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Monthly Self-Portrait, January
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Ten Things: January
This year our Ten Things column each month is concentrating on food. Not necessarily the most common or obvious foods, but hopefully ones everyone will recognise.
Fruit
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Lemon
- Grapefruit
- Blackberry
- Black Currant
- Cherry
- Apple
- Plum
- Nectarine
This Month’s Quote
If you’re going to be weird, be confident about it.
On Paper Tissues
Having had a filthy cold twice in recent weeks (no, not Covid, either time) I fell to thinking about the resilience of paper tissues and their propensity (or not) to fall apart when wet.
Tissue-type paper (the sort that’s designed for personal use) that we generally encounter seems to come in four basic qualities:
- Paper Hand Towels (as in many communal toilets)
- Kitchen Roll
- Tissues (eg. your bog standard Kleenex)
- Toilet Roll
Their robustness when wet depends on the quality of the paper, and the length of the fibres from which they’re made. The longer the fibres, the more robust the final product.
While paper can be recycled up to seven times, it can’t be recycled infinitely. Eventually the fibres become too short to cling together and just have to be composted. The shortest fibres go into packaging like corrugated cardboard, egg boxes and toilet roll. Remember, the shorter the fibres the less robust the paper.
You can demonstrate this for yourself next time you have a runny nose. Wipe your nose on a paper hand towel and observe how well it survives – and that this is the same as when you use it to dry your hands. Repeat this in turn with kitchen paper, ordinary tissues and then toilet roll. Observe how when wet each is progressively less robust than those preceding.
You can actually do this more scientifically, as shown here and above. Yes, that site is advertising a particular brand, but you can use the method with any papers you choose. It’s a good experiment to do with kids.
This varying strength is deliberate design. You want the hand towel and kitchen paper to hold up: they’re intended for mopping up spills. Tissues a bit less so. Toilet paper, on the other hand is designed to fall apart when wet – if it didn’t the drains would pretty quickly get clogged. By the time your piece of toilet paper is 50 meters down the sewer it is nothing but mush, so it flows easily with the rest of the liquid. Also think about why a sheet of corrugated card packaging left in the road in the rain disintegrates so quickly.
This is why we are always told not to put paper hand towels etc. down the loo: they don’t break down quickly so they cause blockages.
There’s far more goes into paper production than we often realise. Just think of all the different types of paper you come across: from high-end glossy magazines, though artists’ drawing paper and copier paper, right down to egg boxes and loo paper. It is all deliberately designed to have particular characteristics for specific jobs.
January Quiz Questions
Again this year, each month we’re posing five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As before, they’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as having a bit of fun.
Music
- Queen guitarist Brian May is also an expert in what scientific field?
- What is the correct name for a metallophone with tuned keys?
- Which German composer wrote the famous composition Ode to Joy which is the official anthem of the European Union?
- In Tudor times, which English composer and Gentleman of the Chapel Royal was repeatedly fined for recusancy?
- Peter and the Wolf is described as a “symphonic fairy tale for children”. Who composed it?
Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.
January 1924
Our look at some of the significant happenings 100 years ago this month.
21. Born. Benny Hill, English comedian and singer (d. 1992)
21. Died. Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary, first Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1870)
22. Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
26. Petrograd (Saint Petersburg) is renamed Leningrad; it will revert to Saint Petersburg in 1991
Happy New Year
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
May you have a healthy, happy,
and successful 2024.
Unblogged December
| Fri 1 | Another bright sunny day, but what a stinging frost; the roofs almost looked as if it had been snowing lightly. But oh bugger … Why is the heating not working? Error code on the boiler display; low water pressure. Why? Call our heating guy; I adjust it as instructed, but too much so it still won’t work. Luckily he was in the area and dropped by – problem fixed in 2 minutes with the cover off the boiler. Phew! From there the rest of the day was an uphill struggle. |
| Sat 2 | Well there was no real frost last night and this morning is really dull and misty – they’ve taken away the hill which should be about 1km to our SE. Bat at least we have hot radiators and water. |
| Sun 3 | This blasted cold. I’ve had it for about 10 days and I cannot shift it. Snotty nose; bunged sinuses; watery eyes; inflamed ears and Estacion tubes. It fair gives you the willies. |
| Mon 4 | Absolutely wrecked. Had a dreadful night sneezing and snotting with this cold. Much clearer once I got some ibuprofen and decongestant on it. Also better having got the pond guy and window cleaner here and gone. Nothing else to get up early for this week as my Wednesday meeting has been postponed – for once not by me! |
| Tue 5 | I must have had something in excess of 10 hours sleep last night – solid sleep as I woke up only once for a few minutes. As a result all the head bits are somewhat clearer, although not best, and one is still feels very disinclined to do anything – so I didn’t. |
| Wed 6 | Once more it’s finances day, and yes we’re solvent for another month. We also get the government’s geriatrics’ winter fuel payments, as well as well as a miserable £10 each “Christmas bonus” from DWP. While one doesn’t mind having extra cash from the government (we have and still do pay enough in tax) how sensible is it to give this money to people like us who, let’s be honest, really don’t need it. Mind you when our health insurance is going up 20% this year … |
| Thu 7 | Well that was fun – NOT! 22:30 this evening, we have a blocked loo. Very blocked. N and I eventually managed to clear it, after much poking, prodding, hosing, flushing and bailing. It took us an hour. We and the bathroom all ended up soaked (fortunately mainly clean hose water). Much mopping and cleaning, followed by showers all round. And so to bed. Why do these things always happen last thing at night? |
| Fri 8 | Heard today that one of our neighbours had died (at home) over night. Not really a surprise as she was a heavy smoker and had had lung cancer for quite a while. We of course drank her health and memory with our bottle of Rioja this evening – which I feel sure would have upset her Baptist beliefs. |
| Sat 9 | Blimey we must have had quite some rain overnight, as we had standing water – colloquially known as the Great Lakes – down by the pond this morning. And it stayed most of the day, despite the rain easing off by lunchtime, so the water table really is high. N reckons we’re going to have a relatively mild and wet winter. I’m not so sure. |
| Sun 10 | Yet again I have no clue what day it is. By lunchtime Friday my brain was convinced it was Saturday. Yesterday felt like Sunday. And today: well I have no clue. So it’s no real wonder I’ve managed to get almost nothing done; the big tasks just keep being kicked down the road. |
| Mon 11 | We finally managed to get all the Christmas cards written. We do send a lot – because we like to – but because we get our own cards printed as large postcards, and print address labels, the job is much quicker than fiddling about with envelopes, and uses a lot less paper. It is also much cheaper; like 10-15p for a card (postage is obviously the same). |
| Tue 12 | Yesterday the hospital rang and gave N an appointment for this morning! So I with N to the hospital for the start of a round of consultations & procedures for her hereditary condition. Consultant, specialist nurse and an armful of blood tests. More to come after New Year. Some of the blood results back before the end of the day. And she has an online seminar tomorrow morning. But trying to get them to schedule anything else quickly is a Sisyphean task of pushing jelly uphill with a toothpick. |
| Wed 13 | Afternoon spent sorting out and wrapping presents which have to go in the mail. What’s good these days is not just the ability to buy the postage online, and printing it all as an address label, but that the Royal Mail will come and collect anything larger than an ordinary letter which has been paid online – and the collection is free too! So having done the online postage you click the button and pick the day you want the items collected (usually tomorrow). Letters still have to go to the postbox, but as long as you can pack, weigh and pay for items online there’s no longer any need to go to the Post Office. Now that’s what I call service. |
| Thu 14 | Bastard! Started sneezing, sneezing, sneezing late last evening and couldn’t stop. Wet runny nose too. Couldn’t breathe so ended up with a sore throat and didn’t sleep well. Got up at 03:30 for 30 minutes to do a Covid test (result: negative). This morning it’s clear that I have this <expletive deleted> cold back. At least I assume it’s a cold as I’m not especially feverish and I tested negative for Covid (using two different makes of LFT). |
| Fri 15 | Situation normal: Yesterday I was convinced it was Saturday (I blame the cold). Today I have no idea what day it is, but this evening erring towards Saturday again. WTF is happening to my brain? |
| Sat 16 | I learn that I’m not the only one with this strange time dilation in the brain. Today we had a good social call for the literary society. One of the members admitted to having tried to join the call yesterday (Friday), quite believing that it was Saturday. Basically it seems this is what retirement does to you! |
| Sun 17 | We always have our Sunday lunch in the evening, and very often not the traditional roast. This evening: steak & chips. And senior cat did OK too with a three course meal. The cats had fresh cooked cod for tea (their weekly-ish treat); junior cat is so stuffed he’s incapable. Senior cat being more sensible paces herself: so she had room for a few morsels of our steak, followed by a small amount of cream for pudding. It’s all right when the cat gets a three course meal! |
| Mon 18 | Attended an interesting online talk about the entomology collections of the National Museum of Scotland, given by a young and very enthusiastic curator. Lots not just about the collections, but why they’re useful and important – especially for tracking things like climate change and biodiversity. |
| Tue 19 | Good to see S&Z (wasn’t expecting to see Z) who dropped in for a quick coffee and cake this morning. S on the way back from a physio checkup following her hip replacement. Seasonal gifts duly exchanged. Z much professionally occupied by the volcanic eruption in Iceland. |
| Wed 20 | A few days ago I was moved to write to my three “girl” cousins (sisters; two older than me) on my mother’s side. I also wrote to my three half-aunts (on my father’s side). What a pleasant surprise this morning to get a call from the eldest of the cousins, who I’ve not spoken to in hundreds of years (although we’ve always kept in touch). A lovely 45 minute phone call. |
| Thu 21 | Spent all afternoon sorting out and wrapping presents. Totally knackering. |
| Fri 22 | Butcher the Dinosaur Day. Christmas supermarket delivery – slightly early against all our expectations. It included a decent medium-sized turkey and a nice looking piece of porchetta. A happy half hour spent butchering the dinosaur – crown for Christmas day and the rest in the freezer. Porchetta for Sunday and cold cuts. |
| Sat 23 | If the NHS want me for a health check, why do they need to send me three text messages and a letter in three days. I’ve not yet had a chance to respond to the first text. This is just bullying and harassment, which I won’t take from anyone. They got a very snotty email. Ball back in their court. Of course nothing will happen now until New Year. |
| Sun 24 | Well I got there! I’m not sure N has though. And I cooked dinner: a very nice piece of Porchetta – and plenty for cold cuts over the next few days. |
| Mon 25 | Warm, wet and windy. Just as well we didn’t want to do anything other than get up late, open presents and eat. But OMG wasn’t TV dire! |
| Tue 26 | Boxing Day. The highlight was the first of this year’s Royal Institution Lectures, this time about Artificial Intelligence. Did I learn anything? No. Should I have done? Probably also No. But I’m not sure how much it would have meant to 12-ish year-olds; as so often there were a lot of long, complex, words and concepts which weren’t explained. |
| Wed 27 | What is the weather coming to? Another wet, windy and dreary day on which to continue eating Christmas left-overs: cold meat and sort of bubble-and-squeak. |
| Thu 28 | Oh the joy of those dull days between Christmas and New Year! Turkey, Pork, Leek & Mushroom Pie. And there’s enough for lunch tomorrow. |
| Fri 29 | I hate printers, especially laser printers. The new one has now decided that it doesn’t want to play anymore. Not sure I can fix it. So as I need a workhorse printer (for many reasons) I have to throw money at the problem and buy another new one – for delivery tomorrow And I’ll go back to HP (at least their toner is cheaper). |
| Sat 30 | So there I was, sitting in the kitchen putting together individual bowls of salad for our evening meal. And I thought “Blimey it’s really quiet; what’s wrong?” Until it dawned on me “You silly bugger of course it’s quiet, you’re not wearing your hearing aids!” Duh! |
| Sun 31 | And so ends another year, much as it began: grey, miserable and wet. Here’s hoping 2024 is better for everyone. Have a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year! |
Monthly Links
So it has come to this … our last monthly collection of links for 2023. So let’s dive in.
Science, Technology, Natural World
Pace Dr Who, is time travel really possible? [LONG READ]
While we’re travelling, what does space smell like, why, and how do we know?
Here’s an old post from our favourite cosmologist, Dr Katie Mack … we should remember we’re not just stardust: we’re older than that!
Down on Earth, volcanoes have been in the news a lot recently and we often hear about supervolcanoes. But what really is a supervolcano?
Changing tack, here are some thoughts on randomness.
We all experience it, but why is it that time passes faster as we get older?
And now to the animal world … American painted lady butterflies, encouraged by climate warming, are now resident on Isles of Scilly.
Two new species of absolutely tiny pygmy squid have been named after Japanese forest fairies.
What happens in a crow’s brain when it uses tools – and how on earth can we find out?
As it’s Christmastide, who knows what frankincense is?
Health, Medicine
We hear a lot about the immune system, but how does it work?
We really shouldn’t be surprised that mRNA vaccines (like some of the Covid vaccines) make unintended proteins – after all they’re designed to make proteins. Researchers have now found a way to prevent this.
Researchers are still delving into the intricacies of our gut microbiomes, and they’re working out why a diverse microbiome is especially good at protecting us against harmful bugs.
On the development of the smallpox vaccine, for which Jenner gets the credit although it is much older.
BBC News Presenter Naga Munchetty is asking women about their periods, in an attempt to get us talking and to unlock much better care for those with dysfunctional menstruation. [LONG READ]
Meanwhile American OB/GYN Dr Jen Gunter explains that the menstrual cycle is not a detox. [LONG READ]
Sexuality
Chastity belts anyone? … Emma Beddington takes a look at some truly awful contraceptives.
Environment
Once upon a time – like 4000 years ago – the East Anglian Fens were covered in yew trees.
History, Archaeology, Anthropology
The latest technologies, as well as archaeological finds, mean we are learning more and more about the Neanderthals.
Many researchers have been vilified for showing prehistoric Europeans as dark skinned – but it is genetically accurate.
There’s an ancient megacity in Iraq where archaeologists have discovered a temple linked with Hercules and Alexander the Great.
We all learnt Pythagoras’ Theorem at school, but like so many things he just gets the credit as it’s been found on a clay tablet 1000 years older.
Just as Herodotus claimed, the Ancient Scythians made leather from human skin.
Researchers using DNA analysis have worked out the origins of a mysterious 2000 year-old corpse buried in England.
A ship burial in Norway predates the Vikings and is the oldest known in that country.
550 years ago a Venetian monk, Fra Mauro, created a magnificent map of the world. Considering it predates Columbus, it is not only surprisingly accurate, but also contains tiny inscriptions explaining the evidence behind the design. [The map, above, has been inverted as Fra Mauro’s map has south at the top.] [££££]
Our favourite medievalist, Dr Eleanor Janega, points out that the title Doctor does actually mean someone with a PhD, and not any old medic.
There’s a lovely Tudor map of London (probably from the reign of Queen Mary Tudor) (below) which shows many details of contemporary life. And now a coloured version has been created. [LONG READ]
We all thought that plague died out in this country following the Plague of London in 1665. But no, there were pockets of plague, mostly in rural areas, into the early 20th century.
Food, Drink
We all know that the French regulate their language, but I didn’t know the Italians do the same for their cuisine … they’ve now updated the official recipe for Bolognese Sauce.
Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs
Can we solve our addiction to consumerism? One family is trying to find out. [LONG READ]
Shock, Horror, Humour, Wow!
And finally, two amusements …
NASA astronauts have finally found a small tomato that was “lost in space” for 8 months.
There’s a whole taxonomy of the Occlupanida (bread bag closures), a genus in the complete Synthetic Taxonomy.
Culinary Adventures #106: Camembert Tartizza
Here’s one I did some days ago. As usual it’s based on a published recipe, but modified.
WTF, I hear you ask, is a “tartizza”? It’s a cross between a pizza and a tart – well I had to find something to call this as it is a sort of a cross between a pizza and a tart.
Anyway, here goes …
Camembert Tartizza
Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- Plain flour, for rolling
- 500g block puff pastry
- 165g jar Kalamata Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
- 250g French Camembert
- 4-6 mushrooms, sliced
- 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes (halved), or 3-4 tomatoes (sliced)
- Bunch fresh parsley
- Black pepper
What to do …
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 6.
- Take a 30cm square baking sheet. Cut a piece of baking parchment a bit bigger than the baking sheet (3cm overlap on each edge is about right). Lay the baking parchment on the baking sheet and using a blunt object (eg. the back end of a spoon) score the parchment into the rim of the baking sheet. (This is to give you the size of the baking sheet.)
- Now put the baking sheet (but not the baking parchment) in the oven to heat up.
- Roll out the pastry to the size of the baking sheet (it doesn’t need to be neat) and place on the parchment within the marked area.
- Gently score round the pastry about 1cm in the from the edge; and prink the middle part all over with a fork.
- Spread the tapenade evenly over the pastry, leaving the edges clear.
- Cut the Camembert into slices no more than 5mm think, and lay them evenly over the tapenade.
- Top with the mushrooms, parsley, black pepper and finally the tomatoes – arrange as you like, random is fine.
- Glaze the pastry edges if you wish.
- Slide the pastry on its paper onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling – but don’t overdo it as the tapenade will tend to singe round the edges.
- Serve cut into portions with a glass of wine.
Notes
- This makes a good, warm, supper. Alternatively allow it to cool and cut into finger-food portions as party food.
- This would also work with pesto in place of tapenade.
- Add garlic, onion, cooked meat, etc. if you wish. But avoid anchovies unless you’re using a non-salty pesto.
- If you find the quantity of tapenade is overpowering, just use about half a jar and spread it thinner.