Journal Entries
I don't get it
Posted Nov 25, 2015
(This will inevitably turn into another one of my endless journal conversations such as 'Zaphod' or 'Facepalm').
When an attack such as the recent ones in Paris happens, one of the things people say is that we mustn't give in to the terrorists. We mustn't live in fear or change our ways because that would be giving in to them and/or the terrorists will have won.
Terrorists such as those are most definitely real and most definitely scary and they most definitely kill people.
Internet trolls, on the other hand, are sad, irritating, silly people; cowards who hide behind the (sometimes) anonymity of a screen name and who sit the comfort of their own home, spouting their bile from the safety of their own keyboard. They do what they do because it's so easy, but the idea of actually following through with any kind of action will be the last thing on their mind.
So why are their impotent threats given such credence, thereby giving the trolls power? Why are they taken so much more seriously, in some ways, than the people (ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda) who we *really* should be scared of and do something about? After all, their death threats are the ones that really are carried out. Not so with internet trolls.
I've been wondering this for some time, but this story brought it to the forefront of my thoughts today http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bbc-sends-security-guard-to-protect-journalist-who-received-abuse-on-twitter-after-she-said-she-a6748156.html
Twitter trolls are about as frightening as a feather duster (yes, I know some people have a feather phobia). Have we forgotten the old chatroom/bulletin board/forum adage 'Don't feed the troll'? Ignore them and they will go away. They really will. But giving in to them in ways we refuse to give in to the real trolls (terrorists) seems arse-about-face to me.
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Latest reply: Nov 25, 2015
Thanksgiving
Posted Nov 24, 2015
This will be my second as a US citizen. I doubt I had a turkey last year, and I certainly won't have one this year - there's little point in having anything that big when you live on your own. Maybe I had a chicken last time.
This year though, I fancy giving it a bit of side. I think I'll allow my Britishness to influence the meal by making a Sunday roast, probably pork, although I'd prefer lamb. But lamb is so expensive here. And it's not easy to get a decent joint.
So it'll probably be a shoulder of pork, which should take me through the weekend.
Although, I've never made Beef Wellington...
I'll go with something American for dessert, just because.
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Latest reply: Nov 24, 2015
It is what it is
Posted Nov 17, 2015
Some of you may have seen this floating around teh interwebs. I reposted it myself, in fact, on Twotter http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTxpl4OWIAAjLJf.jpg
I'm facing the same problem myself. This weekend we're having a little party at work, a Thanksgiving party where everyone brings something in the way of food. Mostly people are going to bring traditional Thanksgiving dinner fare, naturally - turkey, cornbread stuffing (this is Texas, after all), cranberries, mash, glazed carrots and sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie etc.
I thought I'd bring along a few things of a more... British nature 
But here's the problem - there are people who are gluten free; there are people who are vegan; there are people who are vegetarian; there are people who can't digest milk.
Well, I'm going to make some gluten-free cider bread, if I can find the necessary millet flour. But I'm also taking along cider ice cream, and some 
, plus home made chutney.
A is a is a . It's made with meat and I really don't think gluten-free flour will make a good hot water crust. And ice cream is ice cream is ice cream. Hey, it's all organic and I'm using our own product in it. As for the chutney... is there such a thing as vinegar intolerance?
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Latest reply: Nov 17, 2015
What can I do with egg whites?
Posted Nov 11, 2015
Besides meringues and besides making tempera. I have three left over from the buttermilk pie F50359?thread=8251735&post=110966858#p110966858 (a bit less actually cos I brushed some of them over the top of the pastry to brown it).
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Latest reply: Nov 11, 2015
Crashy byes
Posted Nov 11, 2015
Or not, as is more usually the case 
Since sleep, the lack of it, and waking up at stupid o'clock has become such a part of various other conversations in my journal it might as well have its own. The first post covers point number three and that list and is a repeat of a previous post in another conversation - I wake up, toss and turn for 15 or 29 minutes, realise I'm unlikely to get back to sleep, turn on the radio and hear the main (top of the hour) news, hope it's 6am not 5am.
It's 5am.
Discuss this Journal entry [55]
Latest reply: Nov 11, 2015
There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho
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