or by way of a new question on formspring, which can be a lot easier (I do allow anonymous questions so you don't need an account or anything):<br />
<br />
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<br />
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I found this rather magnificent picture of a <i>Nutelleria </i>stand in Italy which sells all kinds of things spread with Nutella:<br />
<br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37508644@N00/2463835893/" title="nutelleria by cphil1205, on Flickr"><img alt="nutelleria" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/2463835893_8f947720df.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
When can we get something similar but with Marmite, not a Nutelleria but a Marmitery?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Until fairly recently, we'd not have believed what people say to us unless they had some kind of reputation for telling the truth and/or knowing a lot about the subject upon which they are expounding.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet nowadays millions of people repeat "stuff" as if it was a fact with all the authority of a national academy of sciences, just because they saw it online. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've been especially amazed over the last few days by a statement that keeps coming into my email inbox and has taken Twitter by storm:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The basic form is:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>This month has five Fridays, five Saturdays, and five Sundays, and this only happens once every <span class="query-token">823</span> <span class="query-token">years</span>!</b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well yes, October 2010 does indeed have five "long weekends". But is this really such a rare occurrence?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
Think about it for a moment:<br />
<br />
In order for a month to have five Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, it must be a 31-day month (January, March, May, July, August, October, December) and the first day of that month must be a Friday (so that it's Friday, Saturday and Sunday which are repeated rather than any other contiguous 3 days).<br />
<br />
<br />
A 365-day year is 52 weeks and one day. As a result, successive years start on the day of the week after the year before (eg 1st October 2009 was on a Thursday, 1st October 2010 was a Friday and 1st October 2011 will be a Saturday). So in principle every seven years should be the same.<br />
<br />
But we get leap years every 4 years (minus a few corrections) so the changes aren't all that regular. But <i><b>on average </b></i>every eight years we get the same days of the month on the same days of the week - nowhere CLOSE to 823 years!<br />
<br />
Just so that you don't have to take my word for it, check any calendar (there are loads online), for how many Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there were in October 2004 and 2010, and will be in 2021.<br />
<br />
The basic numbers of days and months in a year (a 52 week year equals 13 4-week "months" rather 12 variable-length months) mean that, <b>on average</b>, every <b>EIGHTH MONTH </b>has five Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays which makes the event in general actually quite common. May 2009 and January 2010 were recent examples, and the next one after October 2010 is July 2011. Ask anyone who is paid every fourth Friday rather than calendar monthly for their experience.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, <b><i>the WHOLE of the 2010 <i>calendar </i></i></b><b><i>is <i>exactly the same </i></i></b><b><i><i>as 1999.</i></i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
What has happened to the world and everyone's faculty for critical thinking if they accept this idiotic 823 years statement without a moment's hesitation?<br />
<br />
Is it any wonder that the creationist/young earth movement is getting more and more adherents if people accept what's said to them without thinking about it?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Furthermore </b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
I'm especially concerned by a variation on this meme which adds that years with a date which can written 10/10/10 only happen every 823 years.<br />
<br />
How the <b>FUCK </b>can a decimal year (i.e. a year ending in 10) happen with a frequency other than 10 years apart? 10/10/10 happens every 100 years, the next time being in 2110. <br />
<br />
I can't be bothered to do the exact calculation, but the <b>combination </b>of 10/10/10 <b>AND </b>the <i>five long weekends </i>in October happens roughly every 400 years.<br />
<br />
In any event, it's NOT going to be a frequency ending on 3!<br />
<br />
<b>823 years from now is going to be 10/10/2833</b><br />
<br />
Surely nobody even has to THINK about this for more than a millisecond? Surely it is self-fucking-evident?<br />
<br />
<br />
Why the hell do people think that retweeting/re-emailing this kind of complete <b>BOLLOCKS</b> makes them appear to be anything other than illiterate, innumerate and incapable of rational thought?<br />
<br />
Comments welcome, because I am really curious why being given a network connection seems to make otherwise intelligent people into gibbering baboons?<br />
<br />
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</script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-20391355783049396622010-09-28T22:35:00.023+01:002010-09-29T03:42:13.600+01:00Cooking with Apples: Chunky Sweet Apple and Plum ChutneyThe further adventures of the non-perfect apples from the trees in our and our neighbour's gardens.<br /><br />This was the day after the applesauce which was the topic of my last blog. This is the first time I've ever tried making chutney myself and I'm very curious how it'll come out, but I won't find out until Christmas!<br /><br />I adapted this from several different recipes I found online and got some advice from my sister who's been making chutney for years. I changed a few things based on stuff I like (plums, cinnamon, cumin), stuff I don't like (star anise), stuff I had a lot of in the larder (onions, prunes) and stuff I didn't have and forgot to buy (raisins/sultanas).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEyArCGLAuAMCFlYqvfwPbrwHk2A0qoTlkWR4pg4PMUOEuPC3SmYnrnX8glAdDAbRoks8LQwZtbbMWFvrvhFCejs7jtXhtFZSwiEsXu0KJ2jCuMqGTGFKvdonz3fi3juRmJofnyoN9TcR/s1600/apples07a.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEyArCGLAuAMCFlYqvfwPbrwHk2A0qoTlkWR4pg4PMUOEuPC3SmYnrnX8glAdDAbRoks8LQwZtbbMWFvrvhFCejs7jtXhtFZSwiEsXu0KJ2jCuMqGTGFKvdonz3fi3juRmJofnyoN9TcR/s320/apples07a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522082666136877874" border="0" /></a>4kg apples<br />1kg ripe plums (3 different types)<br />500g prunes<br />1.5kg onions<br />350ml cider vinegar<br />350ml white wine vinegar<br />500g muscovado sugar<br />1 tablespoon salt<br />1 tablespoon pickling spices<br />1 tablesoon mustard seeds<br />1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />6 sticks cinnamon (which had been used in the applesauce the night before and reserved after cooking)<br /><br />And in a separate photo because I forgot to pull them out of the fridge when I took the above:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rP80T2Ld0NEJSH1PUWSDHhNRgmjWG9wnojwJae0FLBHpGvpeO0X81Bi5IktMmnf4STqOsSGSUf5Rwo6DVCyf1kfzEevqRO7OLRWnzaPgdl8k3DFLTxMlZXQyl_grzuQ4wYvU2zS6n5B9/s1600/apples07b.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rP80T2Ld0NEJSH1PUWSDHhNRgmjWG9wnojwJae0FLBHpGvpeO0X81Bi5IktMmnf4STqOsSGSUf5Rwo6DVCyf1kfzEevqRO7OLRWnzaPgdl8k3DFLTxMlZXQyl_grzuQ4wYvU2zS6n5B9/s320/apples07b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522087050548883938" border="0" /></a>juice and grated rind of two lemons<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Method </span><br /><br />First, a trick I picked up from somewhere: when using unpitted prunes (i.e. with the stones intact): refresh them by simmering them for a short while in whatever liquid you'll be using, and then the stones will come out a lot more easily.<br /><br />So I halved about half of my plums and added them to a saucepan with the prunes and the white wine vinegar to cook for a few minutes<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gMnOq0G9Pd9NwWsuBqQd-6nFZnkqcFK7RVau-nhMT5t48CWs5CX3gKKkBRrk2-7TTX5Q2felQjRtqNdGT8OVSrG6SG0JtlKOIYeWhfNCNMic7bVrFWu_uoJy_rsDu0ABzl1J-KSKA4w6/s1600/apples08.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gMnOq0G9Pd9NwWsuBqQd-6nFZnkqcFK7RVau-nhMT5t48CWs5CX3gKKkBRrk2-7TTX5Q2felQjRtqNdGT8OVSrG6SG0JtlKOIYeWhfNCNMic7bVrFWu_uoJy_rsDu0ABzl1J-KSKA4w6/s320/apples08.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522093502563009762" border="0" /></a><br />In the meantime, wash, clean, core and roughly chop the apples (I didn't peel them, the skins add texture and flavour) and finely chop the onions (I suspect I didn't chop the onions finely enough):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VGMEHiCxvonSPN1k6vh6t179x3SPiBTZ2CwlTWXlSxKGmiGDwEPpf1fvjoBd0wiaYuULhrpGTPOF_Bh8HmQwIAYITUjpxS7GHyvydyfMosL5UekOcHFkDOqZAvhhAiTSDcc_uo6Kwtfx/s1600/apples10.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VGMEHiCxvonSPN1k6vh6t179x3SPiBTZ2CwlTWXlSxKGmiGDwEPpf1fvjoBd0wiaYuULhrpGTPOF_Bh8HmQwIAYITUjpxS7GHyvydyfMosL5UekOcHFkDOqZAvhhAiTSDcc_uo6Kwtfx/s320/apples10.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522089325169508978" border="0" /></a><br />Put the apples and onions into a large thick-bottomed pot with the cider vinegar and start to cook on a high heat<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s3JuyXMVxx62QkzLw_8nrOV3sgbTlIliMM-GUXvWhgLENgWbVRGgwy4fPQ4t-kSznByKvIKG_QUlBU5utM0X1rUj07gXX6Gw-BnavFMywz9GsBlh0zcW5gKvpNXFsJpj4SUtMmYCgyU1/s1600/apples11.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s3JuyXMVxx62QkzLw_8nrOV3sgbTlIliMM-GUXvWhgLENgWbVRGgwy4fPQ4t-kSznByKvIKG_QUlBU5utM0X1rUj07gXX6Gw-BnavFMywz9GsBlh0zcW5gKvpNXFsJpj4SUtMmYCgyU1/s320/apples11.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522094643206849586" border="0" /></a><br />In the time it takes to boil, remove the stones from the prunes<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgThs7lC97-CJ4m_k1gNX-BSnBxCNjtXr4LsQJXwcBFQMJ5lJmlJuB_acBF5eYV9Oh5K4thBLBzhYN0LsuF4rY4qqUjIVG5dnSclntcuHCUop-JFS2hmYkMk1uR3pQ8fpay1Un1feDP4u/s1600/apples09.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgThs7lC97-CJ4m_k1gNX-BSnBxCNjtXr4LsQJXwcBFQMJ5lJmlJuB_acBF5eYV9Oh5K4thBLBzhYN0LsuF4rY4qqUjIVG5dnSclntcuHCUop-JFS2hmYkMk1uR3pQ8fpay1Un1feDP4u/s320/apples09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522094931992794770" border="0" /></a><br />Pit and roughly chop the remaining plums, and add them, the prunes (with their vinegar) and all remaining ingredients to the apples and onions:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhEhDxWbmAi2uiSX0-ox45BLZ9rwfoW2q0sZFBLVJQ8vAoe6RW5x9Ln6o3BOA4iFT5NOJzXvUNQuVcOlTr_C-0raHcsFQYD0uuRj8XBXpZJKVWiep-MkNKU9BPlOCjD0fZV11c7zxY2Wu/s1600/apples14a.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhEhDxWbmAi2uiSX0-ox45BLZ9rwfoW2q0sZFBLVJQ8vAoe6RW5x9Ln6o3BOA4iFT5NOJzXvUNQuVcOlTr_C-0raHcsFQYD0uuRj8XBXpZJKVWiep-MkNKU9BPlOCjD0fZV11c7zxY2Wu/s320/apples14a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522098394290450562" border="0" /></a><br />I think I should have left the apples and onions to cook and soften a little more before adding the sugar (as learned when making goooseberry jam a couple of months ago, the fruit isn't going to disintegrate a lot more once the sugar is added) . I therefore helped the apples to soften while I stirred (I wanted a fairly chunky consistency anyway so I'm not complaining).<br /><br />As pointed out when making the applesauce, the cooking pot should never be more than about two-thirds full, and this was pretty much brimming over, so I poured part of the contents into a second pan until it reduced enough to be re-integrated:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd2eOdL8CLb6Woh9xC0aN0B6Ou3Un5toFqEnmL5e82EHzrgMTMsJ5luiWOxQ1bVLptcjdx4LKuQRBc0L6H7NCX9KM9yqGSZHdPAQABs5wCHqHiIToyNbflRupHNZd_USRX5magXZ2ER7E/s1600/apples15.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd2eOdL8CLb6Woh9xC0aN0B6Ou3Un5toFqEnmL5e82EHzrgMTMsJ5luiWOxQ1bVLptcjdx4LKuQRBc0L6H7NCX9KM9yqGSZHdPAQABs5wCHqHiIToyNbflRupHNZd_USRX5magXZ2ER7E/s320/apples15.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522099847822656418" border="0" /></a><br />Leave simmering on a very low heat, uncovered, stirring very often with a wooden spoon. Beware: this is VERY hot and VERY thick and when it bubbles, it spits like molten tar, so make sure your hands and arms are covered when stirring!<br /><br />There will come a point about an hour later (it might take longer), when the contents quite suddenly start caramelising and turn dramatically darker.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX0_I_i6FjyG5kqzk9WzTj_jVvOQjI06toKsmagN5B7NeteXXvYUc4E3su0JpTWy6iSmn2JSOyh-UjTmq55-KrPkHJ7U1e9PRrwpQkrwnaPLQD5r5KkHzgflf3-FLEjFiknjuvDZXyjyC/s1600/apples16.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX0_I_i6FjyG5kqzk9WzTj_jVvOQjI06toKsmagN5B7NeteXXvYUc4E3su0JpTWy6iSmn2JSOyh-UjTmq55-KrPkHJ7U1e9PRrwpQkrwnaPLQD5r5KkHzgflf3-FLEjFiknjuvDZXyjyC/s320/apples16.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522103750059512290" border="0" /></a>(The greyness is just steam coming off the chutney, this indicates how hot it is, considering the stove is barely burning.)<br /><br />Leave to cook for another half hour after that point, stirring frequently all the way to the bottom, to stop the contents sticking to the pan.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8YWMhQiAAiFc1O5CAqV9hbRgyDi_0xJnTciAzTZkaw9m21bjFvHqdg1W1ZscmlTN-26eAbsdwBI8GrXb7Fyhf8rNj4LpP-UpwBuHc4UYTpVeZqXZ7WNBMsLJiqY0Bw3PaEZCDTNpehw2/s1600/apples17.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8YWMhQiAAiFc1O5CAqV9hbRgyDi_0xJnTciAzTZkaw9m21bjFvHqdg1W1ZscmlTN-26eAbsdwBI8GrXb7Fyhf8rNj4LpP-UpwBuHc4UYTpVeZqXZ7WNBMsLJiqY0Bw3PaEZCDTNpehw2/s320/apples17.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522106734821559922" border="0" /></a><br />I did it by feel, but apparently the way to know the chutney is done is if you run the spoon across the deepest contents of the pan to leave a trail, it doesn't immediately spill over (of course I couldn't see the bottom of the pan)!<br /><br />While it's cooking, prepare and clean jars and lids (this is a 7-litre pot so I prepared jars for seven litres) - see the gooseberry jam blog for instructions. The one difference here is that because this recipe includes vinegar and onions, there's a lot of acid around so you'll need vinegar-proof seals or inlays to prevent the lids rusting to pieces before the chutney gets a chance to mature!<br /><br />Empty the chutney into the clean jars, insert a piece of vinegar-proof sheeting, and tighten the lids. In the absence of a proper jamming boiling bath, half-fill the deepest metal saucepans you have with clean boiling water, fully immerse the filled jars and boil on a high heat for five minutes (you'll note that most of my jars are too tall and aren't fully immersed). If using modern jar lids (I have no proper preserving jar lids, these are just from various jarred products we buy) you'll hear the little lid buttons click one by one as the pressure inside the jars drops to seal the contents.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qPuEb-xpy0CYXBJ1spzG_8IJiqPL05rB34Qw4XBYRw4c2Ctv9sGru6EcZhZIBk02cA_w43GCJsgqUGcu-tCFq_SJS6iNoGtNSRMv_meNJAwgtQraO4HRWc1kGnoZ_PPN9LmlOV4Lu3zd/s1600/apples18.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qPuEb-xpy0CYXBJ1spzG_8IJiqPL05rB34Qw4XBYRw4c2Ctv9sGru6EcZhZIBk02cA_w43GCJsgqUGcu-tCFq_SJS6iNoGtNSRMv_meNJAwgtQraO4HRWc1kGnoZ_PPN9LmlOV4Lu3zd/s320/apples18.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522110344452173666" border="0" /></a><br />Use jarring tongs (one of my many nicknames at school was <span style="font-style: italic;">asbestos-hands </span>for a reason) take the EXTREMELY HOT jars out of the pans of water and set aside to cool.<br /><br />The next day they'll be cold, so trim the vinegar-proof sheets, label with contents and date.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBgAIis41q06WKHJKk9gg1YG21IVhuHgrHE_w-HujfW8E-OPtxghdcT8ECtxVYH9aXDDrj4edhJtm8uUV3Nl0l95KJ-w0fXbA0UT3ZBBa8mXVEGU2DfzvQxuuc0Stbm8VJDVl83W21-wi/s1600/apples19.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBgAIis41q06WKHJKk9gg1YG21IVhuHgrHE_w-HujfW8E-OPtxghdcT8ECtxVYH9aXDDrj4edhJtm8uUV3Nl0l95KJ-w0fXbA0UT3ZBBa8mXVEGU2DfzvQxuuc0Stbm8VJDVl83W21-wi/s320/apples19.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522114869496446674" border="0" /></a><br />Put into a a cool dark place for three months to mature and then enjoy. Don't even think about eating sooner! In theory, if made properly and properly sealed, this chutney should be perfectly safe for a couple of years at least. (My sister's chutney made in a similar way has been known to last three years - not that it usually lasts that long without being eaten.)<br /><br />I made this batch on 23rd September, in full knowedge that it'll be Christmas in three months, and what we don't eat will be given away as gifts. Clever me!<br /><br />I have six large jars and three smaller ones, and all it cost me apart from gas and stock ingredients, was the sugar (about 70p), the vinegar (about £1.30) and the prunes (£1.60, though they came from our larder where they'd sat for six months), so all inclusive that's about 50p a HUGE jar. You'd be lucky to get chutney like this for less than £2.50 a SMALL jar.<br /><script type="text/javascript">var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript">var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();</script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-47062455423088118262010-09-27T15:05:00.005+01:002010-09-28T22:34:57.771+01:00New food blog/recipe/idea: ApplesauceI've been tweeting about the glut of apples from our tree and that of our neighbours this autumn (their house has been empty for the last 8 months and I had permission to help myself), and this is one of the things I did with them: Apple sauce. There'll be another blog along shortly regarding apple and plum chutney.<br /><br />I had a previous applesauce session using about 4kg of windfalls from our tree which involved loganberries and not a lot of sugar and I think I learned a couple of lessons.<br /><br />Note: Our tree is a child of the one next door. It grew from a windfall about 15 years ago and was nurtured by my dad, and transplanted about 10 feet to be out of its parent's shade. The apples are something like a cross between a Cox's Pippin and a Braeburn. The flesh is very white and very juicy, but really quite tart and barely edible raw. (Certainly eating more than one a day is guaranteed tummy upset, or worse!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rYAq1VrqMvK2uDUIX1M79odeFTh8SdL9PpAnaigxUqJMOouz3wvdsuzzpXJ0Ojrp-fIfW9SgFm9gpgVDq6x_eJfv-AjlOC26LiAdKFvxs9nZqWXOnj9cbBCc-H0EIkIUPoaPU8DQtXPL/s1600/apples01.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rYAq1VrqMvK2uDUIX1M79odeFTh8SdL9PpAnaigxUqJMOouz3wvdsuzzpXJ0Ojrp-fIfW9SgFm9gpgVDq6x_eJfv-AjlOC26LiAdKFvxs9nZqWXOnj9cbBCc-H0EIkIUPoaPU8DQtXPL/s320/apples01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521596506720857314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>The word "recipe" for this apple sauce really is overstating the case!<br /><br />1. Core, peel and roughly chop up 4KG raw apples (I left the peels on about half of them to add more textrue to the sauce) and put in large heavy-bottomed cooking pot.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJA97q09-GtHBruswkeaCGIxioJnItBhyphenhyphenS_dobb-v-ztWm_grSnn62JzD3ZhP2yi8YHGGkGSi-bbssv8qygNqW0u2qPmXgUc81Y7JPoUJg_N_xuB8MNnOOK1MonG6l9GK8ZsC4dtU3zIQ/s1600/apples03.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJA97q09-GtHBruswkeaCGIxioJnItBhyphenhyphenS_dobb-v-ztWm_grSnn62JzD3ZhP2yi8YHGGkGSi-bbssv8qygNqW0u2qPmXgUc81Y7JPoUJg_N_xuB8MNnOOK1MonG6l9GK8ZsC4dtU3zIQ/s320/apples03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521597099364882882" border="0" /></a><br />2. Add about a cupful of water (these apples are very juicy and the water's only there to stop sticking/burning during the early cooking), 500g of sugar (I used about half that in my previous batch and it wasn't enough) - I'd've preferred all brown but I only had a little so I made it up with white - and a few cinnamon sticks to taste (in my case, 1 large stick per kilo of apples plus another couple). Note that my large cooking pot was too small to start with so I had some cooking in a second smaller pot. When cooking this kind of thing, NEVER fill the pot more than 2/3 to 3/4 full because the sauce is going to spit and bubble while stirring!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNmU1dS5f28BSQ_iLbieefNftlKDLDBfbjXr3o5AQwxI9Bn9Qfv4lFvIABNWGV6ipRnXcL1sdZaKxj3ikYueg4Soa3vLQip5-GrSpQUWkyln6s2iUKqoYCI3tF__Fks43wuDcolITgJ6i/s1600/apples04.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNmU1dS5f28BSQ_iLbieefNftlKDLDBfbjXr3o5AQwxI9Bn9Qfv4lFvIABNWGV6ipRnXcL1sdZaKxj3ikYueg4Soa3vLQip5-GrSpQUWkyln6s2iUKqoYCI3tF__Fks43wuDcolITgJ6i/s320/apples04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521597862352566258" border="0" /></a><br />3. Turn on heat and as soon as it starts to boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened (about 15 minutes). (About halfway through, the volume had reduced enough to pour the contents of the smaller pan into the large one)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVFSkeHzux3ju58Ox6K9j9g7ThRScbrabdubuFGSypmBoG8Dxay_B4KA8G_Aa_SQj4MPxf0LcJ8ygvLsPM2bcJFEbSjmOOedaTyYxPZ9ji3kdAgLznd3gSdFJu49lE1E3oB5th19XcR5u/s1600/apples05.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVFSkeHzux3ju58Ox6K9j9g7ThRScbrabdubuFGSypmBoG8Dxay_B4KA8G_Aa_SQj4MPxf0LcJ8ygvLsPM2bcJFEbSjmOOedaTyYxPZ9ji3kdAgLznd3gSdFJu49lE1E3oB5th19XcR5u/s320/apples05.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521599446972708162" border="0" /></a><br />4. Leave to cool, remove cinnamon sticks and pour into plastic containers with lids. Freeze. It should keep for up to 3 months in a domestic freezer. Use for cakes, desserts or whatever takes your fancy! My 4kg of raw apples yielded 2x 1litre ice-cream containers plus 1.2litre ready-made soup containers (880ml + 4ooml).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWl50g3ERo85Hox0hgnvZ-FLH4fgbuV62JMlV998rZog1G01qfiqoy4nNruuaUY6Ucx20KGNNVAFo5xf-F6rkPMbLjcjLY2FhDgXD_lgBTi-QdMqzxWLO6Htv5Bl6M7bBr4BuVza_MzFk_/s1600/apples06.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWl50g3ERo85Hox0hgnvZ-FLH4fgbuV62JMlV998rZog1G01qfiqoy4nNruuaUY6Ucx20KGNNVAFo5xf-F6rkPMbLjcjLY2FhDgXD_lgBTi-QdMqzxWLO6Htv5Bl6M7bBr4BuVza_MzFk_/s320/apples06.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521602222085940402" border="0" /></a><br /><script type="text/javascript">var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript">var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();</script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-32508656593654386912010-07-21T14:37:00.023+01:002010-07-21T16:17:15.675+01:00Gooseberry Jam!I've been going on on Twitter about our gooseberry harvest this year and my attempts at making jam. Some people have asked for instructions, so this is how I did it! These pictures are from my second attempt - the first had been the day before and I learned a few lessons from it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZEF0renqe3MNwxgXAZ6uReEYQj49ECv-R4P9GYiqx9utQqTM9YtTf6j4Fq9jbkHpNOU_Bl64zyI0X1ImQqdbmL3ToBIZf2JLHMYV3jvgEJZOVOVH8D-At5T6tvFwX8FFtiHlc55ZiDET/s1600/PICT0476.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZEF0renqe3MNwxgXAZ6uReEYQj49ECv-R4P9GYiqx9utQqTM9YtTf6j4Fq9jbkHpNOU_Bl64zyI0X1ImQqdbmL3ToBIZf2JLHMYV3jvgEJZOVOVH8D-At5T6tvFwX8FFtiHlc55ZiDET/s320/PICT0476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496362944159597746" border="0" /></a><br />Step 1: Gather your gooseberries<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN33YOdCAuR6xWusXPMcNxtFG0nHSjlcpE4aqEpjt32SC-EnqzXm040DblNgam6bahsp4_E-_PI1H_371jF_aWo9_6z1qWWjp84-xVtEUWo2KkQeQHBdIjuGJM0O3fOuLkRzIuFpE82sYs/s1600/PICT0483.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN33YOdCAuR6xWusXPMcNxtFG0nHSjlcpE4aqEpjt32SC-EnqzXm040DblNgam6bahsp4_E-_PI1H_371jF_aWo9_6z1qWWjp84-xVtEUWo2KkQeQHBdIjuGJM0O3fOuLkRzIuFpE82sYs/s320/PICT0483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496362700721130930" border="0" /></a>Step 2: top and tail the fruit - it's easiest to use scissors!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKk0z4jYNaWWro98hNrDJEGlUodm0UM1T_ASZTbMTrzP5UNGYp6ogWh6yEScIeERaMGkWu24ZS_jnVZRVbFzVu7zPR5M-YqcgNetiEgUfl81fVr4zUUYTAYh7u53tuSdpf6CMl3zgsjH0/s1600/PICT0488.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKk0z4jYNaWWro98hNrDJEGlUodm0UM1T_ASZTbMTrzP5UNGYp6ogWh6yEScIeERaMGkWu24ZS_jnVZRVbFzVu7zPR5M-YqcgNetiEgUfl81fVr4zUUYTAYh7u53tuSdpf6CMl3zgsjH0/s320/PICT0488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496362482668736642" border="0" /></a><br />Step 3: wash well under running water<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4H7XygFdjRrgt0hJL9Y1qZF8Pf6RTcErH4fg3ACu-YUqgyxd-wuVJAMbzb7WDJyFbIy8sGlW1akN-aLIJFuF7dSXTlGzhOSHWvRO3VooLZYViql8JbXY2xx18OCDdKWWHXBvyWvxb5B_/s1600/PICT0492.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4H7XygFdjRrgt0hJL9Y1qZF8Pf6RTcErH4fg3ACu-YUqgyxd-wuVJAMbzb7WDJyFbIy8sGlW1akN-aLIJFuF7dSXTlGzhOSHWvRO3VooLZYViql8JbXY2xx18OCDdKWWHXBvyWvxb5B_/s320/PICT0492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496362287085271890" border="0" /></a><br />Step 4: weigh. In my case, remove and eat excess so there's an even 1kg left!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidebyvng_tP8NcVPPw93eSx6wIdPtwzh_0DaBPdPle9y6ZvcYA7Hdgija0eQTrHpQnCGOCgcXowjOCDDDYybzxYFzWU5tZH_TsojEXqPLgopA2tDO1Lyq4rnZIlpdTAqxRDJiWPLfJDbH3/s1600/PICT0499.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidebyvng_tP8NcVPPw93eSx6wIdPtwzh_0DaBPdPle9y6ZvcYA7Hdgija0eQTrHpQnCGOCgcXowjOCDDDYybzxYFzWU5tZH_TsojEXqPLgopA2tDO1Lyq4rnZIlpdTAqxRDJiWPLfJDbH3/s320/PICT0499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496362062178070946" border="0" /></a><br />Step 5: The normal rules of jam-making with soft fruit is to use at least the same weight of sugar as fruit (1kg - 1.2kg sugar to 1kg of fruit). I discovered the night before that these gooseberries are sweet and ripe enough, and the jam came out too sweet and sickly, so I reduced the amount of sugar to 800g. Also, I like the smokey flavour of unrefined sugar so I used 50/50 white and demarara.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqeOeNTrVuk8Ad5bmLjUaDIAoLyUmKB_vQSyukZzRGaqiw_MWluRqSEHZuabtC2HTdEWNF9HnvX1jO3t7y_RLne0OtxUm7t9rTnAm8atsw_BfIQGSQDx9taimnv67RiDsI6aFeyDaFrgu/s1600/PICT0495.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqeOeNTrVuk8Ad5bmLjUaDIAoLyUmKB_vQSyukZzRGaqiw_MWluRqSEHZuabtC2HTdEWNF9HnvX1jO3t7y_RLne0OtxUm7t9rTnAm8atsw_BfIQGSQDx9taimnv67RiDsI6aFeyDaFrgu/s320/PICT0495.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496361948191185954" border="0" /></a><br />Step 5: Measure 80% in litres of cold water of the weight in kilos of fruit - in this case 800ml.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vsR45H2GNX6peD_YYWG7Nhq_2A0HECHjXeOu_VSJDUqM-v28CHpksHo170N1Nj0KhzfjdAaIIbOzM107nF4CuzZWc62mDVGQfYmT8hab8RE_Yc_57BhzpyEFo9tC4qnaBVkA7mFhg2yP/s1600/PICT0497.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vsR45H2GNX6peD_YYWG7Nhq_2A0HECHjXeOu_VSJDUqM-v28CHpksHo170N1Nj0KhzfjdAaIIbOzM107nF4CuzZWc62mDVGQfYmT8hab8RE_Yc_57BhzpyEFo9tC4qnaBVkA7mFhg2yP/s320/PICT0497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496361801457669074" border="0" /></a><br />Step 6: Put fruit and cold water into a heavy saucepan, and bring to boil. Also turn on your oven, on its hottest setting.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtdmNkBWYsZmtpxMzTRYD6cykZuWlfJ_BsP0E8f0NbMb0J3rVHd9Gq7wb-I_WxLD0P6cAcS812fArDEZW7dT5xbewtXzwYg_zeQ0eJgnkFSuusfWjMY2TcMhfqWAOpuwWopqFKbcCTwEC/s1600/PICT0508.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtdmNkBWYsZmtpxMzTRYD6cykZuWlfJ_BsP0E8f0NbMb0J3rVHd9Gq7wb-I_WxLD0P6cAcS812fArDEZW7dT5xbewtXzwYg_zeQ0eJgnkFSuusfWjMY2TcMhfqWAOpuwWopqFKbcCTwEC/s320/PICT0508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496361080684133202" border="0" /></a><br />Step 7. While that's happening (about 2 mins) start washing enough jars with lids to take 150% of the weight of raw fruit (in my case, 1.5kg) in the hottest soapy water you can muster, in a clean bowl. Leave to soak.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSPcynOwF09aK75RqfrbaqnnGBI0RI6Qt9uligAEywdZGG08fxHxtDVaJWXcsV1z5TDMflVmBbq6czbLqBQd8E3VJFwALUCcURNDgsKwST1C515X9j8I9dfCQLZZvyy5Xy7q6RA5qW2nc/s1600/PICT0506.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmW-7cbtZGRk5Dn5vWzljggqcWbxiUyJJ1hw5bZ2LnEdUZv-UZ20PH2zqUdz6LBfk-O-DtBU4sn86EGGPomvK4RjEm5rMiDoZkYLRpcXpmhVl4DWeeHVvKmpF9MwGiuZED333zuH-vXqFY/s1600/PICT0512.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmW-7cbtZGRk5Dn5vWzljggqcWbxiUyJJ1hw5bZ2LnEdUZv-UZ20PH2zqUdz6LBfk-O-DtBU4sn86EGGPomvK4RjEm5rMiDoZkYLRpcXpmhVl4DWeeHVvKmpF9MwGiuZED333zuH-vXqFY/s320/PICT0512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496360039691780834" border="0" /></a><br />Step 8. As soon as mixture starts boiling, bring down to a <span style="font-weight: bold;">slow simmer</span> and keep stirring until the fruit starts falling apart (another couple of minutes)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievhOxMddLrLY4F-d7RaWF_IuWzMqta2D0hDjzB8yMToVVEVtApax82204kDZhGcgUtBr1pliBuWRgSK01y2Re-SE4s7-XJsksRF_Ovo84ENmKl20_ZQiSYFKIPQSzvvey_NYqO4_5q_ID/s1600/PICT0514.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievhOxMddLrLY4F-d7RaWF_IuWzMqta2D0hDjzB8yMToVVEVtApax82204kDZhGcgUtBr1pliBuWRgSK01y2Re-SE4s7-XJsksRF_Ovo84ENmKl20_ZQiSYFKIPQSzvvey_NYqO4_5q_ID/s320/PICT0514.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496359246295050482" border="0" /></a><br />Step 9. Check <span style="font-weight: bold;">all</span> fruit has softened, and then add sugar while slowly stirring - preferably with a wooden spoon (and it's still barely simmering)....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAa8td2_27xkINKBxkl6iwA5TDkUZV4iStBi57uukuVWx352VkxFfhz5A4yJ9D0L02IFgwf-ubMl6sGR2Jqb86VR45EdyoLscXBPGXyyTdao10S-duUI4WOYWJlYyEcRainnA4in7hMnP/s1600/PICT0518.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAa8td2_27xkINKBxkl6iwA5TDkUZV4iStBi57uukuVWx352VkxFfhz5A4yJ9D0L02IFgwf-ubMl6sGR2Jqb86VR45EdyoLscXBPGXyyTdao10S-duUI4WOYWJlYyEcRainnA4in7hMnP/s320/PICT0518.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496355954602104482" border="0" /></a><br />... Continue stirring until you can feel absolutely <span style="font-weight: bold;">absolutely all </span>the sugar has dissolved (a minute or so).<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSPcynOwF09aK75RqfrbaqnnGBI0RI6Qt9uligAEywdZGG08fxHxtDVaJWXcsV1z5TDMflVmBbq6czbLqBQd8E3VJFwALUCcURNDgsKwST1C515X9j8I9dfCQLZZvyy5Xy7q6RA5qW2nc/s1600/PICT0506.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSPcynOwF09aK75RqfrbaqnnGBI0RI6Qt9uligAEywdZGG08fxHxtDVaJWXcsV1z5TDMflVmBbq6czbLqBQd8E3VJFwALUCcURNDgsKwST1C515X9j8I9dfCQLZZvyy5Xy7q6RA5qW2nc/s320/PICT0506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496360444516632162" border="0" /></a><br />Step 10. When all the sugar has dissolved (and not a moment sooner) bring the mixture to a rapid full boil, as hot as possible. When it starts boiling, set a timer for fifteen minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_DOSlniCA__jhyphenhyphenkkcTwk9xSVf9q3DbnvigZ1lO1yOb5IG3AJKZrUOp8xN6Kz107IJYOOpakK3X84xBjAyLffVxwyFQRyiTBi8cF8GoIEFgkmDQSgdkRiXXfPtZ6xqN49xeYF_REbixOA/s1600/PICT0519.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_DOSlniCA__jhyphenhyphenkkcTwk9xSVf9q3DbnvigZ1lO1yOb5IG3AJKZrUOp8xN6Kz107IJYOOpakK3X84xBjAyLffVxwyFQRyiTBi8cF8GoIEFgkmDQSgdkRiXXfPtZ6xqN49xeYF_REbixOA/s320/PICT0519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496355820715863330" border="0" /></a><br />Step 11. While the mixture is boiling, complete washing the jars and lids as scrupulously as possible and rinse out in the hottest water you can manage (in my case, straight from the kettle)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5mccAYWd-k7EcRnxj5WLV7X2P8CzOBDQ6h1tpYOKECX48BTQlD9kzzALaJ9oqdlBhIsZLjWrCruTvGKDaj-gzX7qgA_PPeD42KEqUpEX0vlH722TldwFaKDAN-lg49RW5KgPM_UC9Vsy/s1600/PICT0524.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5mccAYWd-k7EcRnxj5WLV7X2P8CzOBDQ6h1tpYOKECX48BTQlD9kzzALaJ9oqdlBhIsZLjWrCruTvGKDaj-gzX7qgA_PPeD42KEqUpEX0vlH722TldwFaKDAN-lg49RW5KgPM_UC9Vsy/s320/PICT0524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496355736513420738" border="0" /></a><br />Step 12. Do not wipe the jars, but shake off excess water, switch off your (hot) oven (you DID switch it on earlier, didn't you?) and put your jars and lids inside upside down to dry out and keep warm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToqQIBTF98a3reKY37THkHselBV_JP674DQv825LP2a9UKmlZUCFhob1sDspJV0x8RpZmPdwJXFvkkI2t1YNgwihzQt4uoH_1a3xTLWD8U9qxWVpxWvTeMeZUrzlST1bnbdylPFia9DFy/s1600/PICT0521.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToqQIBTF98a3reKY37THkHselBV_JP674DQv825LP2a9UKmlZUCFhob1sDspJV0x8RpZmPdwJXFvkkI2t1YNgwihzQt4uoH_1a3xTLWD8U9qxWVpxWvTeMeZUrzlST1bnbdylPFia9DFy/s320/PICT0521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496353651266940978" border="0" /></a><br />Step 13. Cookery books and jam-making recipes make a big deal about temperature. And it's true, the mixture should boil at over 100-110°C but you should be OK by keeping it rolling for 15 minutes. Also, there are things like the wrinkle test to ensure it's ready, but I've not bothered during my past jam-making experiments and I've been OK.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5h7QIvHUdPjmkvQhFTYQnsWAqZoq4yFef0UwWB50fCNLpddl3_HDUGKgxhdDRcoy3mhYAhRIimZwHfyf0tI8nz1vNIFI4c5-FHi6Q7qQLTQUOqqZGZZ6wKqiHbVWDDA88HvsafVHh6c6/s1600/PICT0525.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5h7QIvHUdPjmkvQhFTYQnsWAqZoq4yFef0UwWB50fCNLpddl3_HDUGKgxhdDRcoy3mhYAhRIimZwHfyf0tI8nz1vNIFI4c5-FHi6Q7qQLTQUOqqZGZZ6wKqiHbVWDDA88HvsafVHh6c6/s320/PICT0525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496353973864649618" border="0" /></a><br />Step 14. If desired, seive the boiling mixture into another clean saucepan if you want clear jam/jelly with no "bits". I'm going to make one 300g of clear jam and leave the rest with the bits...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdxphdEdU4XdtbN-F7-iZpS2WN8g8x4JGeEHl7p3sO_ocRgKwokvEGoaB2QhH6UP7vjvMSpBBMAEo7NpZ47otPXaz7IJQR9JjQ0dScqZIf5KrZsSBPgQGV01Qnuax0o_Va86IbzeonK6L/s1600/PICT0526.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdxphdEdU4XdtbN-F7-iZpS2WN8g8x4JGeEHl7p3sO_ocRgKwokvEGoaB2QhH6UP7vjvMSpBBMAEo7NpZ47otPXaz7IJQR9JjQ0dScqZIf5KrZsSBPgQGV01Qnuax0o_Va86IbzeonK6L/s320/PICT0526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496353790391462018" border="0" /></a><br />... Return the seived clear liquid to the boil for another minute or two. Remove any scum that forms from the top of both saucepans before...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToqQIBTF98a3reKY37THkHselBV_JP674DQv825LP2a9UKmlZUCFhob1sDspJV0x8RpZmPdwJXFvkkI2t1YNgwihzQt4uoH_1a3xTLWD8U9qxWVpxWvTeMeZUrzlST1bnbdylPFia9DFy/s1600/PICT0521.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EL_UBWqvAwKD0FUuIINnPaJyIzrck28iKSoru6HuzYArRvPinoqUq1ff8Y4adKH_BAzjJ0Uo6RAMzURN-exWksHgPAT0m9l5poDq4oXjoeN-UjrucTSahmhT5L5o-1SiJkz7scij548L/s1600/PICT0528.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EL_UBWqvAwKD0FUuIINnPaJyIzrck28iKSoru6HuzYArRvPinoqUq1ff8Y4adKH_BAzjJ0Uo6RAMzURN-exWksHgPAT0m9l5poDq4oXjoeN-UjrucTSahmhT5L5o-1SiJkz7scij548L/s320/PICT0528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496353545463348754" border="0" /></a><br />Step 15. ... pouring it into jars. Fill jars to the very brim so that there is no air in there to create condensation - condensation causes mould!<br /><br />The clear/bitless jar is at the back on the left. I couldn't take any pictures of the bottling process as I only have two hands and it needs to be done quickly! Do not be surprised if the jam isn't very thick straight away, it might even need several hours after it's completely cold!<br /><br />If I had any expectation that my jam would be standing around for any length of time I'd do the right thing and seal them with a waxed circle and a cellophane membrane before putting on the lids, but I fully expect none of my jam to be standing around for more than a couple of months - it will be fine in a fridge for that long! (I have now found homes for all but one of the jars!)<br /><br />Last but not least, I didn't take a picture, but put a label on your jars listing the contents and date of production (for stock rotation purposes).<br /><br />I hope this has been helpful - please let me know if you've tried this recipe and whether or not it worked!<br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript">var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript">var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();</script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-80290675855774076962010-07-07T14:42:00.011+01:002010-07-07T15:11:28.547+01:00ChrzanI love the word <span style="font-weight: bold;">chrzan</span> - it's Polish for horseradish. I leave you, dear reader, to take a guess at pronunciation!<br /><br />We have loads of horseradish growing wild in our garden so while cleaning up today I dug up a small fraction of the mature roots to make some horesradish sauce/paste. Here's some photos from the process!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnbS8l3OqFHjkHGoHoGqF9tTGIkK9IfxMeYkscuIVSf8M6qZHYvIB7VHQTyv4n0im5_PM6QrUjMqqY3LtW0imeknM_MTeHC4je7Jr1orhcdLKHdT0tGWcEYRg7ainkXy8Gl2c2lq2fNBC/s1600/chrzan01.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnbS8l3OqFHjkHGoHoGqF9tTGIkK9IfxMeYkscuIVSf8M6qZHYvIB7VHQTyv4n0im5_PM6QrUjMqqY3LtW0imeknM_MTeHC4je7Jr1orhcdLKHdT0tGWcEYRg7ainkXy8Gl2c2lq2fNBC/s320/chrzan01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491160090045265906" border="0" /></a><br />freshly dug-up roots in the middle of the lawn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Edm7c55s9tCtTZDGyNlGHTmH7-w2cpL693qCohrY98QInniL3G_0Af_fjtXVEFojXqnuDi3zAgaJEumq-RvPRbvi9713qu9dUbL2RC65N9cdhvcuT1F1kqHR8OkV8aXNFk0EHjC8WK_y/s1600/chrzan02.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Edm7c55s9tCtTZDGyNlGHTmH7-w2cpL693qCohrY98QInniL3G_0Af_fjtXVEFojXqnuDi3zAgaJEumq-RvPRbvi9713qu9dUbL2RC65N9cdhvcuT1F1kqHR8OkV8aXNFk0EHjC8WK_y/s320/chrzan02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491160422938382162" border="0" /></a>Discarded leaves<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7DZIcoiJp95YYm9H6_UyfgC11Od1mv5JuY1pDHVaqWMllkdV-1auVWV0skGDdphCjfZ3ofjU3QDTPEgLrE7sygYMjwYZa3GlJhma78OFsgw7gqlOeVYYH6CuVKYcYm-gaX7RxG5-nRIq/s1600/chrzan03.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7DZIcoiJp95YYm9H6_UyfgC11Od1mv5JuY1pDHVaqWMllkdV-1auVWV0skGDdphCjfZ3ofjU3QDTPEgLrE7sygYMjwYZa3GlJhma78OFsgw7gqlOeVYYH6CuVKYcYm-gaX7RxG5-nRIq/s320/chrzan03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491160761128617010" border="0" /></a><br />1.1kg of roots after they'd been cleaned of soil and given a scrub<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8uY0iRF1gZGmHHl7nq18lYIPhL51SanFJW2kqhWfx8p8aKQhjGEuC1LUrhNJnxybPRfKqaZjDq68LK7aVRP25wjtxfR2eCCVbv5JYVlWiSupZDHH3jIwJk4tCYa7sENLj-3WPmOm-Tbh/s1600/chrzan04.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8uY0iRF1gZGmHHl7nq18lYIPhL51SanFJW2kqhWfx8p8aKQhjGEuC1LUrhNJnxybPRfKqaZjDq68LK7aVRP25wjtxfR2eCCVbv5JYVlWiSupZDHH3jIwJk4tCYa7sENLj-3WPmOm-Tbh/s320/chrzan04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491161025498581090" border="0" /></a><br />Looking better: washed, peeled and roughly diced<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88FIayBQPlyh_s5xuALIYfV6mH1Lx1nMCDB6fI6VYb1SZHCSCl01mhWwi3HKFZ5kfCLv-1WsPxOK3qm9j5Q2n6XFc20Ol3yQpEYkjCJP_Di13IyTo1XYbx3_uqy2PhQvdLEtcpmwJVO7B/s1600/chrzan05.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88FIayBQPlyh_s5xuALIYfV6mH1Lx1nMCDB6fI6VYb1SZHCSCl01mhWwi3HKFZ5kfCLv-1WsPxOK3qm9j5Q2n6XFc20Ol3yQpEYkjCJP_Di13IyTo1XYbx3_uqy2PhQvdLEtcpmwJVO7B/s320/chrzan05.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491161233594593234" border="0" /></a><br />First blitzing in small doses. Only additions: 1 glass boiling water, half glass white malt vinegar and half glass white wine vinegar, one tablespoon salt, one tablespoon sugar<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfVAyDa_nTIIr-E1SYWKhDWSVX1Vy2dU9ImEQxu33EEhsZWxikMQTmSpeNfMblA17idMiujwsO5IpN9_rlS4rWZsFo1VhLpZYbmbWyHeAt9brzSXlzZLvn9leuPVR98sv8WsCUmzMRBtz/s1600/chrzan-eyes.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfVAyDa_nTIIr-E1SYWKhDWSVX1Vy2dU9ImEQxu33EEhsZWxikMQTmSpeNfMblA17idMiujwsO5IpN9_rlS4rWZsFo1VhLpZYbmbWyHeAt9brzSXlzZLvn9leuPVR98sv8WsCUmzMRBtz/s320/chrzan-eyes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491161882141583938" border="0" /></a>The effect of the fumes on my poor eyes!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOY85DF05SWkAa_zzgNiAnreWy8Jqzya-SIyk6RNz6BHSsy2lv7ibnnRSErjH3FQl10Puq7KJSdCw5v2z5xfX-ZrHQvswMLnD_va9VZYDAnIhb1H6UW-bZg-dDZqkB4Qbrg1ZoLu6mawa/s1600/chrzan06.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOY85DF05SWkAa_zzgNiAnreWy8Jqzya-SIyk6RNz6BHSsy2lv7ibnnRSErjH3FQl10Puq7KJSdCw5v2z5xfX-ZrHQvswMLnD_va9VZYDAnIhb1H6UW-bZg-dDZqkB4Qbrg1ZoLu6mawa/s320/chrzan06.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491162251097131650" border="0" /></a><br />1.4kg of finished paste after second blitzing (Yes, I DID recalibrate the scales!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCudP5PbO_OjV5AFI1Ip7ujMILhxelPvWEmIhAi8tE_e_idOSJglxMWN-XuE3u6CzfZ-x3juzUxhFUmhKVyItfBgaXf4pIWaV0uJXqZzSSmqnhU5plk-cdQBXqLFs1Xk-Msa2UTnz3elv/s1600/chrzan07.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCudP5PbO_OjV5AFI1Ip7ujMILhxelPvWEmIhAi8tE_e_idOSJglxMWN-XuE3u6CzfZ-x3juzUxhFUmhKVyItfBgaXf4pIWaV0uJXqZzSSmqnhU5plk-cdQBXqLFs1Xk-Msa2UTnz3elv/s320/chrzan07.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491163200711160130" border="0" /></a>Shops sell horseradish in little 50g jars like the one in front. How long will my 2 x 600g gherkin jars last, I wonder? (the two smaller ones are going to my sisters) Honest proposition: would anyone within travelling distance like some for free? Otherwise it's likely to go to waste, and I'm guaranteed at least a similar harvest in November, and again in the spring!<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript">var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript">var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();</script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-69809720031891758272010-03-23T01:08:00.005+00:002010-03-23T02:04:48.662+00:00The sadness of infirmity in old age<script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script>I've never written about this is public before because.... it's complicated.
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<br />My life for the last few years has revolved around catering for the needs of my elderly parents, and over the last year or so, especially those of my dad.
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<br />He was 95 a couple of months ago and after an active, virile life of the usual masculine achievements for someone of his generation, his health and appearance have taken a series of major blows over last couple of years.
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<br />This has been most visible in our garden: it's not really something I'm into or very good at, but for all my life planting things to eat, look at or smell has been a passion of my dad's, with varying degrees of success, but nevertheless with unbridled passion. The spring of 2009 was the last time he was able to get <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">involved</span> in it in any way, preparing seedlings and giving me instructions what to do. I am reminded of this now, looking out of my bedroom window and seeing the wreck of our vegetable plots which I haven't even cleaned up or dug over since last year's harvest.
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<br />Creepy-looking dead runner bean plants haven't been uprooted, potato plants lay where they they grew, dead flowers have been <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unpruned</span>, the apple tree needs attention, etc, etc. Until last year, these are all things my dad would have done either himself or organised me to see to doing. And yet now, he's not even been in the garden since September (the practicalities of getting his wheelchair out there and back in have caused him to lose interest) and for the last few months he's rarely even looked out the back window.
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<br />He last left the house about a month ago to see his doctor and for the last two weeks he's been permanently bedridden. He has had a bad knee for as long as I remember, he developed a hernia a couple of years ago (which is the immediate cause of much of his current distress) on which doctors refuse to operate given his age and his history of a couple of strokes about 20 years ago, he was recently diagnosed with a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">cataract</span> in his left eye and he has a burn wound on his right ankle which has refused to heal properly since last October. And he's borderline Type II Diabetic.
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<br />He's also suffered from chronic constipation since before his strokes (which the strokes just made worse) and ever since Christmas we've searched for foods he is able to eat, digest and evacuate without TOO much pain. He's currently managing mushy rice in milk with stewed prunes and lots of fruit juice.
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<br />It is incredibly sad to watch a man who in his prime could eat a whole loaf of bread over the course of a single day along with a mound of fresh fruit and vegetables and manage a whole chicken or half a cow if he had it available, but was so active that he'd burn it all off.
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<br />My abiding memory of his first stroke is not the circumstances of the stroke itself, but the fact that two days after being discharged from hospital, he was 25 feet in the air at the top of a ladder fixing a leaky roof, having been ordered to take it easy for a minimum of a month.
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<br />It's sad and frustrating to watch someone who has spent his entire life not having to count on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">anyone's</span> help or assistance, and indeed refusing it when it was necessary, to be dependant on my 86 year-old mother and me for absolutely every need, and the pain in his eyes is obvious.
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<br />A baby requires constant care and attention, needs to have its bottom cleaned and can do very little for itself. But it knows no better. An adult in the same situation, with all mental faculties present but a complete inability to express them, is a different matter entirely. A baby <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">doesn't</span> feel shame or embarrassment, an elderly adult does.
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<br />I don't know how long my dad has left. There's every chance that when I wake up in the morning, I'll discover that he never will again. Or he might last another week. The chances he'll survive until Easter are remote. As a religious man that is probably the only hope he has left, of meeting his Maker in the glory of resurrection rather than the dark gloom of Lent.
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<br />I've lost all vestiges of my catholic religious <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">upbringing</span> myself but it's got to the point where leaving this life is really his best option. I don't believe that anything awaits him on the other side, but his own over-riding conviction that he is going on to something better and without pain is all that sustains him, and I'm not going to take that away.
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<br />I don't really know why I'm writing all this and I doubt it'll be of interest to anyone, but I just needed to get something down and empty these thoughts out of my head before the inevitable happens.
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<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-74292748930054603372010-01-19T13:07:00.002+00:002010-01-19T13:39:12.610+00:00Internet fads<script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script>One of the banes of my existence are the latest amusing emails doing the rounds in big offices being sent to me by friends. Let's get this clear, I don't have a problem with being amused. What I have a problem with is someone trying to amuse me with something that wasn't especially funny when I read it for the hundredth time ten years ago.<br /><br />Since the dawning of the internet age I've worked in a big company only once (and that was a 3-month fixed contract) and was astonished by the amount of shit constantly flowing into my inbox to the extent that it actually stopped me being able to do my job properly. I am often quite grateful that I don't work in that kind of environment now.<br /><br />Today I got two emails from completely unrelated directions with the same text (though formatted very differently). This got me wondering what caused this text to become trendy again, given that I've seen it several times in the last few years already?<br /><br />A Google search on an extract unlikely to have beeen used in any other c0ntext resulted in <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?&q=Elaborate+Military+Posturing">164,000 hits </a>, a lot of them recent blogs reposting the same thing over and over again.<br /><br />This also makes me wonder, not for the first time, how many bloggers ever consider, when repeating material they've read elsewhere, whether it's been reported before? After all, if it's doing the rounds as a "funny email", it's got history, doesn't it? And is NOBODY interested in what that history might be before repeating it, YET AGAIN?<br /><br />Thanks to a tip from <a href="http://twitter.com/fueledbyregret">@fueledbyregret</a> I discovered just now that you can sort Google results by date, which saved me the trouble trying to find earlier versions, and it got me to 31st January 2001 on <a href="http://www.lightbroker.com/">http://www.lightbroker.com/</a>. So this has been going on for nine years, is repeated on over a hundred thousand pages on the internet, and people are STILL repeeating it as if it's fresh news?<br /><br />Is it any wonder that urban myths get spread around so quickly and easily nowadays when people don't seem to have the mental capacity to question what they read from some anonymous source and accept it as the truth and or/original? There are sites out there which specialise in debunking this shit, so use them, folks!<br /><br />I understand that we all find stuff for the first time and want to share our enthusiasm for it. But links to previous iterations work just as well as presuming that nobody else has seen it before!<br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-21610517886582754112010-01-01T21:54:00.003+00:002010-01-01T23:21:02.789+00:00Review of the Year in Questions and AnswersHappy New Year!<br /><br />I stole this from someone <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">else's</span> blog. Sorry, I'm not sure whose it was but some of the questions had American spelling so I doubt it was any of my close friends!<br /><br /><em>1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? </em><br />This is naughty, but it meant a lot to me at the time: I fulfilled a sexual fantasy by having a mutual sounding session!<br /><br /><em>2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? </em><br />I've not made resolutions since I was kid cos I know I'd never keep them, so there were no resolutions to keep. However, I did manage to keep free of smoking and maintain my attempts at losing weight!<br /><br /><em>3. Did anyone close to you give birth? </em><br />Two friends of friends, but nobody closer.<br /><br /><em>4. Did anyone close to you die? </em><br />The father of a schoolfriend - he was also my first boss after leaving university so although I'd not seen him for over 15 years his death hit me fairly hard.<br /><br /><em>5. What countries did you visit?</em><br />I was very badly travelled by own standards this year. France, a couple of times.<br /><br /><em>6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? </em><br />A sex life with a steady partner rather than random one-night stands which makes me feel just a little squalid.<br /><br /><em>7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? </em><br />11<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> January: I met the <a href="http://stiginthemud.blogspot.com/"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Stigs</span></a> for the first time (having known them online for almost 3 years)<br />8<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> May: release of the new Star Trek movie<br />15<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> December: spent a very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">pleasant</span> day with <a href="http://twitter.com/squawkbox">@<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">squawkbox</span></a>. He might not thank me in the long run for introducing him to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paczki"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pączki</span> </a>:-p<br /><br /><em>8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? </em><br />I'm not big on achievements (or setting goals, hence lack of resolutions). I'm proudest of having not only signed up for introductory German lessons, but doing the whole course without missing a single lesson, and even arriving late (10 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span>) for only one. (I got 100% in the exam!) I'm also pleased about losing more flab (dropped two trouser sizes) and not smoking a single cigarette (not even a single drag), despite being tempted very hard in three moments of crisis.<br /><br /><em>9. What was your biggest failure?<br /></em>Not getting ANYWHERE with the closest thing I ever make to a resolution every Christmas and every birthday, to finally get a driving licence.<br /><br /><em>10. Did you suffer illness or injury? </em><br />I had a very bad year for dental problems and as I write this, my jaw is in agony from having a tooth pulled yesterday morning (it cracked in half on Christmas day). I also had two bouts of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">tonsilitis</span>, which was extremely painful! (The first bout wasn't even diagnosed at the time, I just thought I had a particularly sore throat)<br /><br /><em>11. What was the best thing you bought? </em><br />I'm not big on material possessions, but I finally got around to getting a modern mobile phone which includes <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">internet</span> capabilities, and a phone contract to go with it. I lost the handset, three months into an 18 month contract. I since bought an even more up-to-date one!<br /><br /><em>12. Whose behavior merited celebration? </em><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hmmm</span>... not sure. Off the top of my head I can't think of any person or organisation which led a blameless existence throughout the year.<br /><br /><em>13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? </em><br />Alan Davies on Twitter.<br /><br /><em>14. Where did most of your money go? </em><br />I made two significant loans to people; in one case with the expectation that it will end up being a gift (I'm fine with that), in the other I hope it will be repaid over the course of 2010.<br /><br /><em>15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? </em><br />Lots of movies, but apart from Star Trek none of them lived up to the hype I'd built up in my head. More than that, meeting several online friends either for the first time, or for the first time after a long break.<br /><br /><em>16. What song will always remind you of this year? </em><br /><strong>Lady Gaga: <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pokerface</span></strong>. I don't listen to music radio and my main exposure to current/chart music is at the gym and stuff my online friends talk about. Gaga was absolutely EVERYWHERE!<br /><br /><em>17. Compared to this time last year, are you: </em><br />a) happier or sadder? The same<br />b) thinner or fatter? Thinner (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">YAY</span>!)<br />c) richer or poorer? in terms of my current account, the same! In terms of my "life savings", significantly poorer, for the time being (see Q. 14)<br /><br /><em>18. What do you wish you'd done more of? </em><br />Everything.<br /><br /><em>19. What do you wish you'd done less of? </em><br />Procrastinating.<br /><br />20. How did you spend Christmas?<br />Very quietly. Apart from phone calls from family, most of the days over the holidays were just like normal ordinary days. And on Christmas Day I broke a tooth which meant I spent much of it in agony!<br /><br /><em>21. What was your favourite TV programme? </em><br />Nothing really stands out without thinking about it very hard, but I was impressed as usual with <strong>Doctor Who</strong>, and <strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">FastForward</span> </strong>started well. I had high hopes for <strong>True Blood </strong>but it was much to soapy for my tastes and I lost patience.<br /><br /><em>22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? </em><br />I don't hate anyone; I find it a wasted emotion. Alan Davies has gone down in my estimation quite significantly.<br /><br /><em>23. What was the best book you read? </em><br />I've not read much this year and of what I did, nothing really stands out.<br /><br /><em>24. What was your greatest musical discovery? </em><br />Nothing stands out.<br /><br /><em>25. What did you want and get? </em><br />Thinner and fitter, but not quite to the degree I'd hoped.<br /><br /><em>26. What did you want and not get? </em><br />A proper long-term relationship.<br /><br /><em>27. What was your favourite film of this year? </em><br />I think I'd have to say Let The Right One In, AKA <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Låt</span> den <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">rätte</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">komma</span> in</a>. Creepy, heartbreaking and beautiful. I bet Hollywood remakes it before too long, and I bet they'll royally fuck it up.<br /><br /><em>28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? </em><br />It was a day just like any other. I got two cards, both from close family members. Which leaves a lot of close family members who forgot. This has made me sad in the past and so I don't celebrate birthdays at all any more.<br /><br /><em>29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? </em><br />Someone to wake up alongside, just once, without a shadow of a doubt.<br /><br /><em>30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? </em><br />Clean clothes that don't have more holes in them than they are meant to have.<br /><br /><em>31. What kept you sane? </em><br />That question makes an assumption I feel is unwarranted. :-p<br /><br />32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?<br />I've never had any celebrity crushes but I can only answer the same way I answered a similar question once before: every time <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0844172/">Eric <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Szmanda</span></a> comes on in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">CSI</span> I can't help but smile ;-)<br /><br /><em>33. What political issue stirred you the most? </em><br />Too many to mention, but prevarication over climate change issues (including establishing whether or not it actually is our fault) angers me.<br /><br /><em>34. Who did you miss? </em><br />Nobody in particular. Just the lack of <strong>Somebody </strong>to miss!<br /><br /><em>35. Who was the best new person you met? </em><br />Lots. Most of the people I follow on Twitter, if "met" includes virtual meetings. If not, then I shall have to remain coy. ;-)<br /><br /><em>36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. </em><br />"People" as a nameless crowd are generally far more easily led than I ever thought it possible.<br /><br /><em>37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. </em><br />"Talking 'bout my generation"<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Please feel free to ask any other questions and I'll be happy to answer!</strong></div>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-63973034249920100032009-11-17T01:31:00.010+00:002009-11-17T13:21:18.149+00:00All you need to know about 2012For those who aren't afraid of spoilers for films, my attitude towards 2012 can be summarised in one statement. Well, two.<br /><br />For those who thought that the way Roland Emmerich blew up the White House in Independence Day wasn't over-the-top enough, skip to 2 mins 18 seconds into the trailer (the last effect shot included):<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hz86TsGx3fc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hz86TsGx3fc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Worse yet, corny as it was, Independence Day had the President's Henry V-inspired battle speech with David Arnold's music rising to a climax behind it. <br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oRGUqd_M6Mg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oRGUqd_M6Mg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />The best 2012 can manage is an "everyone deserves a chance" speech delivered by 2012's everyman-scientist (imagine him being played by Jeff Goldblum) which fizzles into nothingness. The only way it tugged at my tear ducts was the extent to which it made me want to cry with laughter!Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-16528677797670674792009-11-11T02:57:00.009+00:002009-11-11T22:41:09.759+00:00Armistice Day Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48n9qsLFocKSZE6fUrEm-oJHvWE0hBkobSvQhkg-P6Q-xbANOw0wH_POt5pex29-mkqGFbXbkvam6vI3SJZnUdN-KV_ajB0Kw1nrvPWp4ugY9S7N3W-d36_m0-4fRknN0oUm12nQAkV82/s1600-h/poppy-360.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402693134691293746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48n9qsLFocKSZE6fUrEm-oJHvWE0hBkobSvQhkg-P6Q-xbANOw0wH_POt5pex29-mkqGFbXbkvam6vI3SJZnUdN-KV_ajB0Kw1nrvPWp4ugY9S7N3W-d36_m0-4fRknN0oUm12nQAkV82/s320/poppy-360.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div>As the clock strikes eleven on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the world commemorates Armistice Day, the silencing of the guns of the First World War and the start of an uneasy peace.<br /><br />Well, let's be honest, "the world" mainly means Great Britain, its Commonwealth, France and the Low Countries, those nations which lost more of their young men to the conflict than any other.<br /><br />We don't normally think about the Germans because, well, we acknowledge they started it, and we don't normally think of the Russians because by the end of the war, they'd been through the October Revolution and the birth of the Soviet state, which had much more of a monumental effect on their future. And we don't think of the other two empires whose collapse the War precipitated, Austro-Hungary down the east of the Mediterranean sea, or the Ottomans, still further away.<br /><br />Although proudly British, my cultural and genetic roots are far from here. Looking upon the seas of white crosses marking the Allied killing grounds of northern France and Belgium you won't find my surname or many like it. In fact, look at any statistics and you'll find there were no great numbers of Polish casualties of the Great War.<br /><br />It's not because there weren't tens of thousands of Polish young men involved in the fighting. It's just that (and this is news to an alarming number of people), there was no Polish state at all during World War One and so the fallen don't count as Polish nationals. The country had been wiped off the face of the European map by the end of the 18th century and its territory divided up between the Russians, Prussians, Germans and Austrians. Thousands of young men, ethnically Poles, were forced to fight in the armies of their occupiers against their natural allies, or simply taken into slave camps or became prisoners of the state, partly to prevent the development of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Legions_in_World_War_I">Legions</a> .<br /><br />For Polish people, while 11th November remains an opportunity to remember the war dead lying in unmarked and forgotten graves across Europe and the Russian steppes, it is primarily the festival of the rebirth of a nation, the restoration of a physical entity whose existence had been denied for over 120 years.<br /><br />My father was born at the start of the Great War and while he never talks of these things, I am always conscious, every 11th November, that he had been born in a country that didn't exist, but by the time he started school, he was one of the first children in three generations in his area allowed to go to a Polish school, run by Polish people, and taught in his own language completely openly without fear of repression or abuse.<br /><br />So yes, I bow my head at 11am and think of tens of thousands of dead young men and their distraught families and I thank them for their sacrifice, but I also think of a country reborn, of hope that the future must be better than the past, and that a better future is always worth fighting for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Orze%C5%82_Bia%C5%82y_1927.jpg/500px-Orze%C5%82_Bia%C5%82y_1927.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 360px; CURSOR: pointer" border="0" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Orze%C5%82_Bia%C5%82y_1927.jpg/500px-Orze%C5%82_Bia%C5%82y_1927.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The red poppy has become the international symbol of Armistice Day and in the UK more than any country, we are encouraged to buy a facsimile and wear it with pride in memory of those who gave their lives for ours. For Poles, however, that symbol has a very slightly different meaning and is emblematic not of the killing fields of World War One, but the Allied operation to liberate Italy in World War Two (which is not to undermine its being the symbol of the fallen of all wars).<br /><br />Every Polish-speaking child knows by heart <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino</span> (<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Red Poppies On Monte Cassino</span>), a hymn to bravery, honour and sacrifice, written during the battle for Monte Cassino not far from Rome in May 1944. Read about the background of both the battle and the song on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czerwone_maki_na_Monte_Cassino">Wikipedia</a> .<br /><br />Oh and my dad was there, too, and it's something else he chooses not to talk about.<br /><br />Every time I see the seas of red poppies in the first half of November on British streets and look down upon the one I wear myself, it's invariably this song I end up thinking about and singing to myself. And by the end, my eyes are never dry. There are several versions floating around online and I'm not really that taken with any of them, and there are also various translations into English, but I have problems with all of those two.<br /><br />Please persevere with the song, and here is my non-poetic, non-scanning translation (I'm not a poet in any language) of the words:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Red Poppies on Monte Cassino</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/thJsuQM0b7k&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/thJsuQM0b7k&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Do you see those ruins on that hill?<br />Your enemy's hiding there like a rat!<br />You have to! You have to! YOU HAVE TO<br />Grab his neck and drag him from his heights!<br />And they moved on, mad, heedless,<br />And they moved on to kill and avenge,<br />And they went as stubborn as ever,<br />In honour's name, to fight.<br /><br /><em>The red poppies on Monte Cassino<br />Fed not on dew, but on Polish blood...<br />Polish soldiers crawled over and died on them,<br />But their anger was more potent than death!<br />Years will pass and the ages will dull memories,<br />Only traces of bygone days will remain,<br />But the poppies on Monte Cassino<br />Will be redder<br />From the Polish blood on which they thrived.<br /></em><br />They charged through fire, the condemned,<br />Countless were hit and fell,<br />Like the cavalry at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Somosierra#The_Polish_charge">Samosierra</a>,<br />They charged with furious momentum<br />Like those at <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75639">Rokitna</a> years ago.<br />And they persevered. And they prevailed.<br />And planted their white and scarlet standard<br />In the ruins in the clouds.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The red poppies on Monte Cassino...</span><br /><br />Do you see this row of white crosses?<br />Polish soldiers did honour there wed.<br />The further, the higher you go forward,<br />The more of them you'll find at your feet.<br />This soil belongs to Poland,<br />Though Poland is far away,<br />For Freedom is measured in crosses -<br />This is History's curse.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The red poppies on Monte Cassino...</span><br /><br />(25th Anniversary verse, not included in any recordings)<br /><br />A quarter of a century, friends, has passed us,<br />The battle's dust has blown to the winds<br />And the monastery's white walls<br />Again reach to the sky.<br />But the memory of those terrible nights<br />And the blood which was spilled here -<br />Echoes in the monastery's bells<br />Rocking the fallen to their rest!<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The red poppies on Monte Cassino...</span><br /><br /><br /><em></em><br /><p>Later in the day... While sorting through some old bits and pieces of paper, totally by coincidence I found a photograph of myself in a group at the Monte Cassino war cemetary while on a school trip to Italy. See if you can find which one's me! ;-)</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjfQr04aYZuDvkoRxOw17AGF2aoGsCrKlY5T-aGLOOClhj-lwVRtRY3Q_VieZILOMlDOyWLJdMMh5adWREEccH16FXDCbm5jt0wmqdxVZEl4-NsdX_76wtf1Pg62BMQjGYvCYWy1dXxIg/s1600-h/monte+cassino.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402941332149329458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjfQr04aYZuDvkoRxOw17AGF2aoGsCrKlY5T-aGLOOClhj-lwVRtRY3Q_VieZILOMlDOyWLJdMMh5adWREEccH16FXDCbm5jt0wmqdxVZEl4-NsdX_76wtf1Pg62BMQjGYvCYWy1dXxIg/s320/monte+cassino.jpg" /></a><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScXS3P1YzVhs246O63o2CQhVPUb4iF2gUtZ774HlvDPWBqFGJcv_MH8vh2byGH75jXAj9RjS5ZkZ1W2THMSCAoyjMWs8RLlmcqgnAPqmr_kzvaDLedaKMBa4LYZa5N11iAsxkd4DKq_2-/s1600-h/monte+cassino.jpg"></a><br /><div></div>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-43087388589315690342009-11-03T03:21:00.005+00:002009-11-03T03:46:27.182+00:00Stephen Fry returns to Twitter but the @brumplum controversy continues<script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script>About half an hour ago (it's now almost 3.30am UK time) I was about to close down my laptop and go to bed having finally had a fairly normal day in both the real world and on Twitter, when all of a sudden the "mentions" column in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tweetdeck</span> suddenly sprang to life, with several people posting the same link (actually, the same title, but different <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">abbreviated</span> links every time).<br /><br />The link was to an article on an Australian tech blog called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Blorge</span>.com (never heard of them before, sorry). I tried to leave a comment, but this resulted in an error message which said that my comment looked like it might be spam and that it would have to be approved by an admin (I don't hold that against them, as long as an admin actually does get to see the comment, and hopefully approves it, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">and</span> it's not just been sent into a black hole).<br /><br />Here's a link to the blog and a slightly re-written version of my comment:<br /><br /><a href="http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2009/11/02/stephen-fry-returns-to-twitter-but-the-brumplum-controversy-continues/">Stephen Fry returns to Twitter but the @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">brumplum</span> controversy continues</a><br /><br />The topic has actually <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">been</span> all but dead for the last 18 hours or so (certainly nothing controversial, although I have picked up on a few jocular comments here and there). I have spent the day able to treat Twitter the way I always have and have resumed my usual activities and normal inane rambling and sharing pointless information with my (now-enlarged) group of friends. Mentions of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">username</span> have come from either those friends or other people with questions or comments which are generally unrelated to the controversy.<br /><br />Until several people starting linking this article about 20 minutes ago, the @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">brumplum</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">controversy</span> was no more, and it is this article which resurrected it!<br /><br />I'm not making any kind of moral judgment about it (I find the whole thing rather amusing), but I hope you realise that by publishing this now, its title has actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy?<br /><br />(I hope that people reading this will draw appropriate conclusions and let this matter drop now; I am posting this blog mainly for the benefit of those who've already seen and retweeted the Blorge article)<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-38664555712357108642009-11-01T03:59:00.008+00:002009-11-02T01:59:06.555+00:00The Fry débacle, Addendum: #envioushomo and Alan Davies<script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">I have two things to say which are effectively replies to comments on my last entry but I feel are significant enough to highlight, and not lose them in what is effectively a stream of footnotes.<br /><br />Firstly, several people have picked up on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hashtag</span></span> which appeared very early on in the day and caused some to shower me and others in outrage. I understand that it has been the cause of a certain amount of bad blood during the day (there was just FAR too much going on for me to get a handle on it), and a topic for at least three comments on my blog.<br /><br />I am talking about </span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"></span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23envioushomo" title="#envioushomo" class="tweet-url hashtag">#<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">envioushomo</span></span></a><br /><br />This was a term of fondness not addressed to Stephen Fry and it wasn't even addressed to me! As anyone who can use the Twitter search function (i.e. every-bloody-one) can see (check out the link I have provided above), it originated with <span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">a tweet from my friend </span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">@<a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit">w00<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dRabbit</span></span></a></span></span> who is gay, and called himself... an envious homo!<br /><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><br />Here's his tweet:<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><a href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit/status/5312555370">@</a><a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit/status/5312555370"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">brumplum</span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit/status/5312555370"> oh my! you got a reply from @</a><a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit/status/5312555370"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">stephenfry</span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit/status/5312555370">! </a><a href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit/status/5312555370" title="#envioushomo" class="tweet-url hashtag">#<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">envioushomo</span></span></a></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"></span></span></div><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><br />I replied to him and because <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tweetdeck</span></span>, my Twitter application of choice, automatically appends any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">hashtags</span></span> when replying, it showed up in my timeline. I thought it was fairly amusing and didn't consider for an instant that anyone could misconstrue it - after all, it's there for anyone to get the original context, isn't it?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">EDIT: A comment </span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">has just made me realise that @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">woodRabbit's</span> tweets are protected, which means he needs to approve his followers and this tweets don't show up in the general timeline. (I've always found the concept of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">protected</span> tweets a bit odd, between you and me.) Because we already follow each other, I see his tweets normally and thus made nothing of it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It was therefore unfair of me to have a go at anyone in the previous version of this blog for not knowing the source of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">hashtag</span>. <i>My bad</i> as the youngsters say. My turn to eat crow. Nevertheless, I hope the above has now cleared it all up.</span><br /><br /><br />So folks, please get off my back, or anyone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">else's</span></span>, for being homophobic or anything else of that ilk, cos you're jumping <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">to</span> ENTIRELY the w</span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">rong</span></span> conclusions!<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />The second item I would like to address is on a different level. I've honestly not had time to read through my twitter feed of the day. I've just picked up a few pits and pieces I've had pointed to me, mainly positive. I have no desire to see just how much vitriol people from around the planet could hurl in my direction.<br /><br />A few friends, however, have pointed me in the direction of specific comments they felt were particularly egregious and in most cases I've laughed them off. One person, however, is in a very different category.<br /><br />I am talking of Alan Davies, known in Twitter circles as @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">alandavies</span>1. For the benefit of full disclosure, I should say that Alan Davies was probably the fourth or fifth person I followed on joining Twitter and I have, on and off, enjoyed what he's had to say. I've even replied to some of his stuff with positive noises.<br /><br />He's Stephen Fry's friend, and along with Stephen, makes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">QI</span> work as a concept and a show. I don't blame him for a moment for coming to Stephen Fry's defence. Several of my real-life friends came to mine, and that's only right. I fully expect they called each other tossers and wankers and twats.<br /><br />But to my knowledge nobody who supported me has over a hundred thousand followers and called anyone else a c*<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">nt</span>. Yet Alan Davies considers this normal and acceptable behaviour, and it seems to me without having a clue about the background to the story or feeling the need to find out.<br /><br />Much more important though is the tweet (which he has since deleted) in which he invited people to physically gang up on me, in "the Essex way".<br /><br />Frankly, I expected just a little more <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">class</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">frrom</span> the guy.<br /><br />I have said that I expect no apology from Stephen Fry. But, <span style="font-weight: bold;">BOY</span> do I expect one from Alan Davies. Preferably to my face. That, or call me a wanker to my face, which is also, according to him, the Essex way. (He already called me a moron and a wanker on Twitter, so he'd just be following up on his own standards.)<br /><br />Because I am more than wiling to call him an irresponsible idiot to his face, should anyone accord me the opportunity.<br /><br /></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">I really, HONESTLY, have no desire to drag this unfortunate misunderstanding out any more, but Alan Davies' part in all this leaves me with a particularly nasty taste in my mouth, and he's the only one who can take it away.<br /><br />Similarly to my other blog entry which I ended with thanks to my friends, I would like to thank @</span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">lachance</span>680<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"> for being particularly tenaciously on Alan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Davies's</span> back and for saving some of his more ill-judged comments for me to see.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">EDIT: After a few comments on the subject, I would like to explain that it's not because Alan Davies said something slightly foolish that I demand an apology from him. It's specificially because he has MANY more followers than anyone else in this argument and was agreeing with the idea of working up the internet mob to become a real-world one :<br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"></span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">@Alandavies1 Anyone has a pop at your mates you stick up for them.Twittr needs to be more like Essex.If you wouldn't say it to their face then do shut up<br /><br />Firequacker @alandavies1 followed by smashing their windows slashing their tyres and sending dogs muck through the leter box.. Grays Stylee ??<br /><br />@Alandavies1 @Firequacker if needs be<br /><br />(anyone who really wanted to could identify me from my online existence and work out where I live). This is bad enough coming from anyone, but for someone with a public face it is simply irresponsible. Recent events should have taught him that he has sway over people and this kind of talk is really not on.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/w00dRabbit"></a> </span></span><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-79908488423085094922009-10-31T22:50:00.005+00:002009-11-01T00:54:43.846+00:00The Fry debacle<script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script>I've started writing about what's been going on today on Twitter from all kinds of angles. And several paragraphs or just sentences into each effort, I've decided that it's the wrong tack.<br /><br />I've decided that until I've had a chance to sleep on it, I need to say fairly little.<br /><br />I will say this though. Comments on this blog have always been "moderated" (i.e. Blogger sends them to me for approval before they appear). It's not something I've just instituted because of the kerfuffle. This has mainly been to stop spam and certain <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">individuals</span> being abusive. I have always accepted all valid comments made on my blog whether I agree with them or not. (Why wouldn't I?)<br /><br />That said, I am refusing to accept "anonymous" comments. Regardless of whether you want to be positive or negative, I expect you to be open to a conversation. Your email address will not appear in public if you so choose, but should I need to clarify a point, I want to be able to contact you privately. I have no intention of being a defenceless punchbag.<br /><br />In the meantime, here are some links to other blogs or online stories I've seen, with a word or two of comment where I think it's needed:<br /><br /><b>@<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">brokenbottleboy</span>:<br /><a href="http://brokenbottleboy.tumblr.com/post/228997556/stephen-fry-depression-and-the-rage-of-the-twitter-mob" title="Permanent link to this entry">Stephen Fry, depression and the rage of the Twitter mob</a></b><br />Regarding why I included the @ symbol bringing the conversation to Stephen Fry's attention (see comments section), it was simply force of habit. Specifically, two habits: when I see Twitter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">usernames</span>, I immediately prefix them with @ as they otherwise seem "wrong" to me. Secondly, I feel it's fair that if I'm talking about someone, they have a right to know about it. I'm really not a fan of talking about people behind their backs.<br /><br />I appended "sorry Stephen" on the phenomenally tiny chance that Mr Fry himself would see my tweet. I have replied to hundreds of his tweets or otherwise addressed tweets to him in the past with positive comments or attempts at humour, and have never been <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">acknowledged</span>. Ditto his own blog/website on which I have left many positive comments in the past. Why should I assume that this time would be any different? The "Sorry Stephen" was also addressed to those who disagree with me, to make it reasonably clear that I mean him no ill-will.<br /><br />I have potentially much more to say on the subject.<br /><br /><b>@<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">thoroughlygood</span>:<br /><a href="http://thoroughlygood.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/stephen-fry-brumplum-in-the-playground">Stephen Fry & @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">brumplum</span> in the playground</a></b><br />To maintain the playground metaphor and the spirit of the final paragraph, "sir, sir, I've already said sorry, twice. I'm waiting for Fry Minor to say sorry now".<br /><br />More seriously, though, Stephen Fry does not need to apologise to me for anything. On the infinitesimal chance that he, or someone who has his ear, sees this, I want to reiterate that I am truly sorry for any offence caused. I would, however, appreciate some sign of life from him because until then the loss of Britain's Greatest Tweeter will all be my fault. Unlike his theatrical experience several years ago, no individual was blamed, in public or in private, for breaking his spirit. In this case, the cause of his escape has a name, and that name is @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">brumplum</span>. One of his last tweets indicated that he was about to travel to the USA so I fear I will be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Twitter's</span> flogging horse for a while. So be it, but please, Stephen, do come back.<br /><br /><b>@<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">derekbarry</span><br /><a href="http://nebuchadnezzarwoollyd.blogspot.com/2009/11/stephen-fry-twitter-and-fifth-estate.html">Stephen Fry, Twitter and the Fifth Estate</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></b><br /></span>I'm so glad he brought up Stephen Fry's recent blog, which was, to an extent, about the fact that it's very easy to say stuff in the heat of the moment which one lives to regret. And so Stephen Fry should, perhaps, be mindful of the fact that I also regret elements of what I said and how I said it. An earlier draft of this very blog entry included reams of self-justification, but I'll let it drop for now.<br /><br />For the record, I would like Mr Barry and others to reflect on this: if Mr Fry, after thirty years in the public eye, has difficulty adapting to his current position as a visible leader of people and maker of causes, then what about me, who after decades of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">obscurity</span>, have been thrust into the international limelight for saying something no more objectionable than I have said before, and had said to me countless times too, the only difference being that I said it to and about someone famous.<br /><br />Oh, and for the record, my own history includes the loss of three relatives of my father's in the same Auschwitz concentration camp in which Stephen Fry lost several of his. Catholic Poles rather than Jews, and two of them were condemned for having saved Jewish families - the third just for being related to the first two. So Stephen's "we know which side of the border Auschwitz was" has particular resonance with me. Even so, I don't hold it against him, and has not reduced the esteem in which I hold him as an entertainer, educator and all round Jolly Good Egg. (And said as much on his blog. )<br /><br /><b>The Times Online (as representative for the purposes of this blog of the <i>traditional</i> media)<br /><a href="http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6898191.ece"><span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">tephen</span> Fry in a flutter at horrid tweeters on Twitter</a></b><br />OK, this is where things get seriously scary. For a major newspaper to pick up a spat between users of an ultimately <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">insignificant</span> glorified <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">chatroom</span> is absolutely mind-boggling. To make a national (and international) story of it is beyond silliness. I really would have thought that there were far more important things in news generally, and the tech sector in particular, to talk about?<br /><br />To quote one of the comments under that story? W.T.F?<br /><br />People threaten to leave websites and/or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">chatrooms</span> every day of the week, several times over. I know of at least three (popular) Tweeters who've voiced uncertainly about their future presence on the site in the last week, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">nobody's</span> batted as much as an eyelid.<br /><br />What's so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">different</span> about this case?<br /><br />To end this blog on a positive note. I would like to voice my sincere gratitude to everyone I know and don't know on Twitter who has said anything in my defence today, whether it was in public or in private. I have deliberately kept away from Twitter not because I can't take the vitriol, but simply because I've not had the time. It also means I've not had the time to see the wonderful messages of support, so I can just thank you all <i>en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">groupe</span></i>.<br /><br />I hate to single anyone out, but just because they supported me on the phone throughout the day while I wasn't online, very, very special thanks to @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">stigblog</span>, @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">stigsbf</span> and @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">squawkbox</span> for being real, genuine friends. It's people like them who make Twitter worthwhile.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3784053810150516425.post-54750501587375296892009-09-24T11:44:00.003+01:002009-09-24T11:53:16.072+01:00Just a Minute Reloaded<script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script>I've been a fan of Just a Minute on Radio 4 more or less since it started (yes, I am old enough to remember it, and yes, I was already a Radio 4 listener as a small child). Since his first appearance in the late 1990s (I'm not enough of a JAM <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">spod</span> to know exactly when) Paul Merton and his surreal sensibility has been a perfect contestant.<br /><br />I've just discovered something the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">interesting</span> creative folk at the BBC do, making animations to edited highlights of some of the rounds, called <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/extra/show/p003cmwf">Just a Minute Reloaded</a> and I can't decide if my own love of Sudoku puzzles, Paul Merton's verbal <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">inventiveness</span> or the way it's matched by the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wacky</span> visuals in this clip are what I like most about it, but I'm in stitches! (Your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mileage</span> May Vary)<br /><br /><br /><object width="512" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter=true&config_settings_showPopoutButton=false&config_settings_skin=black&config_settings_bitrateCeiling=1000&playlist=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Fcomedy%2Fforge%2Dassets%2Fextra%2Fplaylist%2Fp003ymfp%2Exml&config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Femp%2Fiplayer%2Foffschedule%2Exml&config_settings_showFooter=true&"></param><embed src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="512" height="400" flashvars="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter=true&config_settings_showPopoutButton=false&config_settings_skin=black&config_settings_bitrateCeiling=1000&playlist=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Fcomedy%2Fforge%2Dassets%2Fextra%2Fplaylist%2Fp003ymfp%2Exml&config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Femp%2Fiplayer%2Foffschedule%2Exml&config_settings_showFooter=true&"></embed></object><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6115111-1");<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068131072561763946noreply@blogger.com0