Just going to add two tidbits here, because I’m a bit fan of Paine having spent many years in Lewes.

The first is more incredible, in the sense it’s actually hard to believe: he escaped execution during The Terror because of what amounted to clerical error (obligatory fuck Robespierre)

A chalk mark was supposed to be left by the jailer on the door of a cell to denote that the prisoner inside was due to be removed for execution. In Paine’s case, the mark had accidentally been made on the inside of his door rather than the outside because the door had been left open when the jailer was making his rounds that day, since Paine had been receiving official visitors. But for this quirk of fate, Paine would have been executed the following morning. He thus survived the few vital days needed to be spared by the fall of Robespierre on 9 Thermidor (July 27, 1794).

Second tidbit: in escaping execution, Paine finished The Rights of Man which, among other things, is one of the few texts explicitly about Deism.

I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church. All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel.

I’m a Deist myself, thanks to him and the film Breaker Morant. Thanks again, Wikipedia! We’re doing everything to keep you going!

As someone saw the first 25 minutes of the film, I can say … I hate nepotism.

Appeal to authority is neither a fallacy nor proof. It is rhetoric. It proves nothing, and disproves nothing.

For example, your authorities debunk “long term health of the earth and her inhabitants it’s (sic) a necessity.” My authorities, like William Catton or Meadows, et. al. would say otherwise. Invoking them doesn’t prove my perspective. It does prove there is much debate about the subject.

In such instances, defining metrics and showing your work, as the math teachers say, is the best way forward.

The article in question, for example, relies on hype like ‘670,000, a level never previously recorded since national statistics began in 1899.’ Level of what? Percentage of population? Actual number of people? Compared to how many? With the priviso, for example that ‘The expected figure, … excludes children born to foreign residents”. How many of those? I suspect not many, but it’s necessary to know.

What the article could have stated are actual metrics such as replacement rate, which in Japan is 1.20. South Korean is considerably lower, at 0.72-0.74. We could use words like ‘cliff’ I guess, but I prefer numbers, and I would encourage their use in articles such as this.

Not sure if ‘brought up and debunked by experts’ is the best argument out there. For example, ‘population inertia’ would cover only one lifespan, not centuries. That is to say, whatever the population is now, it could be 10 people to 100 billion people within 100 years. This is not discounting cultural and psychological factors, but if we’re talking human behaviour, that’s literally everything.

Secondly, the population decline is hardly a cliff. It is decreasing in some countries like Japan, but when added into the global picture, we’re not even at neutral. We’re still growing.

You are absolutely right that a larger aging population is something that must be addressed. However, if increased population pressure leads to a tipping point, like a shift in the AMOC or immigration pressure from hotter areas to cooler areas, our current treatment of old people doesn’t fill me with confidence. I think in a crisis, we would sacrifice them anyway. We would write some sympathetic think pieces about it though.

I’m nothing if not a moviegoer. Most people Die Hard and Christmas Story. Me? Brazil and Tango & Cash (also released Xmas day). So definitely wrong associations …

Seeing a special screening of Brazil in 1984, when no one was sure it was even going to get released.

I was driving home from the East Coast, saw the ad for the screening in LA (way pre-internet). Now, I could have continued home and seen my family or … who am I kidding? My family was terrible!

I said my car broke down and couldn’t find a mechanic because … it was Christmas! Maybe that’s not what you’re looking for, but definitely my favourite.

This story really indicates how old and pervasive the corruption was. It’s repellant and unconscionable.

It’s a shame (and maybe shameful) they couldn’t use the frozen assets. I found this from an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, but didn’t want overpost the story.

“Some €210 billion of Russian assets are frozen in Europe, most of them in the Belgian financial clearing house Euroclear. Belgium had objected to the loan plan, calling it legally risky and warning that it could harm Euroclear’s business.”

Think it’s important to see what influence banks have on highly political decisions.

Link to Sydney Herald article, similiar reporting.

That sort of what I was thinking, the different grinders actually produce different flavour, profiles, rather than better or worse. That’s a good point about the shape, I’m almost tempted to do it to try different burrs on the same coffee. My palate is shite, but the one of my son-in-law’s is pretty good, so maybe more of a fun thing than a practical thing.

Thanks for that. Definitely agree with the diminishing returns aspect. I have an okay palate, and I also drink about half milk, so not much more to be gained.

I looked at the DF64 because it’s definitely a good deal compared to what’s out there (Weber [Yow! re: price]/Lagom/Bookoo/Zerno [also Yow]). I’m guessing the DF64 isn’t famously quiet though. Have you ever tried different burrs for different flavours?

I think of so many days of visiting regrets, but I do take your point.

Definitely true. It’s what the story got appropriated as that rubs me the wrong way.

Much better in real life. I’ve actually never seen one served without some kind of crust, but I imagine it’s evolved over the years. Usually there’s also some cassis jam inside. But the chestnuts are an acquired taste to be sure.

I like the idea, however improbable, of the redeemable miser reformed by seeing the regrets of his past, and only a monster doesn’t cry at seeing the Muppet Christmas Carol, or better still, Scrooged.

But.

Why Christmas? Could be any day, why Christmas? I think it’s to innoculate us against legitimate criticism what a shitty and stressful and endless presents you don’t need time it is. Because if you don’t participate, you’re a scrooge or a grinch. Terms they don’t use against people who are actual Scrooges year round.

I say, someone needs to make a film about someone being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past (playing with the dogs in the snow and that’s a perfect Christmas), Ghost of Christmas Present (stress buying), and Ghost of Christmas Future (no planet).

But that just makes me … something, I dunno. Maybe someone will have a term for it.

Um, I spelled it that way not to ruin the bit. Definitely not because I had no idea that was the correct spelling. It was to maintain the integrity of the bit!

Honestly, thanks, I’ll look into that. I think though this is more what’s available on the auto-routes, but I never heard of this one.

There’s a few companies that have ‘universal’ cards (that work in about half the stations), but they charge around €1 just to plug in, and because I have a PHEV, it pretty much makes it cheaper to use gas. Which I really try to avoid.

I would love to hear more about this. I’ve tried so many times.

I want this to be true, and I have no plans to go back, but ‘ditch’ may be a bit strong. Actually tourism is down 4%-6% according to the article, and that’s definitely a lot if you own a hotel, but not as many people are changing their plans as one would expect/think.

Sadly, metal hot make food hot is not the only factor. It’s also the speed and responsiveness of the pan. If you have the money, look into 3-ply pans, stainless bottom (for induction, but works with everything), aluminum interior (for eveness of heat throughout the pan) and stainless interior/cooking surface. I’ve had some of my pans for 40 years and they look brand new. They’re just as easy to clean as non-stick, if you use wooden utensils for a quick scrape before cleaning. All-clad is probably the best brand, I bought some recently, and they are just as good as the old ones I have, very rare these days. They can be found on eBay and craigslist used, and the used are just as good (have a few of those as well).

I love my cast iron pans, especially for searing and tortillas, but for sauces and risottos, 3-ply is a great option. It’s really about the responsiveness.

Last thing, ceramisised cast-iron (like Le Creuset) is terrific for deep frying.