Two Greedy Italians
Antonio Carluccio has said tonight, that his religion is food. So tonight he and Gennaro Contaldo are exploring Puglia looking at religion and food.
But Gennaro did come up with this glorious recipe. I’ll try it sometime. It’s gluten-free too.
Antonio seems to be rather dismissive of the religion and is much keener on the food. I’ll drink to that! As I sip a gluten-free beer!
Howard Flight States the Obvious
Howard Flight has been quoted on the BBC as saying this.
We’re going to have a system where the middle classes are discouraged from breeding because it’s jolly expensive.
“But for those on benefits, there is every incentive. Well, that’s not very sensible.
I could also add to the first part of his statement, that young children stop you going on those long-haul holidays, as every one needs a ticket. As to the second part, it may or may not be true, but I think it probably isn’t.
On that issue though I refer you to Peoplequake. which shows that unless there is adequate provision for flexible working and a female-friendly society, the birth rate falls drammatically. Just look at Italy, Russia and Iran for a start.
Don’t be Conventional!
On the BBC tonight, they had a program about a pilot who in the Second World War used to insert and extract agents of the SOE into German-occupied territories. One of the aircraft they used was the remarkable Westland Lysander, which although it wasn’t too good at its original job of Army Co-operation, was a superb aircraft to sneak in and out under the noses of the Germans, due to its slow speed and superb STOL performance.
But then the Second World War had its fair share of what could be described as unconventional aircraft.
The Mosquito didn’t look unconventional, but who’d have thought that an unarmed bomber built out of wood, would have been so successful. It was just that because it was light, aerodynamically efficient and could carry the same bomb-load as a B17, it could get to its targets fast and return. In fact Mosquitos often bombed Germany twice in one day.
But the theory of the heavily-armed four-engined bomber prevailed and we lost 250,000 aircrew bombing the Nazis, as did the Americans. Mosquitos incidentally had a much higher return rate and it could also be argued that because they were so much more agile and fast, they could have hit strategic targets, like ball-bearing factories, morning, noon and night. So there was also a moral case for using de Havilland’s wooden wonder.
The Mosquito is probably the only Second World War aircraft, that has a legacy in modern designs. Bombers these days are not armed and British ones haven’t been for some decades. This is because de Havilland’s fast unarmed concept was shown to be so superior, to any armed one. But the biggest legacy is in the wings of Airbuses, which like the Mosquito are glued together, rather than riveted. You can trace the technology back through Tridents and Comets to the Mosquito and before that to the Albatross.
Supermarine is well-known for the Spitfire, but another of its products was the distinctly unconventional Walrus, designed like the Spitfire by R. J. Mitchell. It was an amphibious aircraft that could be lauched and recovered from naval ships like cruisers and battleships, but it found its major use in picking up downed airmen out of the sea. This maritime-rescue role has been taken over by helicopters, but perhaps the role could be handled better, by a modern fixed-wing aircraft of unconventional design. The Americans have experimented with using Lockheed Hercules and pick-up systems, but nothing sensible has emerged.
The Americans too had an unconventional amphibian, the Consolidated Catalina. Like the Mosquito, the Cat seemed to revel in every task thrown at it. But unlike the Mosquito, you can still see a few examples flying.
And then there is the Swordfish or Stringbag. This aircraft was probably obselete when the war started, but went on to sink large amounts of Axis shipping. The Swordfish also destroyed a large part of the Italian fleet at the Battle of Taranto. Was this battle the blueprint for Pearl Harbor? The Japanese certainly gave what the Fleet Air Arm did with a handful of obselete bi-planes more than a cursory glance!
I have always thought unconventionally! It has never done me any harm! Although it’s got me into a few scrapes.
Ipswich Town Keep Another Clean Sheet Against the Azzuris
Well not really, but in the World cup, Italy failed to score against New Zealand and Tommy Smith and now last night, they did the same against Northern Ireland and Gareth McAuley! But they had been talking to each other according to this report.
Earthquake in Italy
Reports are coming in of a smallish earthquake on Lipari in the Aeolian Islands. I think it’s the first time, that a place I’ve visited a couple of times, has suffered in such a way.
There are some pictures of the very beautiful islands here.
Let’s hope the damage if any, wasn’t too serious!
Anyone for Squirrel?
I always refer to squirrels as American tree rats, because of the damage they do to trees and because they chase our native and much better red squirrels away. They were one of the first American cultural imports, like burgers and baseball caps, that we can well do without!
So to see that Budgens are now selling them in Crouch End is good. As they say in Suffolk, “Make the buggers work!” That was originally said by a farmer and horse-coper called Dick Freeman, when I told him that my business partner and his wife, had been offered a local speciality in Geneva; raw donkey meat. They had been horrified as at the time, as they had had a pet one called Robin. Dick hated donkeys with a passion, as they give worms to horses.
Our housekeeper at Debach was partial to squirrel and told me that young ones were very nice if fried in a little butter.
Remember though, I am of an age, who was brought up when meat was rationed in the 1940s and early 1950s. As rabbit was off coupon and my father had a customer, who could get it, we had quite a few rabbit pies in those days.
I still like rabbit and would try squirrel in a decent restaurant. After all it’s gluten-free isn’t it?
I doubt I’ll ever go again due to my health, but on Salina in the Aeolian Islands, rabbit is the local speciality, as rabbits are wild and plentiful. The rabbit at the Hotel Signum is exquisite. It’s an ambition to go again and a goal to aspire to.
New Zealand Draw With Twelve Man Italy
What a result and well played New Zealand and of course Tommy Smith of Ipswich! But according to Robbie Savage on Radio 5, it wasn’t a penalty, but a well-carried out dive. And where did the officials get four minutes of added time from at the end? Obviously, they didn’t want a nice holiday being feted in New Zealand.
But Italy have followed the pattern of well-fancied European teams.
The Result of a Burqa Ban
A headline in The Times yesterday was “I’ll keep her indoors, says man, after wife is fined for wearing veil”.
I’m not in favour of women being covered up in public, but then I’m not someone who think it should be an offence. What has happened in Italy is a case of heads the woman loses and tails the woman does the same.
What we must do is make sure that men and women treat their partners equally. Read about the history of Islam and you’ll find that in the early days women were equal. Are they now? In many cases they are, but in other cases, it does not appear so to me.
But then I also think that any man who doesn’t let his woman out of the house is probably a very inadequate man, who is frightened she might realise what a complete loser he is.
Brazilian Armies in Europe
Field Marshal Waldemar Levy Cardoso has just died at 108.
His death highlights a little known story from World War II, where Brazilian soldiers fought against the Axis in Italy. there is more here in this article from the BBC.
But it is not the first time Brazilian soldiers have fought in Europe.
The Meridian Line in Naples
Naples has two of the best museums in the world, let alone Italy. In fact the collection of paintings in the Museo di Capodimonte is considered to be the second best in Italy after the Uffizzi in Florence. But the National Archaeological Museum is to me the more interesting, as I prefer my sculpture to my painting.
Sometimes, in Italy I think that if I’ve seen one Madonna and Child, I’ve seen a hundred. Or perhaps even a thousand.
But the sculptures are stunning. Most are from the Farnese Collection and have been on display in Naples for around 200 years.
The Farnese Bull
The museum is also unusual in that it has a Meridian Line, which shows midday, the seasons and the signs of the Zodiac.
Meridian Line, Naples
It’s accurate too, as this picture with my mobile phone shows. You can just see the time. I would have used a watch, but I wasn’t wearing it after the previous incident.
Meridian Line at Midday
The phone is a legendary Nokia 6310i and is about seven or eight years old. It was in my pocket when I was attacked and doesn’t seemed to have suffered. It’s still on the original battery.
