The Whinge Thread, Resurrected

[brownmane]

I want snow! You keep promising me snow and I don't have any! Waaah! <stamps foot>

Move to Texas. Lol

 

[brownmane]

I left work tonight at 2300 and about 4 inches (I’m guessing) had already landed and still steady snow. As I’m standing at the door on my way out, my comment was “crap” (to the staff who was coming in). I then laughed cuz we’d just watched the news of the weather in Texas (do they ever get snow?). I said to the other person “ look at people’s responses in places who get a little snowfall, but are not used to it (Texas has had power blackouts to deal with the increased usage), and here we get 4 inches in an afternoon and our response is crap”. I swept my car off and got home 10 minutes later.

As nasty and dangerous snow and cold weather can be, I always chuckle at the first snow of the year (in Canada) because suddenly everyone has forgotten how to drive!! And seeing as how you can get your driver’s license at 16, most Canadian drivers have already lived through a minimum of 16 winters.

 

[Yithian]

Can telly please stop taunting us by sending "B" grade female celebs around the UK to remind us how beautiful it is, everywhere that we aren't allowed to go?

So far we've had Julia Bradbury, Joanna Lumley, Susan Calman and Darcey Bussell; next week it'll be Kate Humble getting a ****ing dig in.

Thank you.

maximus otter

Joanna Lumley is not B-Grade.

Never heard of any of the others, so you could be right!

 

[Souleater]

Joanna Lumley is not B-Grade.

Never heard of any of the others, so you could be right!

Bradbury is a tv presenter, Calman is a comedian and Bussell was a prima ballerina who now is a judge on 'strictly come dancing'

 

[Souleater]

I was just thinking, how may young people these days know that pancake day is associated with lent, im not religeous, but i was taught from an early age what pancake day was all about, do they still teach this anywhere outside of the church?

 

[escargot]

I was just thinking, how may young people these days know that pancake day is associated with lent, im not religeous, but i was taught from an early age what pancake day was all about, do they still teach this anywhere outside of the church?

We kids were taught every year about pancakes and Lent. Pancakes were supposed to be the last treat before the austerity of Lent.

It would puzzle me because pancakes didn't seem all that sumptuous. I'd think 'People back then must've had crap food!'
I'd still eat them of course.

There'd also be conversations about what people were giving up for Lent. As a kid I subsided on possibly the absolute legal minimum a child could be fed so there was little scope there for pious relinquishment. Maybe breathe less?

 

[Souleater]

We kids were taught every year about pancakes and Lent. Pancakes were supposed to be the last treat before the austerity of Lent.

It would puzzle me because pancakes didn't seem all that sumptuous. I'd think 'People back then must've had crap food!'
I'd still eat them of course.

There'd also be conversations about what people were giving up for Lent. As a kid I subsided on possibly the absolute legal minimum a child could be fed so there was little scope there for pious relinquishment. Maybe breathe less?

I was taught that pancake day was the day you used up all the food that would spoil over lent, eggs, milk etc

 

[escargot]

I was taught that pancake day was the day you used up all the food that would spoil over lent, eggs, milk etc

Yup, so you made pancakes. Mean, stodgy fried things.
We were taught that too. Fresh foods would spoil before people had fridges. In about 1965 I'd be thinking 'Fridges?'

 

[Frideswide]

I was taught that pancake day was the day you used up all the food that would spoil over lent, eggs, milk etc

I think it's the "last blow out before 40 days of austerity" though... hens keep laying and cows keep needing milked!

 

[maximus otter]

maximus otter

 

[Min Bannister]

I think it's the "last blow out before 40 days of austerity" though... hens keep laying and cows keep needing milked!

It is a good time to let them hatch new chickens/feed their own calves though.

 

[catseye]

Can telly please stop taunting us by sending "B" grade female celebs around the UK to remind us how beautiful it is, everywhere that we aren't allowed to go?

So far we've had Julia Bradbury, Joanna Lumley, Susan Calman and Darcey Bussell; next week it'll be Kate Humble getting a ****ing dig in.

Thank you.

maximus otter

It's also advertising all the lovely holidays which nobody is going to book because they aren't sure they will be allowed to travel. If I see one more gorgeous shot of blue ocean and people swimming happily off a boat in Turkey, I may put a boot through the screen.

 

[catseye]

It is a good time to let them hatch new chickens/feed their own calves though.

They'll only hatch new chickens if they've got a cockerel though. Hens lay eggs even if they aren't fertilised.

 

[Min Bannister]

They'll only hatch new chickens if they've got a cockerel though. Hens lay eggs even if they aren't fertilised.

Back in the olden days they would have though. Cock -free egg production is relatively recent.

 

[Souleater]

It's also advertising all the lovely holidays which nobody is going to book because they aren't sure they will be allowed to travel. If I see one more gorgeous shot of blue ocean and people swimming happily off a boat in Turkey, I may put a boot through the screen.

I cant believe how many pages of adverts are dedicated to cruise ship holidays (or plague ships as i call them lol) in the sunday papers, these companies are allegedly struggling businesses due to covid19, yet they must spend millions on advertising every week

 

[Squail]

It's also advertising all the lovely holidays which nobody is going to book because they aren't sure they will be allowed to travel. If I see one more gorgeous shot of blue ocean and people swimming happily off a boat in Turkey, I may put a boot through the screen.

I must be weird -- whenever I encounter anything about folk swimming off boats in Turkey, I think "1915 -- 16": lots of that then, for many people; but it was a decidedly not-happy experience.

 

[Peripart]

Joanna Lumley is not B-Grade.

Never heard of any of the others, so you could be right!

The others are actually quite bearable. I find Humble and Bradbury engaging, Susan Calman is enjoyable in moderate doses, and Darcey Bussell is inoffensive. Genuine B-grade as opposed to the Z-listers who seem to have taken over telly these days!

 

[Mythopoeika]

Yup, so you made pancakes. Mean, stodgy fried things.

I rather liked them, the way my Mum made them. Loads of sugar and lemon. Oh, yes.
I am not allowed to eat them now. Diabetes...grrrr.

 

[Souleater]

I rather liked them, the way my Mum made them. Loads of sugar and lemon. Oh, yes.
I am not allowed to eat them now. Diabetes...grrrr.

I had some pancakes with cherry pie filling and ice cream (sorry)

 

[brownmane]

Add a bit of vanilla to the pancake recipe - yum. Butter and maple syrup. Never use commercial pancake mix, scratch only.

 

[Souleater]

Add a bit of vanilla to the pancake recipe - yum. Butter and maple syrup. Never use commercial pancake mix, scratch only.

I always make my own batter, it not exactly difficult lol, i thought i had sime maple syrup but i had run out

 

[catseye]

I always make my own batter, it not exactly difficult lol, i thought i had sime maple syrup but i had run out

You should always use the best, freshest ingredients for pancake batter! I am baffled by the people who buy those 'batter mixes', where you have to add milk, you are basically buying a container of flour (and possibly dried egg). Just buy flour and some eggs!

Ditto the people who buy 'dumpling mix'. It's literally flour and suet! It's not a packet of magic ingredients!

 

[escargot]

You should always use the best, freshest ingredients for pancake batter! I am baffled by the people who buy those 'batter mixes', where you have to add milk, you are basically buying a container of flour (and possibly dried egg). Just buy flour and some eggs!

Ditto the people who buy 'dumpling mix'. It's literally flour and suet! It's not a packet of magic ingredients!

Especially when you can buy a set of functioning scales from the Pound Shop!
Or a set of measuring cups if you're feeling American.

Batter is always good. You can make lovely things with it. We had rhubarb batter pudding in the summer with home-grown fruit, sluuuurrrp.

 

[catseye]

Especially when you can buy a set of functioning scales from the Pound Shop!
Or a set of measuring cups if you're feeling American.

Batter is always good. You can make lovely things with it. We had rhubarb batter pudding in the summer with home-grown fruit, sluuuurrrp.

For dumplings you don't even need to weigh! One flat spoonful of suet to one heaped spoonful of flour! And, to be honest, I don't usually measure for batter either, some flour, an egg and enough milk to make the consistency right. Although I realise that people with less cooking experience may want to measure or weigh. But the 'selling everything in packets' like cake mix, isn't doing people any favours.

I get customers who are DESPERATE, they have to make a birthday cake for their child, and we've run out of Betty Crocker! Or Victoria Sponge Mix! When you can Google a recipe and buying the ingredients separately is often cheaper...

 

[Min Bannister]

You should always use the best, freshest ingredients for pancake batter! I am baffled by the people who buy those 'batter mixes', where you have to add milk, you are basically buying a container of flour (and possibly dried egg). Just buy flour and some eggs!

Ditto the people who buy 'dumpling mix'. It's literally flour and suet! It's not a packet of magic ingredients!

I listened to a podcast about this once. It is basically a marketing ploy to create a "need" in consumers for something that they really don't need. Obviously no-one bought pancake mix when it first came out because it's stupid. They figured out that the reason for that is was that it was too easy and housewives would never buy something that had already been made for them since they wanted to be the ones who were creating food for their families. So they reformulated it requiring the addition of something, egg or milk I forget which and hey presto, the customer is"making" something after all and sales rose.

I get customers who are DESPERATE, they have to make a birthday cake for their child, and we've run out of Betty Crocker! Or Victoria Sponge Mix! When you can Google a recipe and buying the ingredients separately is often cheaper...

Ah now I do like to have a packet of cake mix in stock as sometimes I just fancy something nice and realise I don't have enough of an ingredient to make a cake so the cake mix comes out. Usually it only comes out when I realise it is about to go out of date but you know, I like to be prepared.

 

[catseye]

Ah now I do like to have a packet of cake mix in stock as sometimes I just fancy something nice and realise I don't have enough of an ingredient to make a cake so the cake mix comes out. Usually it only comes out when I realise it is about to go out of date but you know, I like to be prepared.

I do admit to having a packet of chocolate brownie mix in the cupboard, but that's because I rarely have enough chocolate in the house to make brownies with. The fact I don't really like chocolate brownies is irrelevant. One day I might really really want them!

Sponge cakes, no. There's always butter, sugar, flour and eggs somewhere in the cupboards.

 

[escargot]

They figured out that the reason for that is was that it was too easy and housewives would never buy something that had already been made for them since they wanted to be the ones who were creating food for their families. So they reformulated it requiring the addition of something, egg or milk I forget which and hey presto, the customer is"making" something after all and sales rose.

Yup, I was taught that in O Level Sociology in the '70s! The missing ingredient was an egg.

I was suspicious because 'instant' foods could have been marketed as 'Space Age' like nearly everything else was - non-natural fabrics, baking foil, non-stick pans etc. People were happy with foil-packed TV dinners, for example.

 

[escargot]

Anyway here's my current whinge: no cycling for a while. I pulled my back yesterday while dragging t'moke out of the front door and manoeuvring it past t'banger.

Still did 20 miles straight after as I didn't realise what I'd done for a while.

When Techy found out he forbade me from darkening Lycra's door.

 

[Cochise]

Wikipedia. Effing Wikipedia. Why doesn't someone set up a website to fact check them? Just looking up Cardigan of Balaclava - someone who has interested me since my teens. As regards the debate over his actions in the famous charge they quote all of his enemies and none of his supporters.

Now he was a highly complex person for a modern to understand - brutal and violent if he felt his honour was impugned - and for him it could be impugned over very trivial matters, a serial adulterer, and a man prepared to call in any financial doucers or 'interest' that would further his ambitions. And yet brave, desperately concerned to make the units he commanded as efficient as possible in a time of prolonged peace, generous, and loved by his troopers, if hated by some of his officers. Exactly the sort of person who, if you are laying out an encyclopaedia entry, you have to give fair weight to both sides because we cannot judge such a man by modern standards.

To give an example, they blame the famous Charge on his rigid obedience to orders. In fact he questioned the orders twice, and was told in no uncertain terms to proceed. A commander, in those times, having dared to question his superior's orders twice, had no further choice but to shoot himself or obey.

 

[Frideswide]

Why doesn't someone set up a website to fact check them?

Isn't it because them is actually us?

I got started by not agreeing with something about one of the english universities (I think, it's years ago). So I became a contributor, wrote my piece, argued my case when it was challenged and bob's the proverbial uncle!

You definitely know your stuff @Cochise , why not do the same? Wikipedia isn't monolithic, it's made up of people like you and me