Unmanned Farm Shop
Posted by chris on January 29, 2012
This is the latest entry in a blog I read, and it simply made me feel good. Thought I would share.
My Tiny Plot » Blog Archive » My Local Unmanned Farm Shop
“This is the till at my local farm shop. It’s unmanned. It’s in a warehouse in the middle of a field with a greenhouse next to it. Inside the shop there are rows of produce, some scales, a calculator and a secure moneybox where you insert your cash. If you have an account you use the envelopes that are pinned to a noticeboard. If you don’t have the right change you can write an IOU and pay it next time.”
Eternal Law
Posted by chris on January 28, 2012
Is anyone else watching Eternal Law on ITV?
The premise – two angels sent to earth to help humanity, in the guise of lawyers – made me cringe when I heard it, but it really isn’t bad at all. Although it sounds like a typical American series, it is actually UK made, and set in York, and stars the excellent Samuel West. Apparently, it is made by the same team who brought us Life on Mars (which I loved) and Ashes to Ashes (which I hated).
We’re up to episode 4 (of 6), but all the episodes are available on ITV Player for at least the next 6 days.
A tale of progress
Posted by chris on January 27, 2012
A few days ago, I commented on livejournal that I had been feeling sleepy lately, and wondered if my CPAP needed adjusting.
Today I had an appointment at Papworth hospital respiratory sleep centre. It was my annual appointment, where they check me out, and my machine, but I thought I could raise my issues and get them addressed.
Barbecoa
Posted by chris on January 15, 2012
Met up with some folk yesterday for an (early) birthday meal at Barbecoa, a BBQ restaurant owned by Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang.
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grey_lady and rdmaughan and two other old friends – a chum from University and his wife. The final two members of our party – again, a uni friend and her husband – were waiting for us at the bar, and we were soon seated.
Our table was great, overlooking St Pauls. However, the bright sunshine dazzled people’s eyes, but the staff flicked a switch and electric blinds came down to just the right level.
We all ordered various starters and mains, to which I asked our waitress to add two portions of pulled pork for the table, and enough assorted nibbles (scratchings/pate and toast/pickled veg/olives…) for all of us. We probably didn’t need the nibbles, but they were all fantastic, so I am glad we got them.
We got through a mountain for food, and at the end there was a tiny bit of pulled pork that no-one could manage.
However, after a short while, we decided we could manage deserts!
As a starter I had baby back ribs – I’m normally not one for nibbling on bones, but I’d heard good things about them, and the stories weren’t wrong. They were delicious, albeit rather hot with fresh chillis. For the main, I had the pit beef, with duck-fat chips, and a taste of the various sides we ordered. Oh, and a good bit of the shared pulled pork. Pannetone bread and butter pudding to finish, then we all went for a walk around St Pauls, before ending up in the pub.
One of the reasons I wanted to try a few different dishes was to compare them to the BBQ food I am producing at home. Yeah, right, compare my pulled pork to Adam Perry Langs! But according to S, it actually compares quiet well, which is nice to hear. Their beef was out of this world, rich and deep in taste, and I was trying to work out what the cut was. In the end I asked, and the reason I couldn’t identify it became clear – it was actually Jacob’s Ladder (short ribs), but deboned and rolled before slow cooking. It was amusing that it meant I had eaten ribs for starters and rib-meat for main, but one I was told what the meat was, I knew why it had such an intense flavour. Must see if my local butcher can do something for me.
Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I noticed that many of my friends picked up cards from the reception desk, which is always a good sign. Staff were excellent and cheerful, which always makes for a nice atmosphere.
Couldn’t have wished for a better start to this week – my birthday is actually not until Wednesday, and I have the whole week off work, ending with another meal with my brother and sister-in-law on Friday, in Cambridge. Hopefully by then I’ll be ready to eat again!
Truth in advertising #1- Flora Cuisine
Posted by chris on January 11, 2012
As some of you know, I watch quite a bit of TV, too much in fact; and I have a minor interest in adverts. Some ads make me laugh, some I just consider pure art, but some really get me irritated.
The one that is currently doing my head in is the one for Flora Cuisine, a emulsified cooking oil substitute. The advert shows celebrity Vernon Kay being cooked for by his mum (and it *is* his real mum). As mum starts a stir-fry with a good dash of what appears to be liquid margerine, Vernon turns his nose up, and asks “What’s that?”. His is told (as are we) that it is Flora Cuisine, which has “45% less saturated fat than olive oil”. Wow says Vernon (and all of us), it must really be good and healthy then.
But wait a cotton-frickin’ minute. The main benefit of olive oil is that it is approximately 75% mono-saturated fat, which is generally considered to be healthier than saturated or poly-saturated fat. So while Flora are boasting that Cuisine contains 45% less saturated fat than olive oil, it also contains 60% less “good” mono-saturated fat, and 280% *more* poly-unsaturated fat.
Olive oil also contains powerful natural anti-oxidents, such as oleocanthal, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Flora Cuisine contains a blend of vegetable oils, with water, emulsifiers, potassium sorbate, guar and xanthan gums, and a good dose of salt.
Yum.
VAT on ebooks 2
Posted by chris on January 9, 2012
Further to my earlier post on this subject.
Following
I’ve had an acknowledgement from my MP’s office, but I know a reply will normally take a few weeks, allowing for Christmas. However, I now have had replies from all but one of the MEPs. These range from brilliant to cringeworthy. On reading one missive, blaming the EU for everyone, I thought “this guy must be UKIP”, and indeed he was.
I got an interesting reply from LibDem MEP, Bill Newton Dunn, who gave me a factual account of the current legal situation on VAT and the EU.
Full marks, though, to Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin, who wrote a concise and very clear email addressing my specific point – how come France thinks they can lower VAT, while our government say we can’t.
The answer is – ironic this, given recent events – France is actually defying the EU, is lowering the VAT rate on ebooks despite there not yet being agreement, and has told the publishers that the French government will pay any fines the EU levies.
More interestingly, Luxembourg is following France’s lead, effective immediately. As the Amazon ebook business is actually based in Luxembourg (which is why we have been paying 15% VAT, not 20%), this means that we should benefit. This is great news for Amazon, and for Amazon customers. This is terrible news for any UK ebook retailers who wish to compete.
Note that there is also a plan to change the member country the VAT rate is based on from that of the supplier to that of the customer. If this happens, it would mean that we would be taxed at the current UK rate instead. However, both bits of legislation are tied together in the same package, so by the time this change is made, the VAT discrepancy issue should be taken care of.
In the meantime, assuming Amazon doesn’t hog the money saved as extra profit – we should now be seeing ebooks from them at just 3% VAT (Luxembourg’s reduced rate).
I wrote back to Emma to thank her, and ask if my interpretation of the Amazon/Luxembourg thing was right. To my surprise, she replied within an hour of my sending my email!
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
Posted by chris on January 8, 2012
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
A short while ago, I had cause to mention this book in conversation – I had come across it a year or so before, but hadn’t ever read it. Anyway, the conversation prompted me to look up the book, and download it to my kindle – I’ve just finished it, and can recommend it.
Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the 1950′s, and consequently died. During her treatment, cell samples were taken, which proved to be the first human cells to be successfully cultured and survived – as such, they were of immense value.
Very shortly HeLa took on a life of its own, being used to to research many diseases, amongst them polio and AIDS – during this time, the woman whose cells they were was pretty much forgotten. While the cells were originally distributed to the world for free, in subsequent years there were certainly many pharmaceutical companies who made fortunes from HeLa, and still do to this day; while Henrietta’s children and grandchildren cannot even afford healthcare.
Despite some initial misgivings on the subject matter, I found the book an easy and very enjoyable read, which switches in time throughout, telling three stories at the same time: Henrietta’s childhood and adult life; her cells and the scientific research that resulted; and the author Skloots’s research and her relationship with Henrietta’s family, in particular Deborah, Henrietta’s daughter.
The book has been criticised by some, saying that Skloot accuses the pharmaceutical companies of aking money out of Henrietta’s cells, while doing the same with her book. These criticisms seem to come mostly from people who haven’t actually read the book. The book was written with the permission and involvement of the Lacks family, and I felt is was actually quite even-handed; identifying the ethical issues, while not denying the good that has been done by research with HeLa cells. It raises questions about informed consent, and who owns the rights to your genes, and, surprisingly, your body tissue.
A thought-proving read.
Moffat muffs it
Posted by chris on January 2, 2012
When I saw the laughable Doctor Who Christmas Special, one of my first thoughts was “oh well, Moffat must be spending his time on the new series of Sherlock.
However, having just caught the first episode of series 2 – “A Scandal In Belgravia” – on iPlayer, this is apparently not the case.
[Spoilers follow]
Read the rest of this entry »
Strictly Come Dancing 3D
Posted by chris on December 17, 2011
I don’t follow Strictly Come Dancing, so although I knew it was the final tonight, it had no interest for me.
However, tuning on my TV just before 7, and flicking through the channel guide, I saw that as well as broadcasting on Freeview on BBC1 and BBC1HD, they were also showing it on the generic BBCHD channel in 3D.
This is of interest to me. I have had a 3D TV for a little while now, and other than a small number of Blu-Ray disks, there is little 3D content. Thankfully, I didn’t buy the set just for 3D (I was buying a TV anyway), but it would be nice to get some use out of it.
I’d read that it was questionable that Freeview would have any regular 3D content at all in the foreseeable future – there had been some broadcasted during Wimbledon. It had been mooted for the Olympics, but the last I had heard there was still a question mark over it.
However, without that much fanfare, here it is, on the BBC. They are broadcasting in side-by-side mode, which my TV converts into 3D without any problem. Because of this, it is less than HD, of course, but the picture is as good as any Freeview picture I have seen. The actual 3D is a little bit extreme, in my opinion – they have gone for a spectacle, rather than realism – but it is smooth and watchable – or it would be, if I liked the show.
Well done BBC!
Fringe Series 3
Posted by chris on December 16, 2011
I have been watching Fringe Series 3 on DVD, and thoroughly enjoying it. I don’t want to post spoilers, because my DVDs are being lent to at least two people when I have finished with them; but last night I watched episode 3.16 – “Os”, and was delighted by the turn of events at the end. Both shocking and hilarious – I am still chuckling over it today, and can’t wait to see how it develops.
Anna Torv is a genius!
[Edit: Some spoilers in (WordPress) comments]
Scrapheap Orchestra
Posted by chris on December 11, 2011
Had a fairly quiet weekend, as I’ve been nursing a bad cold, and this close to Christmas, I want to make sure I get rid of it quick.
It was a good excuse to watch some Fringe. I picked up the third season on DVD a few weeks ago, so today I watched the last two episodes of season two again, and then watched the first DVD of series 3 straight through. Brilliant stuff.
But the real magic tonight was on BBC 4, and a programme called Scrapheap Orchestra. Leading up to the 2011 Proms, conductor Charles Hazlewood challenged some of the top UK instrument makers to furnish a symphony orchestra with instruments made from nothing but scrap. Using these instruments, Hazlewood then rehearsed and performed an abridged version of the 1812 Overture. An absolutely delightful programme, and available on BBC Iplayer for the next week.