What’s on your mind?

[Kung]

Homemade jam will have a higher fruit content, and (usually) a lower sugar content - plus no additives, etc - than is usually the case with commercial jams, unless you use small, artisan, excellent (and, unfortunately, usually quite expensive) French or Italian jams - and, homemade jam will also - almost invariably - taste far better.

Both the UK and Ireland have (and yes, France, and Italy...) have excellent local, farmers. markets, - often with a pedigree going back to the Middle Ages - where people sell locally produced produce, cheeses, jams, eggs, honey, fruit, vegetables, meat and so on - the fruit and vegetable delivery last night came from a market stall that had emailed me to let me know that they were heading off on a month's holiday (for some sun) and wouldn't be around until late October; otherwise, I wouldn't have placed that order until next week. These markets will usually take place weekly, - often, a Friday or a Saturday - or, perhaps, monthly, in some very small towns.

Anyway, in a local market, you will have an excellent opportunity to purchase locally made jams, and the quality is - almost always - far superior to what you can buy commercially (apart from the high end Italian and French artisan producers, and those you will only find in small, specialist stores).

Believe me, you don't have to sell me on the quality! I'd always heard that food in the UK 'doesn't taste as good' or 'is kind of bland.'

Within about 2 days of landing there, I'd figured it out....the food simply doesn't have the GMOs and additives and preservatives and the like that a lot (but not all) of the food in the States has. Once I gave myself time to acclimatize, so to speak, I found myself liking the food FAR more, and it's not just food. I can eat candy in the States, and the same candy in the UK has far fewer ingredients, far more of them are natural, etc.

But yeah, we spent quite a bit of time just walking around, buying various jams and snacks and foods to sample, and it was absolutely fantastic. Looking forward to going back in 2024, I hope (although will probably spend far more time in Scotland than England, TBH - wife fell in love with Edinburg and Inverness).

 

[VisceralRealist]

It amazes me sometimes how unsupportive some people's families can be. A friend of mine was just laid off from her tech startup job. Obviously, a tech startup is one of the most unstable lines of work there is, but she knew the risk. Nonetheless, she is upset about it but she specifically didn't want to return home to her family because she knows how they will give her all kinds of crap and tell her what an idiot and a failure she is...

I know for a fact that my parents would not react that way if I was having financial trouble or had been laid off from lucrative, if not entirely predictable, job.

Anyway, I try to be a supportive friend, especially when friends of mine can't count on their family to be so.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

This reminds me of something else that's been on my mind.

Blackcurrant jam. 🥰

Had heard of it before, but hadn't actually had any until we (wife, son and I) took a 2 week trip to the UK in May. We spent 4 days in London, 4 days between Edinburgh and Inverness, and then another 4 days or so in/around Windsor. (It's my last name, so we HAD to go there. "Checking in on the house," you see. )

Anyways, while there we ate a ton of good food, and I finally had a chance to try blackcurrant jam. Absolutely love the stuff; and brought some back with me (and will be buying some more.)

Marmite, on the other hand... 🤢

Marmite, on the other hand, is a weak and wishy-washy imitation of the one and only

 

[Apple fanboy]

It amazes me sometimes how unsupportive some people's families can be. A friend of mine was just laid off from her tech startup job. Obviously, a tech startup is one of the most unstable lines of work there is, but she knew the risk. Nonetheless, she is upset about it but she specifically didn't want to return home to her family because she knows how they will give her all kinds of crap and tell her what an idiot and a failure she is...

I know for a fact that my parents would not react that way if I was having financial trouble or had been laid off from lucrative, if not entirely predictable, job.

Anyway, I try to be a supportive friend, especially when friends of mine can't count on their family to be so.

You can’t choose your family. Well not your parents anyway.

I worked with a guy who got made redundant. Rather than tell his wife he left for work at the same time each day and pretended he hadn’t until he found a new job.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

... Why am I trying to respond to eight pages worth of replies on one topic? I think that's unwise. But the problem is, I don't want to spam multiple posts, so I'm kinda screwed either way, aren't I? 🤣 Unless... I make 4-8 posts or something. I took a break and I came back to a lot.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

You can’t choose your family. Well not your parents anyway.

I worked with a guy who got made redundant. Rather than tell his wife he left for work at the same time each day and pretended he hadn’t until he found a new job.

If memory serves, a character in The Full Monty did the exact same thing.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Back from the farmers' market where I paid an early visit - it was pouring rain - and bought some vegetables - cherry tomatoes, leeks, chives, onions, carrots, - some fish (a chowder is on my mind), some meat, - organic, free range chicken thighs, fillet steak, and, above all, free range, organic, eggs.

I also visited the olive oil stall - prices are soaring, (atrociously wet weather in Greece and Portugal has had a grim effect on olive oil production), and bought pesto, semi-sundried tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, and olive oil.

The bakery (where French bread awaited me) and the cheesemonger - where some cheese was bought and cream collected, completed my trip.

Also managed to visit the bottle bank, as I had a car at my disposal this morning.

 

[HDFan]

Rather than tell his wife he left for work at the same time each day and pretended he hadn’t until he found a new job.

Wow. Thought that only happened in movies.

I also visited the olive oil stall - prices are soaring,

Heat and drought has reduced European olive oil production in some cases as much as 80%. There is concern in Spain that they may run out before the new harvest. Prices are up as much as 100%. The Future is grim.

Europe’s olive oil supply running out after drought – and the odd hailstorm

Heatwaves around Mediterranean have damaged harvests and forced producers to import from South America

www.theguardian.com

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Wow. Thought that only happened in movies.



Heat and drought has reduced European olive oil production in some cases as much as 80%. There is concern in Spain that they may run out before the new harvest. Prices are up as much as 100%. The Future is grim.

Europe’s olive oil supply running out after drought – and the odd hailstorm

Heatwaves around Mediterranean have damaged harvests and forced producers to import from South America

www.theguardian.com

Yes, Spain, too.

Most of the olive oils (in that stall) come from Spain, Portugal or Greece, and - of course, I had read the news stories, but hadn't made the connection between weather conditions and availibility and cost of the actual product - until today, when, firstly, there were far fewer bottles for sale than usual, and, secondly, the prices charged had risen noticeably since I last purchased some olive oil, earlier in the summer.

Italian olive oil is (and was) always more expensive than any of the others, and that hasn't changed.

What had changed was that the cheapest (least expensive) olive oils (Portugal and Greece) were now (are now) at a similar price to the others (such as Spain).

Food for thought.

 

[VisceralRealist]

You can’t choose your family. Well not your parents anyway.

I worked with a guy who got made redundant. Rather than tell his wife he left for work at the same time each day and pretended he hadn’t until he found a new job.

Legitimately that is what she has decided to do. She is going to tell her parents that the job went fully remote (instead of partially remote, as it was) and during the time when she would normally be working from home, she is going to work on job applications. Whatever works, I suppose.

And I guess that's a benefit of working in the tech sector--it's easier to pretend you're still employed. 😅

 

[Apple fanboy]

Legitimately that is what she has decided to do. She is going to tell her parents that the job went fully remote (instead of partially remote, as it was) and during the time when she would normally be working from home, she is going to work on job applications. Whatever works, I suppose.

And I guess that's a benefit of working in the tech sector--it's easier to pretend you're still employed. 😅

I left home when I was 17 or 18 so never had to worry about my parents scrutinising my work ethic. I always had part time jobs, and I started working full time when I was 15. Not really stopped since.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I left home when I was 17 or 18 so never had to worry about my parents scrutinising my work ethic. I always had part time jobs, and I started working full time when I was 15. Not really stopped since.

I don't think that it is "scrutinising" your (or one's) actual work ethic, so much as being rather judgmental about particular career choices, - if, for example, the offspring would prefer not to study, qualify for, and practice what may have become the family profession, - which is something (very unfortunately) that can be somewhat prevalent in some middle class families.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I don't think that it is "scrutinising" your (or one's) actual work ethic, so much as being rather judgmental about particular career choices, - if, for example, the offspring would prefer not to study, qualify for, and practice what may have become the family profession, - which is something (very unfortunately) that can be somewhat prevalent in some middle class families.

Well my Dad was a butcher and my mother had a variety of clerical positions. I never had any desire to continue in academia. I left at the earliest opportunity. If I had my time again I might make some different choices. But I hated school. I doubt I’d have liked university much either.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well my Dad was a butcher and my mother had a variety of clerical positions. I never had any desire to continue in academia. I left at the earliest opportunity. If I had my time again I might make some different choices. But I hated school. I doubt I’d have liked university much either.

At school, and, at university, I knew some kids who were put under enormous pressure by their professional, high-achieving parents (law, medicine, the Army etc) to follow in their foot-steps.

In fairness, in general, this tended to be worse for boys, - following in a father's foot-steps, and being made to feel that they didn't somehow measure up, if they wished to pursue other options (especially in the arts) but some of the girls I knew - particularly from medical families - also faced somewhat similar pressures.

And, at times, it was appalling.

 

[Kung]

At school, and, at university, I knew some kids who were put under enormous pressure by their professional, high-achieving parents (law, medicine, the Army etc) to follow in their foot-steps.

In fairness, in general, this tended to be worse for boys, - following in a father's foot-steps, and being made to feel that they didn't somehow measure up, if they wished to pursue other options (especially in the arts) but some of the girls I knew - particularly from medical families - also faced somewhat similar pressures.

And, at times, it was appalling.

It is indeed. :/

I've told my son that the only thing I expect from him is that he try his hardest, mainly because that's what the world will expect from him. I have, however, told him many times that I'd rather he do something that makes him *happy* as opposed to something that makes him rich. I've told him many times "I'd rather you bring home C's, knowing you tried your hardest...than bring home A's and B's knowing you just slept through class."

 

[Lioness~]

How money can corrupt some people and their situation very fast.

While others even hide their fortunes and keep doing what they do, and they don’t change a bit even if their situation changes.

So test people ethics in general. Test rich people’s ethics harder.

 

[Apple fanboy]

How money can corrupt some people and their situation very fast.

While others even hide their fortunes and keep doing what they do, and they don’t change a bit even if their situation changes.

So test people ethics in general. Test rich people’s ethics harder.

When Mrs AFB used to work on a children’s ward in a hospital they would have various professional footballers or singers turn up with donations etc.
Sometimes they would turn up with their PA, the press person from their club or label and various other entourage personnel.
Sometimes they would just turn up on their own.

I know which ones I had the most respect for.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Autumn is with us, rain, wind, decreasing temperatures.

Today, I donned a woollen poloneck pullover, or sweater, (turtleneck to Our Transatlantic Cousins), actually, a cashmere polo neck, over a t-shirt, and under a leather jacket.

A significant seasonal change of wardrobe, and one that I have been resisting for the past fortnight.

In any case, I expect that it will be April - at the very earliest, more likely May - before I discard woollen or cotton (to wear with a smart woollen jacket, in a more formal context) poloneck sweaters, or pullovers.

Anyway, dashed into the city, (bus in and out, thank the divinities for half decent public transport), and visited the library (books awaited me), bought coffee (I had run out this morning), honey (from a local producer), a slice or two of baked French custard tart (from the French bakery, and paid them in advance for Saturday's bread which they will hold for me), woollen socks (from an artisan producer), and found, to my annoyance, that the cheesemonger (I had hoped to pick up some organic cream), had shut several hours early "for maintenance", - whatever that means - which irked me.

However, I did make time to enjoy a coffee in the place where I bought two bags of Ethiopian coffee, a lovely antique building, parts of which date to the 16th century.

I am now back home, and outside, it is raining.

Actually, it is threatening to pour.

 

[zach-coleman]

I have 4 extremely important interviews with the same company over the next two days. This is technically the second phase, meaning they liked me to some degree, so I should really be less nervous but I'm not.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have 4 extremely important interviews with the same company over the next two days. This is technically the second phase, meaning they liked me to some degree, so I should really be less nervous but I'm not.

The very best of luck.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Autumn is with us, rain, wind, decreasing temperatures.

Today, I donned a woollen poloneck pullover, or sweater, (turtleneck to Our Transatlantic Cousins), actually, a cashmere polo neck, over a t-shirt, and under a leather jacket.

A significant seasonal change of wardrobe, and one that I have been resisting for the past fortnight.

In any case, I expect that it will be April - at the very earliest, more likely May - before I discard woollen or cotton (to wear with a smart woollen jacket, in a more formal context) poloneck sweaters, or pullovers.

Anyway, dashed into the city, (bus in and out, thank the divinities for half decent public transport), and visited the library (books awaited me), bought coffee (I had run out this morning), honey (from a local producer), a slice or two of baked French custard tart (from the French bakery, and paid them in advance for Saturday's bread which they will hold for me), woollen socks (from an artisan producer), and found, to my annoyance, that the cheesemonger (I had hoped to pick up some organic cream), had shut several hours early "for maintenance", - whatever that means - which irked me.

However, I did make time to enjoy a coffee in the place where I bought two bags of Ethiopian coffee, a lovely antique building, parts of which date to the 16th century.

I am now back home, and outside, it is raining.

Actually, it is threatening to pour.

I ditched my fleece in favour of my winter coat for today's walk. It won't be long before I'm wearing both as well as a hat, scarf and gloves.

It is supposed to be warmer at the weekend. Hopefully I can get another lawn mow in.

 

[Macky-Mac]

locally Summer continues after a brief bit of pleasantly cooler weather

 

[Clix Pix]

In the DC area we're still enjoying Indian Summer, and today is actually 80° (Fahrenheit)! Low humidity, a nice breeze....couldn't ask for more delightful weather! It's not going to last, though, and chillier temperatures are on their way.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Confession time.

2023 has been very hard on me, lots of psychological blows. I think I was very very close to divorce, that I was close to something that I don’t believe in. I couldn’t focus at work. I couldn’t do crap (however I was able to maintain my gym routine which really helped). I was backstabbed by some members of my birth family. It was rough. For the first time in my 40 years I had panic attacks, and it wasn’t fun at all.

Some people say or think that studying philosophy and history is boring and useless. Both of them helped me get over the many issues I had, in particular philosophy. History helped as it allowed me to put certain things in context, but philosophy helped me in finding an anchor in something that is superior to my own thoughts. It allowed to me to use a framework of mind and thought that I didn’t need to invent myself. When your own existence and essence is in question, there is no time for being adventurous and a pathfinder. You gotta rely on something that is already solid. I know I did, and now I am in a much better place.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Confession time.

2023 has been very hard on me, lots of psychological blows. I think I was very very close to divorce, that I was close to something that I don’t believe in. I couldn’t focus at work. I couldn’t do crap (however I was able to maintain my gym routine which really helped). I was backstabbed by some members of my birth family. It was rough. For the first time in my 40 years I had panic attacks, and it wasn’t fun at all.

Some people say or think that studying philosophy and history is boring and useless. Both of them helped me get over the many issues I had, in particular philosophy. History helped as it allowed me to put certain things in context, but philosophy helped me in finding an anchor in something that is superior to my own thoughts. It allowed to me to use a framework of mind and thought that I didn’t need to invent myself. When your own existence and essence is in question, there is no time for being adventurous and a pathfinder. You gotta rely on something that is already solid. I know I did, and now I am in a much better place.

Glad you are in a better place. You found what worked for you. We all have different ways of dealing with crises.

I have to say there are a couple of wonderful members on here who helped me when I was dealing with a situation I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.