661-Pete wrote:I'd have thought the British public were a bit more discerning, now, than that?
Years ago I read a letter sent to a UK paper by a bloke who had taken his family on holiday to Brittany for a couple of weeks. He wrote something like this: "we took three family-sized loaves of Mother's Pride, and I'm happy to say that they lasted us through. The last slice, eaten on the morning we started home, was as fresh as the first."
So he ignored baguette, brioche and pain de campagne for two weeks in favour of pap so vile that bread mould disdained it. Well played, that man.
Brilliant! But I'm a bit puzzled here. I'd have thought, after two weeks, Mothers Pride would look something like this: Mind you, that last slice maybe did taste "as fresh as the first". I wouldn't know....
That is a good fungi photo! I will have to have a look in the bread bins of various friends & acquaintances, who I know don't eat real bread and still buy that polystyrene stuff from the not-so-supermarkets. (It is made from old cycling helmets, or so I believe).
I wonder if such stuff would make an "interesting" bread & butter pud? Perhaps there would be dancing in the St Vitus style, followed by visions, frothing and a week's holiday in hospital - for those lucky enough to have a portion?
Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
^^ I believe that those blue moulds are often Penicilium ones. The one's Fleming accidentally discovered have antibiotic properties. So if you have a sore throat....
I actually seem to vaguely recall a story that some old folk ( as in previous generations) new about this and would dose themselves with mouldy bread! But I don't have a citation or reference. Anyone know?
PDQ Mobile wrote:^^ I believe that those blue moulds are often Penicilium ones. The one's Fleming accidentally discovered have antibiotic properties. So if you have a sore throat....
I actually seem to vaguely recall a story that some old folk ( as in previous generations) new about this and would dose themselves with mouldy bread! But I don't have a citation or reference. Anyone know?
I can't reference that but I know mould in bread can send people temporarily bonkers (technical term) because of the presence of claviceps purpurea in the grain
nez wrote:I can't reference that but I know mould in bread can send people temporarily bonkers (technical term) because of the presence of claviceps purpurea in the grain
In 1722, the Russian Tzar Peter the Great was thwarted in his campaign against the Ottoman Empire as his army, traveling down the Terek steppe, were struck by ergotism and were forced to retreat in order to find edible grains. A diary entry from the time describes that as soon as people ate the poisoned bread they became dizzy, with such strong nerve contractions that those who did not die from the first day found their hands and feet falling off, akin to frostbite.[28] The epidemic was known as Saint Anthony's fire,[14] or ignis sacer, and some historical events, such as the Great Fear in France during the French Revolution have been linked to ergot poisoning.[29] Saint Anthony was a 3rd Century Egyptian ascetic who lived by the Red Sea and was known for long fasting in which he confronted terrible visions and temptations sent from the Devil.[27] He was credited by two noblemen for assisting them in recovery from the disease; they subsequently founded the Order of St. Anthony in honor of him.[26] Anthony was a popular subject for art in the Middle Ages and his symbol is a large blue "T" sewn onto the shoulder of the order's monks, symbolizing the crutch used by the ill and injured.[
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Ergot does not infect baked bread, so you won't find it in bread just because it's gone mouldy: instead it's a parasite of the living grain - usually rye. The problem comes if the black growths on the ear are not noticed when the grain is harvested. Having said that, it's relatively rare.
One of the symptoms of ergotism, so I've read, is "formication". Please note carefully, that's an "m" not an "n" ! Apparently it's the sensation of having ants run all over your skin. Nice!
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity. Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments... --- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
It's looking increasingly likely that BoJo is trying to throw Northern Island under the bus. Bet the DUP are ecstatic.
My personal view is it should be handed back anyway. Folk in NI have residency rights in the UK I presume - perhaps they'll be our next big immigration influx...
I was listening to LBC yesterday, a rare event, and they also had a rare event of having a couple of educated professionals discuss the issue of the GFA and Brexit with only a few callers in spewing their own views. I made a copy and installed it on my Google drive where you can listen to it streamed or just download it
Well worth a listen as the two guests seemed to demolish ( in one case unwittingly) certain "truths" we have been told
The impression I get is that the EU has had its own project fear going over anything other than the backstop that Mrs May agreed to, because the backstop makes life very easy for the EU. I think the EU have got a lot to answer for.
kwackers wrote:It's looking increasingly likely that BoJo is trying to throw Northern Island under the bus. Bet the DUP are ecstatic.
My personal view is it should be handed back anyway. Folk in NI have residency rights in the UK I presume - perhaps they'll be our next big immigration influx...
I have never figured out why a small number of bigots hold such a sway with the Tories. Maybe I'll read up on the history of NI and find a reason.
Interesting report about the impact of Piffle's language. At the time MPs were asking Johnson to moderate his language after the death threats they were already receiving but Johnson dismissed such concerns as "Humbug".
Now the Police have provided info
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/brexit-hate-crime-surrender-bill-boris-johnson-debate-benn-act-police-a9152106.html wrote:Hate crime surged during Brexit 'surrender' bill debates in parliament, police reveal ... Hate crime spiked during parliamentary debates around what Boris Johnson labelled a “surrender bill” aiming to prevent a no-deal Brexit, police have revealed. ... Hate crime spiked during parliamentary debates around what Boris Johnson labelled a “surrender bill” aiming to prevent a no-deal Brexit, police have revealed.
mercalia wrote:The impression I get is that the EU has had its own project fear going over anything other than the backstop that Mrs May agreed to, because the backstop makes life very easy for the EU. I think the EU have got a lot to answer for.
Project Fear? I don't understand this. The *UK* have decided (kind of) to leave the EU, the EU have merely said that we need an agreement that will support the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement. Ireland want that, and the Republic of Ireland are still EU members.
Many folks remember the troubles. There's no project fear in thinking the potential for that again if the GFA is broken. And it is furthermore nothing to do with the EU, except indirectly. The backstop is a last resort, not an easy out.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.” ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
kwackers wrote:It's looking increasingly likely that BoJo is trying to throw Northern Island under the bus. Bet the DUP are ecstatic.
My personal view is it should be handed back anyway. Folk in NI have residency rights in the UK I presume - perhaps they'll be our next big immigration influx... :lol:
! Apparently it's the sensation of having ants run all over your skin. Nice! 
