Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

15 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I'm wondering how well an air fryer will cope with "wet batters" - like a beer batter for fish (as in "fish and chips") or a tempura batter? Items that are "wet battered" require being immersed in a hot liquid (oil or lard or dripping) to immediately create a solid crust as the food inside the batter cooks.

I have a suspicion that an air fryer wouldn't cope very well with tempura shrimp, freshly battered cod, onion bhajis or the like - basically, anything "wet". It could probably do a credible job with Arancini, paniertes schnitzel or Tonkatsu - (there are recipes online for air-fried versions of these, so it can be done - although I wonder how the air fryer versions compare with "traditional" versions).

I wonder if freezing the battered item would do any good? My air fryer has a setting for frozen items such as chips. But there is always the danger of the centre of the item being undercooked or even raw. I've found this problem with some grilled items. This is where a microwave comes in useful, a couple of minutes in the microwave and its cooked through. 

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Ever thought of wearing a kilt?

Eight yards of 16 ounce wool, is somewhat warm, the kilt was designed for the Highlands of Scotland..

 

Ben does not like lying in front of the fire / stove, it makes strange whistling noises when it's windy.

 

 

 

[southern42]

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

There are more vowels and consonants in Hindi than English so conversions to Roman alphabet are variable. The A in Aditi’s name is an “uh” sound.The di letters sound as if an almost but not quite silent “h” is in there.  The translation is phonetic but not quite the sounds that might be expected. At least Aditi is the usual conversion of her name. Her sister is Punam and that is often Poonam. Their family surname has two common spellings. Unlike the characters in “Goodness Gracious Me” Aditi’s Dad didn’t Anglicise his name from Kapur to Cooper but he frequently received packages addressed to Dr Cooper or Caper, and best of all Dr Cabbage. 
 

 

When I started playing Carnatic music (Hindustani, similar), the first thing I needed to do was learn the notes, written as letters: srgmpdns.

Western: dO rE mI fA sO lA ti dO. Some variety of vowels. Not too difficult!

Carnatic notes mostly A: 

sA ri gA mA pA dA ni sA - took me ages to learn the sequence of first letter and ended up, in desperation, singing:

Up: SaRi GarMents? Pa Don't Need Some.

Down: SunNy Day, Pa! MarGarRit*a?   [*S]

Had I been more creative, I may have come up with something better. But I got the idea from learning to read lined music as a kid with phrases as for the lines for the notes EGBDF - Every good boy deserves favour - and FACE for the spaces.

 

Anglicised spelling is a minefield. Search for a song title, name of a raga, or terminology, say, and there will be a variety of spellings: with i or ee, d or dh, t or th, s or sh. So, shruti or shruthi or sruthi or even sruti. Then there are different beginnings, eg Adi or Aadi, and endings: gamaka or gamakam.  What is interesting is that a word might appear with more than one spelling of it in the same publication. For instance, in the book I have, there is rupaka and also roopaka.  I just decide which version to use and stick to it, like sruthi.  Welsh taught me a lot - with so many regional and local differences around here, I take it as it comes.

 

[polybear]

One of the things that Bear's lunchtime Buddy mentioned was the number of C0ckwombles who've spent many £££ on holidays to far flung places yet won't shell out for some (all?) of the recommended jabs; as a consequence "someone he knows rather well" spends all hours testing for easily preventable diseases such as Malaria after the tw@t returns home from hols and then goes sick; that same "someone" also tests for the likes of TB - and it seems that there's generally only one Antibiotic that is effective against TB now.

 

In other - and much more important news - Basil the Bear has made a full recovery and as a reward has been discharged from recovery and is recuperating at Bear Towers; he's even felt well enough to put in a very rare (his first, in fact) personal appearance:

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by polybear

[polybear]

....and finally.....

Where would be an ideal location for the "Asian Winter Games" to be held?  Well this Bear is pretty sure that Saudi Arabia wouldn't be very high (or even anywhere) on the list of suitable candidates - yet that is where the 2029 Games are to be held.

Barking, or what?

A rather cynical Bear might suspect that "money talks".

[The Lurker]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

However, most of the time I can't be faffed to do it properly and one of these (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eggssentials-Poached-Egg-Maker-Stainless/dp/B078GXJQNN/ref=sr_1_13?crid=YHAG02GC9U6C&keywords=poached+egg+pan&qid=1664898969&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjk5IiwicXNhIjoiMy40OCIsInFzcCI6IjMuMzMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=poached+egg+pan%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-13) gives me pretty much the same results (certainly in terms of taste and texture) as the traditional method.

 

We use something similar-although it has room for only four eggs. Mrs Lurker also acquired two silicone egg holders that can placed in an ordinary saucepan of water which do the same job. We use them when 4 eggs is too many.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/12116/poachpod-silicone-egg-poaching-pods-pack-of-2?src=gfeed&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqYKC6pnH-gIVeIBQBh2bjwbPEAQYDyABEgJvdPD_BwE

 

these look like the ones we have

Edited October 4, 2022 by The Lurker

[Coombe Barton]

... sneezing, and coughing, and testing negative for Covid, so it’s probably a cold (Freshers' 'flu) ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/10/04/stats-on-the-peaks-and-troughs/

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, The Lurker said:

We use something similar-although it has room for only four eggs. Mrs Lurker also acquired two silicone egg holders that can placed in an ordinary saucepan of water which do the same job. We use them when 4 eggs is too many.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/12116/poachpod-silicone-egg-poaching-pods-pack-of-2?src=gfeed&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqYKC6pnH-gIVeIBQBh2bjwbPEAQYDyABEgJvdPD_BwE

 

these look like the ones we have

We use the silicon egg holders and they work a treat. Not a lot of water in a pan with a lid on.

 

Jamie

Edited October 4, 2022 by jamie92208

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Ever thought of wearing a kilt?

As an occasional kilt-wearer I can vouch for the fact that those things are heavy and HOT!!!  It's no wonder they are traditionally worn with nothing beneath.  

 

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

150gm of slow roast pork belly (a fatty cut) will leave me feeling fuller (and more quickly) than 150gm cooked white pasta.

Abso-flippin'-lutely.  Rather akin to the conundrum of whether a ton of feathers or a ton of lead is the heavier.  Pork belly is a filler.  Pasta not so much.  Steamed fruit pudding and custard is a filler but slightly less so is apple pie and custard which remains my favourite dessert bar none.  

 

I also swapped to thick-sliced white "tiger" bread for breakfast toast as opposed to Dr. SWMBO's preferred brown-with-seeds regular-sliced style.  A slice of each weights about the same but the former leaves me feeling more filled than the latter.  

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Barking

At least there used to be a ski slope in (or very near) Barking.

[Compound2632]

53 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

... sneezing, and coughing, and testing negative for Covid, so it’s probably a cold (Freshers' 'flu) ...

 

From anecdotal observation, that's the case during the first few days; it's only around the fourth or fifth day that you produce a positive test. No. 1 Son among others has been through this cycle, though in my own current case, onset was quicker - groggy on Friday, tested positive on Saturday morning, symptoms worst yesterday, now on the mend.

[New Haven Neil]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

One of the things that Bear's lunchtime Buddy mentioned was the number of C0ckwombles who've spent many £££ on holidays to far flung places yet won't shell out for some (all?) of the recommended jabs; as a consequence "someone he knows rather well" spends all hours testing for easily preventable diseases such as Malaria after the tw@t returns home from hols and then goes sick; that same "someone" also tests for the likes of TB - and it seems that there's generally only one Antibiotic that is effective against TB now.

 

In other - and much more important news - Basil the Bear has made a full recovery and as a reward has been discharged from recovery and is recuperating at Bear Towers; he's even felt well enough to put in a very rare (his first, in fact) personal appearance:

 

 

He's very.....bristle-y. Have you upset him?  Surely not....one bear to another.

[PhilJ W]

35 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

At least there used to be a ski slope in (or very near) Barking.

The Beckton Alps, used to be the waste tip for the Beckton gas works. It probably contained all sorts of nasties chemical wise. They were removed not because of the pollution but because they found a (cheap) way of removing some of the more useful chemicals.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. As I mentioned I had my annual eye test today. I was told years ago that I had cataracts but not to worry as they were not serious enough. Thankfully they haven't changed in all those years and as long as I protect my eyes from strong sunlight they should be OK. 

[petethemole]

9 hours ago, DaveF said:

a German singer of mainly volkstümliche musik.

You had me briefly wondering what the music of the German Home Guard was like.... found some....tediously bombastic.

[polybear]

45 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

He's very.....bristle-y. Have you upset him?  Surely not....one bear to another.

 

Tis' true - hence why he's called Basil (as in Brush); sadly Basil's hind paws had both become detached - the wire "skeleton" within him appears to be un-plated steel and for some strange reason the wires on both paws had corroded right thru' at the same place.  I pondered for a looooong time regarding how I could help the poor little guy out - eventually I came up with the idea of bonding him to an mdf base (purchased unpainted off the 'bay for around a tenner) using clear Sticks Like Sh1t; the hind paws are both bonded at the hip joint as well as to the base.  He'll need careful handling (mind you, I always have anyway) - any lifting or moving will be via the base only; he also has a bit of a habit of easily shedding spikes for no reason.  So very careful I must be.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Unexpected visitor.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-essex-63090432

[J. S. Bach]

38 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Tis' true - hence why he's called Basil (as in Brush); sadly Basil's hind paws had both become detached - the wire "skeleton" within him appears to be un-plated steel and for some strange reason the wires on both paws had corroded right thru' at the same place.  I pondered for a looooong time regarding how I could help the poor little guy out - eventually I came up with the idea of bonding him to an mdf base (purchased unpainted off the 'bay for around a tenner) using clear Sticks Like Sh1t; the hind paws are both bonded at the hip joint as well as to the base.  He'll need careful handling (mind you, I always have anyway) - any lifting or moving will be via the base only; he also has a bit of a habit of easily shedding spikes for no reason.  So very careful I must be.

But, did his mother mate with a porcupine? 🙀

[Winslow Boy]

3 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

But, did his mother mate with a porcupine? 🙀

 

Carefully one supposes.

[polybear]

12 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

But, did his mother mate with a porcupine? 🙀

 

Not in the UK - a Hedgehog maybe......

[iL Dottore]

Dear Mr @polybear

 

We have been contacted by your consultant about your ward: Mr Basil Bear.

 

As your consultant will have already explained to you, Bilateral Ursine Coxrubigo with Spike Shedding is invariably fatal in patients like Mr B Bear. Although good hygiene and musculoskeletal support (as you have practiced with your ward) will keep the patient in a reasonable condition for a short period of time, ultimately deterioration will be so severe that euthanasia becomes the only option. The start of the patient’s rapid deterioration is invariably signalled by shedding spikes and refusal to eat LDC.

 

Currently, the only treatment available is BearFix: a monoclonal antibody treatment which prevents terminal deterioration in only about 10% of all affected patients. It is not currently available on the NHS as NICE (National Institute for  Health and Care  Excellence) has ruled that the QALY cost (quality-adjusted life year) is too expensive (Bearfix costs about £250,000 a dose and a minimum of four doses at three monthly intervals are needed to prevent deterioration in those 10% of patients who do benefit from such treatment. As currently there are no biomarkers to determine which patients would benefit from Bearfix treatment, all patients with Bilateral Ursine Coxrubigo with Spike Shedding would need to be treated with the drug at an immense cost to the NHS).

 

CCI PharmaCo will be shortly starting its Phase 3 study with its new and completely revolutionary trivalent monoclonal antibody (TriUrsoMab) - which has shown in its Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies to result in a lasting response in approximately 90% of treated Bilateral Ursine Coxrubigo with Spike Shedding patients with either a complete response (CR) or stable disease (SD) being maintained for up to 5 years.

 

As patients with full blown, progressive Bilateral Ursine Coxrubigo with Spike Shedding are very rare, we are writing to ask you if your ward, Mr Basil Bear might be interested in participating in the above mentioned Phase 3 study. If he agrees, we will forward to him an informed consent form (ICF) to be read and signed by him and countersigned by yourself. Following which, Mr Basil Bear will be provided with transport to our research clinic in Switzerland and evaluated to see if he would be eligible to enter our study. If eligible, he would be required to come to Switzerland (accompanied by his guardian) once every three months for assessment and treatment. The cost of this will be borne by CCIPharmaCo.

 

Please let us know as soon as is possible as to your and Mr Basil Bear’s decisions as only a limited number of places in this clinical trial are available.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Prof DrMed A Caduceus

Diector of Clinical Development 

CCIPharmaCo
(a division of CCI GmbH)

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by iL Dottore
Typo

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

....and finally.....

Where would be an ideal location for the "Asian Winter Games" to be held?  Well this Bear is pretty sure that Saudi Arabia wouldn't be very high (or even anywhere) on the list of suitable candidates - yet that is where the 2029 Games are to be held.

Barking, or what?

A rather cynical Bear might suspect that "money talks".

I'd question its lack of Asia-ness as much as its lack of snow, but then again we are in the European Song Contest so why the !(*#$* not?

 

  I'm increasingly under the impression that people like this are running things.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

3 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

I'm increasingly under the impression that people like this are running things.

 

Everyone has the right to be stupid, but I think some people just abuse the privilege!

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.