h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello, are you still around jaz'd?

Missed that!*waves frantically in return* I haven't been 'here' quite as much in the last month or so(actually, couple months). If you noticed on the "What ..." thread, I received one of those Kindle e-readers near the end of May. So what with the reading, a bit of ...ok, more than 'a bit' & the annual Fringe Theatre festival-yes the north american version of Edinburgh's-just a few days away, I've been a bit preoccupied. A couple of the chocolates that stand out are bars made from beans grown in The Philippines. An American producer has built a successful career after 20 years as a criminal defense lawyer/barrister. There's a change in midstream, so to speak.

http://www.askinosie.com/p-75-77-davao-dark-chocolate-bar.aspx

http://www.askinosie.com/p-125-davao-white-chocolate-bar.aspx
(a very very pale brown, wonderfully nutty 'white' chocolate)

But how have you been?

Ooh, just noticed that the white chocolate bar is available with roasted & salted pistachios!

*jumps about madly like a loony & waves even more frantically*

It's ok, you can stop jumping and waving now

You have been busy and the looks

I've been reading, starting a bit of w*rk related study, visiting my sister in rural Norfolk

Well, news on a personal level/basis. I tried a great 72% bar wth cinnamon yesterday. Joanne, the owner of the nearby Wild Earth grocery http://wildearthfoods.ca brought the brand to my attention. Thhere are a number more varieties of bars than are mentioned on the website, but I only bought the one for now-I'll definitely be getting more! A very nice prominent but not overly aggressive or overpowering cinnamon flavour....much like in a cinnamon bun or cinnamon cake.

http://galerieauchocolat.ca/home.asp?Lang=E&STID=961513699801043

*waves* Hel-lo! A few purchases to report(& speaking of 'port', all imported). The first of the 3 being a small-5oz/14gm-white chocolate bar with lemon zest & pink peppercorns - the Amalfi bar@

http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/category/exotic_candy_bars

Those do look tempting especially the Black pearl

I've found that our local supermarket has a few different bars in their foreign and speciality food aisle. Can't remember the brand though

The second is a-70g-bittersweet(label says "Noble bitter chocolate"). 'Noble'..now I'd feel guilty about eating it...well momentarily Somewhat guilty. Anyway the filling is 60% cream & 2% whisky(in the 'hand scooped' category)

http://www.zotter.at/en/home.html

Third is a 25g Italian Domori Peperoncino bar, minimum 60% & 0.25% chili pepper.

http://www.domori.com/en/product.php?idProdictLine=12&id=85

As you see, all just small purchases. But they're supplementing larger Equal Exchange bars. I've finished the Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt(Very good, btw)& the Dark Chocolate with Orange(reasonably good, but a standard pairing, isn't it).

http://www.equalexchange.coop/chocolate-bars

Then there are some other purchases I've made, such as the with banana bar that I'm eating just now.


http://www.theobromachocolat.com/?menu=46.0&cat=1008

*jumps up'n'down, wavin' & screamin') Still here, plenty of on hand, as usual..

Woohoo I'm still eating from Christmas

I've got a bit of that too!*munch, munch, munch* Just about to reach for some Lindt Hazelnut - with hazelnut pieces & a smooth soft center. But only milk so I'll build on that foundation(so to speak)with some 70% dark from Purdy's.

How's 2012 going so far?

Not too badly thanks. Completed refurbishing my daughter's room which was a major task

My next venture is archaeology - I've volunteered for a local community project next month

What is jaz'd up to these days?

Admittedly not all that much, or least not all that much of interest. Life though is going smoothly enough, simply an uneventful patch. I hope that said, I don't have an either rough or overly eventful patch ahead!

The Archaeology sounds interesting. Which brings to mind one of the pastimes I've been indulging in. Last summer(I think it was)someone on reddit had posted a link to avery 'bass-drum beating', 'chest-thumping' American documentary entitled 'How Beer Saved The World', which I watched with some interest-and a grain or two of salt. History of a popular beverage and all, but more on that later. The particular webpage-below-contains links to various TV series and documentaries.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/how-beer-saved-the-world/

In any case, I watched with great interest a series on underground cities. For example the Roman aquaducts, etc below modern-day Istanbul & the underground Edinburgh beneath the modern city.(Did I find that through the'Environment' link or the link for 'Society'?) Also interesting was a series on various figures in Philosophy, with Alain de Botton. Those were two of the most memorable. I've also watched a variety of inspiring/informative & generally interesting TED('Technology, Engineering & Design' I believe)Talks..

http://www.ted.com/talks?gclid=CLv5oMmji5gCFRwwawodjE_RDQ

Three that have really struck a chord with me recently-so to speak-were Paul Gilding on 'The Earth Is Full', James Hansen on 'Climate Change' & Jonathon Haidt on 'Self Transcendance'. But I've watched countless ones...ones by Jaimie Oliver and Stephen Fry among other people in fact.

Thank you for that link I've just watched this one and thought it was very interesting and true (probably describes me too)

http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html

I'm familiar with the underground streets of Edinburgh. Being one who has a slight interest in the paranormal, Mary King's close does feature in a number of ghost hunting programmes and events. Fascinating place - I would like to visit, maybe in the daytime though!

Yes certainly in the daytime, when you knew a return to daylight was only an hour or so away...that would be how I'd look at it.

I'll have to watch that & thanks to you I have a direct link. Saves a bit of time.

Oh and I suppose later, an American bar, 77%.

http://www.tinyurl.com/7an98f2

Being somewhat introverted, I liked that.again.

*sits quietly munch...& pausing to savor, munch..., munching a Hagensborg Wild B(o)ar

http://www.hagensborg.com

or http://www.hagensborg.com/shop?page=2 *