An open thread, where at your weekend leisure, you can discuss anything you like.
Life, Culture and Politics from BrisVegas
Larvatus Prodeo is an Australian group blog which discusses politics, sociology, culture, life, religion and science from a left of centre perspective. more»
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Is it ok to say FIRST!
I will be helping my son and his wife move, this weekend. We started today, and already I’m exhausted, but can’t sleep. Oh well, they are only moving 700m, could be worse.
I thought I’d get the wekend off to a good start and take my 12 year old son to dinner, seeing as he wasn’t going to his Mum’s this weekend for a change. We walked to a local restaurant and ordered dinner -I was quite impressed when he went for the kangaroo fillet. Then he pulled out his book and started reading. What could I do? Attempts at conversation were met with annoyed grunts, so I got out my new phone and Googled. Gotta love that communications technology.
Funny that.
I was talking to a neighbor once about the recent discovery of platypus in our local creek. ‘ Delicious’ he said, in relation to the native fauna.
No ‘ tastes like chicken’ but you get the picture. We’re all Soylent-green now.
Debbieanne:
What a wonderful opportunity for the two of them to find all the things they don’t really need after all.
Ozymandias:
Strange territory, the mind of a twelve-year-old lad.
Ozymadias and Prof. Rat:
Was talking to some farmers and graziers last night. Nearly burst out laughing at some of the myths about keeping kangaroos and about ‘roo meat that still persist; made me think of how “daylight saving makes the curtains fade”.
Threw a birthday party for my 87-year-old mum last night. We kept the catering simple as I was on the normal 5-day week. Kransky (from Andrew and Imannuel the Victorian Sausage Kings) on the BBQ, chicken ditto, 7 bunches of asparagus lightly steamed with a bit of melted butter and pine nuts. Other people brought other side dishes and antipasto. Cake from Hausfrau, Black Forest. Now I’m exhausted but pleased that she had a good night. I’m lucky to have my 87-88 parents still alive and fairly healthy.
Oh, and crash hot potatoes (if you haven’t been to this new-ish blog of Zoe’s, you really should.) You can cook the spuds the night before and the rest only takes seconds before it goes in the oven.
I’ve got a whole weekend of dealing with a very excited just-turned-14 year old, and tonight and tomorrow morning of dealing with her excited friends at a slumber party as well.
Sending Mr Tog out to buy earplugs shortly.
One thing I might try in the near future is crocodile. I say might, as it cost $20 a steak the last time I looked about two years ago. I tried to check it out earlier this year when I had a little bit of extra cash, but the specialist deli didn’t have any.
Congratulations to your Mum, Helen.
I’ve taken the dog for a run on the beach and now it’s off to the races for me.
Caulfield Cup tip.
Weekend Hussler and Dolphin Jo for value.
Off to CERT for driver training! I’ve held a semi license for 50yrs but you learn something new every day, so it goes. Us gerrys do loads of the volunteer work in the bush these days and emergency response has been an eye-opener. So a call to 000 in the mountains here might result in seeing me peering down at you and if that doesn’t frighten you t’death nothing will.
Fine: If I was a punter I’d follow your tip after last weeks effort.
We in the ACT get to exercise our democratic right to elect our 17 member Legislative Assembly today.
The Canberra Times poll suggests that the Greens will be the big winners and will hold the balance of power in the new Assembly. (Polls: Labor 8 Liberals 5 Greens 4). The old majority Labor government (Labor 9 Liberals 6 Greens 1 Ind Liberal 1) was very arrogant and paid lip service to community consultation.
After a token vote for the Independent from the ACT Democrats, my vote went to the Greens.
The rest of the weekend will be taken up with completing the cryptic crosswords, visiting a girlfriend whose mother is in town, and attending a Learning Ladder party being held by my daughter Jen.
Helen, we have the smashed potatoes regularly since you posted that recipe. It’s very very tasty.
Boy oh boy!! Aren’t those Australians clever…
http://www.gizmag.com/artificial-photosynthesis-provides-clean-cheap-hydrogen/9840/
It’s all in the marketing. Here is a cute concept. The “human electric hybride”.
http://www.gizmag.com/go/8269/
We saw Burn After Reading this week. Worth a look.
Went off to vote in the Ryde by-election this AM. Voted 1-Greens, 2-ALP, 3-Dems, 4-Independent and lucky old last 5-Libs. Even though the NSW Labor government is woeful, there’s no way in hell I’d have Barry O’Farrels mob of religious zealots anywhere near the levers of power.
BilB: That artificial photosynthesis link is very interesting.
Long way from lab to commercial application, of course.
Courtesy of trevor cook, as of yesterday, LP makes it into the B list of Australian blogs, based on number of blogs linking to it.
For one thing the A list blogs don’t seem to be about anything, just some sort SOE link bait burley, unless you consider photoshop how-to’s something. For another Tim Blair makes it, but if you follow the link on the list you see the linked to blog has been dead since May, which goes to show the idea and metric itself isn’t all that meaningful re: human eyeball share.
On the other hand, if it suits anyone’s oneupblogship purposes, LP lists above clubtroppo, and kerry o’brien.
Not above the king though, but it’s arguable that his is really a blog on a level playing field.
I couldn’t resist having a comment on bolta’s site and wouldn’t you know it didn’t get through! No I didn’t abuse, curse or otherwise offend anyone, however I did point out that the main predators of peoples savings historically came from the opposite side of politics to that which he was indicating may be after peoples super. I couldn’t say my super because as I’ve pointed out before apart from DFRBF many years ago I never had any.
Helen, sounds lovely. Not to put the hoodoo on your mum but when my grandfather passed away, my happiest memory was that he said the steak at our wedding was the best he’d ever had.
You’re putting the gold into their golden years.
Thinking of renovating?
Helen, thanks for the recipe. We’ll be eating roast baby baa lamb tonight courtesy of a broken leg which couldn’t be fixed, so the potatoes will definitely be on the menu.
Congratulations to your mum on her 87th birthday. Both of my parents are dead now; my father 9 years gone and my mother 4 years ago and I still miss them terribly. Long may you have the joy of having both your parents with you.
Have you made a written record of their history? I wish I’d done it, because you forget so much. Nobody in our family was a diary keeper, so I guess it’ll be up to me to dredge around in my memory and hope my recall is accurate.
Apart from that, I started to repair the balcony balustrade at my parents’ house so it will be ready for the holiday rental season and gave the weeds in the garden yet another drink of zero. They seem even more aggressive this year. I’m getting too old to trudge up and down that hill. At times I think I should put it on the market, but I promised my mother I wouldn’t, so I guess it’s the trudge.
Anthony, thank you, that’s so sweet.
Jane, about the life history: I’m always meaning to do that, but unfortunately because they are so advanced in years I’m paranoid about how they might see such a thing. (“Does she expect me to die tomorrow or something?!”)
How does one do such a thing tactfully?
“How does one do such a thing tactfully?”
A tiny concealed tape recorder, Christmas Day, a few glasses of wine and Bob’s your uncle.
Not a Saturday thing, but the Qld Govt has just cancelled the proposed “Northbank” development, according to a Qld Gov press release.
93% of the public submissions were against the proposed development.
Although the development hasn’t been entirely abandoned — the Government are now looking at the possibility of burying the Riverside Expressway viaduct in a tunnel.
Very fortunate to have 87/88 y.o parents in good health, Helen!! Happy birthday to your mum.
And will try your (via Jill Dupleix) smashed potatoes, I do have my own but this version reads even yummier.
Re: recording your parent’s life-history – I keep meaning to borrow a video camera and ‘interview’ my oldies (79 & 86) – but never quite get around to it.
And as to the “expect me to die tomorrow” paranoia – you might find that your folks find the whole idea quite unremarkable and wonder why you didn’t do it years ago when their memories were better!
Tigtog: I’ve got a whole weekend of dealing with a very excited just-turned-14 year old, and tonight and tomorrow morning of dealing with her excited friends at a slumber party as well
I hear ya sister~!
I did those smashed potatoes last night with a lamb rack and fennel on the side – sensational.
Did anyone else see this article at computer world?
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1399635276
This is how it starts… where does it end?
Helen,I agree with Jo @26. At 87 & 88, they are probably far less paranoid about dying than we are. My mother used to talk quite happily about popping her clogs and having a good innings etc. In fact, they will probably be flattered. But if you still feel a bit hesitant, you could haul out the family photos and approach it as a scrapbooking project. I wouldn’t mind betting they’d enjoy writing their life stories themselves and it would be an even more precious document for you and your family.
Made the smashed spuds tonight. I mixed crushed garlic with the rosemary-yum! The smell from the oven was divine! However, one of my boys looked at the rosemary sprigs very suspiciously and I was cross-examined about onion content, so next time I might make a cheese and bacon topping which is much more to his taste.
“This is how it starts… where does it end?”
I wouldn’t sweat it CountArach. Governments are historically and notoriously useless at trying to stifle the ever evolving macrocosm of communications technologies, systems and markets.
I`am new girl on possumcomitatus.wordpress.com .Let’s gets acquainted!
My name is Victoria.
#32 – how confusing.
Have new soup recipe. Its presently cooking, and I’m not sure how it will taste, but bored with the old one.
6 chicken legs. 3 diced carrots and 2 diced onions. 1 diced capsicum. 3 quartered tomatoes. 1 Chinese vegetable which looks like an oniony leeky thng with large leaves, diced. Add all to pot with water, some salt, Worcester sauce. Bring to boil till chicken is cooked. Simmer for a few hours.
Hope it tastes okay.
Improvement on above recipe. (I have a book review to write which means I always procrastinate cooking, usually inventing new cheap long-lasting pensioner affordable dishes.)
Here goes. Add a packet of chopped mushrooms, and a chopped parsnip, before cooking. When simmering, simmer till the chicken is off the bone.
I’m right now trying it out. It very nice, but very very rich tasting.
Paul – if you like mushroomy soups on a budget, try porcini stock cubes. Star brand for example. Also for risotto or anything with mushrooms and liquid involved.
Although I seem to recall you living in an area not famed for diverse shopping experiences. Get my email from LP if you want me to send you a few boxes from ol’ Brunswick Town. I’m serious. My evangelical attitude to this product knows no bounds.
I am not, nor have I ever been, in the employ of Star Bouillioniers Inc.
Helen,
Older people tend to remember things in a flow once triggered by a suggestion. I say tend because there are many who are extremely lucid and can recall most of their life at will. But for the rest of us a good start is to lay out a time line of events, then start filling in the gaps session by session. And “what happened,……, after such and such,”? is a natural conversation.
There is one lady I know whose story should have been collected because it spanned some extraordinary events. As a young girl of seventeen she was canoodling with her boy friend on the harbour shores in Rabaul when she noticed rocks leaping out of the water far further out. This was the start of a volcano that became an island. The continuing eruption devastated Rabaul and every one was evacuated. Soon after that the Japanese invaded and all of the young men were collected and put on a ship for a voyage from which they never returned, her boyfriend included. In between all of this here mother earned an MBE (I think an MBE) for her work in supporting the population.
There are so many wonderful lives and they should not go unrecorded. There is no need to be subtle, because it will take some time.
FDB,
We actually have spme exotic delis in Armidale. I’ll check them out. Would imagine they have it. (I mean, if you can pick up crock steaks here you should be able to get anything.)
Well, why not FDB @37? That way I could bludge some of those porcini stock cubes for my mushroom risotto and saucy and soupy substances. Where I live in the sticks in SE SA, such delicacies don’t come my way. Sigh!
I’ll trade you a crayfish a rooly, rooly big one, for some. (I hope my desperation isn’t showing.)
Jane, if you show desperation by distributing large crustaceans, then I can’t imagine you go wanting for much!
I’ll be in Adelaide this weekend for a gig, but I’m being supplied with a drumset by the venue so not doing the drive this time. Otherwise I’d make it REALLY easy for you to give me a cray!
As it is just email LP admin, to whom I herwith give permission to pass on my email.
Insert ‘e’ where appropriate in previous comment.
Insert drug-related punchline in this one.
another shitey rant regarding how “academic freedom suppressed by TEH MARXIMS” in today’s SMH.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/academic-freedom-exit-far-left/2008/10/20/1224351149797.html
the dumbshit young liberal can’t even distinguish between the student union and the academic body.