Legal Highs
There was a fascinating program tonight on BBC3 about legal highs.
It says to me that I don’t really want to take anything dodgy.
The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is the BBC’s longest running program.
I used to watch it as a child and when I went to my Grammar School, we were lucky enough to have a six inch refracting telescope, and I was able to spend evenings watching the stars. I have a telescope now, but I never seem to get time to use it.
I also saw Patrick Moore at the British Astonomical Association in Piccadilly, where he gave a talk on the non-effect of the moon on earthquakes. He really boomed out his message!
Tonights program on BBC4 was about the moon and as ever it was fascinating.
In the program, they showed images of the moon sent in by amateurs. Not one was sent in by a woman.
Where are the women scientists?
Pork Chops Braised in Cyder
This is a recipe I’ve cooked many times. Note that I spell the cyder with a y. This is because I use the King of Ciders, Aspall. And they spell it that way.
The original recipe came from recipetips.com.
Applesauce is a traditional accompaniment to pork chops – but try this version which infuses apple flavour into the meat. I’ll agree with that.
The ingredients you’ll need for four are.
- 4 6 oz. pork chops, about 1″ thick
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups apple cider – I use Aspalls Cyder
- 2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
I usually do one, so I would use an onion and a cup of cyder. I should say that the recipe doesn’t seem to be too critical as to how much onion, sage and cyder you use. More sauce is probably a good idea.
And this is how you cook it.
- Heat oil in heavy 12″ skillet.
- Lightly salt chops. Grind a generous amount of black pepper over each chop. Press pepper into chop.
- When oil is very hot but not smoking, add chops and brown well on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chops from pan. Add cider, sage and onion. Boil to reduce liquid by about half – about 5 minutes.
- Return chops to pan, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cover.
- Cook until chops are desired doneness – make a small cut to check. Center should be very pale pink. (If overcooked, chops will be tough and flavorless.)
- Remove finished chops to a warmed platter. If cider sauce is too thin, quickly boil down to consistency of syrup. Spoon over chops and serve immediately.
It’s good and it’s totally gluten-free.
Wimbledon Roof Designer
The title of this post is simple and it is something that you would type into Google, if you wanted to find out who designed the Wimbledon roof.
My page called Wimbledon’s Roof comes up seventh in the list.
This is amazing considering that the page in this blog has only been viewed thirteen times, since it was posted. I would have thought, I would be way down with a hit rate like that!
Hands Off Our Banks
Our banks may have not been friends of the general public, but they are going to get a lot worse if the US government has its way. Just read this article by Carl Mortished, entitled the Long Arm of the US Taxman.
It is all part of the relentless drive to treat us all like criminals. I pay my taxes and I resent having to fill in forms just to make sure I’m not money laundering or stashing fifty pound notes in my socks. Today, I’ve got to drive into Cambridge to get a lawyer to certify that I am who I am. Apparently, my word is no longer good enough.
Don’t get me talking on what our MPs got up to. And what are they doing on all these invasions of our privacy? Baa! Baa!
It is far better to analyse what is happening and target those who are up to no good!
Steve Race
Last month I missed that Steve Race had died. He was one of the last great broadcasters from the 1950s to the 1970s, who were at home doing everything. He was a jazz pianist, author, broadcaster and television panelist. And he even used to create the Quick Crossword for the Telegraph. I think too, that he was one of the original presenters of PM on Radio 4.
He was one of my favourite broadcasters and I know it is often said, but I don’t think we’ll see the like of him again.
Police Stupidity
This blog entry from The Times shows that whatever the Police have these days, they lack good old commonsense.
I have a basset hound and she is beside herself with the heat. All the doors and windows in the house are open and she’s wandering around looking for best place to snooze.
Blood Test for IVF Success
The Times today reports that a blood test has been developed that helps to predict IVF success.
I hope that the blood test looks for problems of coeliac disease.
Here’s why!
I am a coeliac and used to suffer from very low vitamin-b12 levels until I was diagnosed as a coeliac at 54 or so. Now on a gluten-free diet, my b12 levels are fine.
As a man, that doesn’t matter, but I can trace my coeliac ancestors back through my family tree. The men died young and the women never had any children. My sister didn’t and was never diagnosed as a coeliac, whilst of child-bearing age.
I also moderate a list on the Internet for coeliacs. Over the last few years, three women have joined in their mid-thirties who have just been diagnosed. All were childless, but wanted children and within months they became pregnant and successfully gave birth.
Are questions about coeliac symptoms asked when people are looking to conceive with IVF? After all, amenorrhea is a common coeliac symptom.
As an engineer/scientist these notes are not good research, as they are personal and a rather small sample, but serious research needs to be done in this area.
This Old Lawyer
My late wife was a barrister, who did an awful lot of family work. Perhaps because of this, I like to think that a sensible approach to the law can help us in all our situations.
I have just found Melvin Jay Schwatz, who writes eloquently on his site, This Old Lawyer.
His general advice on widowhood is good and funny in a macabre way.
Coeliacs and Mental Problems
Just listening to the twins, Will and Rupert Young, on the radio as I write. Will is the well-known singer and his twin brother, Rupert, has a history of mental problems. He’s just set up the Mood Foundation to help people with their problems.
It’s just a small point, but I moderate a list on the Internet for coeliacs. We are all allergic to the gluten, found in wheat, barley and rye. What keeps coming up is those with this allergy are often diagnosed as suffering for depression, bi-polar disorder and other mental problems. When they go on a gluten-free diet, the symptoms disappear.
Obviously, this is only likely to help in the cases of the 1-in-100 of the UK population who are coeliacs, but to test for the allergy is now a simple blood test.
Taking a scientist’s view of the body, undiagnosed coeliacs are often low in vitamin b12 and guess what? This is absolutely essential for healthy functioning of the brain.
But perhaps more importantly, we need to have a totally open view to mental illness and not rule out ANY cause of a person’s problems. After all a cured patient can become a valuable member of society.
Rupert has just said that he was helped by equine assisted therapy. As someone who breeds racehorses, I know that horses can help in mental problems. To relate to say a mare and a skitty foal, you have to be calm, just to get them to take a tidbit. And so you learn how to calm your emotions. Also for people who have problems with violence and losing their temper, they don’t want to try anything remotely like that with a horse. They’ll get a good kicking. So you learn to control yourself.
The Anonymous Widower 