Wednesday. And I think
I've left my cake out in the rain. I don't suppose anyone has the recipe?
I've just seen live coverage on telly of a Northern Ireland politician voting. He couldn't actually be seen for all the camera people and journos around him. I wonder what he looked like, as he prepared to enter the polling station. I guess we'll never know. Life is full of disappointments. That, and the cake. Bugger.
I won't lie to you, the news cupboard, ( as one of my colleagues often puts it ) is almost bare.
We might just go on with some light music at five and see what happens.
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You could try more spots where tranquillity can be found, and then play bagpipes over it?
Have a look in Pooh's cupboard, he's probably got some Hunny. It might make up for the soggy cake
Why is Northern Ireland voting, and does the outcome matter?
In the midst of all that sweet green icing flowing down, Eddie, be glad that your face, unlike Auden's, doesn't look like a wedding cake left out in the rain.
Drink the wine while it is warm
And, if it's any consolation, after all the loves of my life, after all the loves, you'll still be the one.
I've got a couple of amazing recipes - chocolate or fruit? (I suppose I could experiment putting both together)
And you'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Well I dare say a breaking story will appear at five.
Perhaps you should have hung on to one or two of yesterdays stories.
They are spoilt on Radio two really - music radio os soooo much easier and less rewarding.
Eddie - is this an appeal for us to do something newsworthy??
I mean, I could try but... y'know, its unlikely.
Also I'm kinda busy and, well, to be honest I prefer to keep my anonymity (especially as I usually only use my powers for Good, not Evil).
Tell you what tho. If I get a bit of spare time, and I'm not thinking about Arsenal losing at home and exiting the Champions League... I'll solve a crisis or invent something or right a piece of 'scientific' research that 'proves' that Thursdays are the nights most people reserve for dating.
or something...
A cake is not what I remember Auden's face being compared to...
Aunt Dahlia's idea of more country side noises sounds good. But a full 55 minutes without actually being in that field at Swinhoe with the sheep is probably too much! And Northumbrian pipes do sound far nicer than the scottish variety, dont they eddie!
Did you leave it in MacArthurs Park? Talking of light music... why don't you do like Today, and do some more music features? It keeps us young peoples interested... well according to Today's editors! You could then introduce jingles and voiceovers (whoops)
I can do you a totally idiot proof recipe for chocolate cake, never been known to fail...not that I'm casting nasturtiums at anyone's cooking skills....it's the family birthday cake as the children didn't like fruit cake (few do I find).
Eddie,
I find fruitcakes make ideal gifts because the Royal Mail has been unable to find a way to damage them.
Well, Eddie, if you're really short of stories, isn't it time to run with the Secret Santa story I suggested? Larry Stewart died in January, but his story was really inspiring.
Ask Matthew Bannister. He'll help out.
Alternatively, down here in Sussex, in the Arun valley, the flood levels are rising every day. And I believe the Severn has very similar problems. Wouldn't you, or a reporter, like a day out in the sunny countryside investigating?
Dundee Cake?
Remember Eddie,
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate cake in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO what a ride!!
I've heard it said that no is good news. Well done for making the world a better place today.
Little Miss Poppy -
I love it!! Thats really made me grin - thanks! xx
Aunt Dahlia: Auden himself drew the comparison. But you may have other suggestions?
Whisht: Howza about dedicating your considerable talents to working out a 'dream team' for Arsenal? They were my Dad's team, so have a special significance for me...... (I won't say who I support, though! - You might not speak to me again)
Slow news day? What are Migrationwatch for, if not to invent a scare story for days like this? Then there's global warming denialists, smoking rights campaigners, Fathers for Justice... the list of self-seeking publicity-hungry whiners is endless.
Eddie, since the news cupboard is so often full of doom and gloom perhaps we should be glad it's almost bare.
In the 1930's there was a radio programme for Good News (sparked by a letter from a family friend, then a teenager). Sadly it was discontinued for lack of stories.
You might like to reflect (on air if you're really short of material !) on why we seem to prefer to listen to tales of misery and disaster, actual or impending.
Perhaps you could get an 'expert' to theorise on the evolutionary usefulness of learning from the misfortunes of others. Or to expand on the notion that we just like to be made to feel smug that it hasn't happened to us.
Doesn't seem to reflect well on us as a species I fear.
Fruitcake, Mrs Behan-Ingland? Are you, by chance describing the froggers:p I don't mind being called a fruitcake at all. Much better to be a fruitcake than other names that could be bandied about..
As for something to report, please can I make a plea for no more on the Diana inquest? Surely I'm not the only one who feels like screaming "Enough, already!" at the TV/Radio when the inquest is mentioned? It's sad that she and Mr Fayeds' son died in an accident, but that's exactly what it was, an accident.
Re: Carl (10)
Why the (Whoops) - sounds a good idea to me, and I think they could do with some more youngsters on the Ne
How about Swapping shows with Chris from London on Radio 2. That could be interesting!
Or better still Chris from Cbeebies.
I have a small bit of Christmas cake left. We forgot it was there. Will that do?
And news stories on a quiet day
You can always try Cash for Honours, Global warming, International terrorism. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Language and wikipaedia (no today did that). The problems of sheep farming in rural northumberland and the hassles they get from roving reporters. National Health Service issues. Must be some news in there. Plus a light hearted/funny. That should be enough idea's to fill a show. Doubt any of this will win awards though :-(
Re: Carl (10)
Why the (Whoops) - sounds a good idea to me, and I think they could do with some more youngsters on the Network
Little Miss Poppy - I'll vouch for that!
Anne P - I don't know about Eddie, but I'd love that recipe, we have TD's 18th coming up in a couple of weeks and she'd appreciate a home-made cake just about now. I may have mentioned before, that they asked me some years ago to desist from making their birthday cakes because we all found it too stressful.....
We took Student Son his favourite cake for his recent birthday, Lemon Panettone from the wonderful Valvona & Crolla in Edinburgh. Shopping for that wasn't at all stressful, fabulous shop, you could do a feature on it Eddie? It's even a Festival Fringe Venue it's so interesting.
So, Eddie, were you getting your cakes from 'Canny Grannie' in Northumberland?
I'm sure alternative recipes are available.
Well, Eddie, your blog and the newsletter (which has just arrived!) sound so desperate I thought I should look at the 大象传媒 News front page on the internet for you. You should try it sometime. Then you might get more ideas than you do sitting around in your 11 am meeting, chatting and bemoaning the cake shortage.
There's a guilty grandma who grows cannabis (now there's a surprise!) and a really grubby little story about a German brother and sister who have four children, two of whom have special needs (now there's a surprise!)
Can't you do something with those?
Eddie, if you're really short of news today, why not a half hour investigation into nominative determination?
I'm sure didn't dream the report on last night's Six where I learned that (a) the chap at Tesco's dealing with the dodgy petrol story is a Mr. Datsun, and (b) the lady who's got a company dealing with dodgy petrol claims against supermarkets is a Ms. Rich!
You couldn't make it up...
I have something newsworthy. In Tropical Park in Miami Florida, DC United will be playing Honduras in Football.
FF - you are not alone. Fiona and I have said similar elsewhere!
Eddie,
If you're short of real news,
FOR HIS HELP IN WAR ON TERROR
Praises him for removing bin Laden from his Rolodex.
WORLD NEWS
Iraq: Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds
Agree to Split Oil Evenly
Between Chevron, Exxon and BP.
Swiss Soldiers Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein
U.S. accidentally invades Iran.
xx
ed
*** got 502'd twice so far! (in case anyone says the problems are sorted)
No news?
How about the travel chaos across Scotland due to the rail strike which started mid-morning today and will last until Friday evening?
How about the fact that the strike wasn't announced until yesterday - the first I saw of it was a slip of paper on my morning train.
How about the fact that First Group - who run the Scottish rail franchise (Scotrail) aren't supplying replacement buses on the cancelled routes, forcing people to get regular bus services on which the rail tickets aren't valid? (The largest operator of buses in central Scotland is... yes, First Group.)
Or is this of no interest to the London and middle-England audience?
(Yes, I'm a bit fed up... )
OK as it's such a slow news day.. how about a 'tips from our listeners' feature. My tip for the day is to ignore the offer of 2 x 500ml contour bottles of Diet Coke for 1.49, and buy the 2 x 2 litre bottles of Diet Coke for 拢2.00. Then you can fill up an old contour bottle for convienience. I haven't done the detailed math on this, but I reckon it's quite a tip Eddie?
I think the blog is having a slow day too!
Eddie,
Why not repeat the programme about the Chagos Islanders which was broadcast on R4 this morning at 11am?
The 'story' for those of you who do not know of it concerns the UK government in the mid-1960s forcibly removing the inhabitants of this remote archipelago to provide a 'secure' base for the USA.
Two court cased has determined that the islanders were unlawfully exiled and should be allowed to return. The UK government have rejected these judgements.
Surely, pressure needs to be exerted to help these poor people to return to a life that they had from 1830 to 1960. Jonathon Charles was the reported.
OK as it's such a slow news day.. how about a 'tips from our listeners' feature. My tip for the day is to ignore the offer of 2 x 500ml contour bottles of Diet Coke for 1.49, and buy the 2 x 2 litre bottles of Diet Coke for 拢2.00. Then you can fill up an old contour bottle for convienience. I haven't done the detailed math on this, but I reckon it's quite a tip Eddie?
Given all the free time on your hands today, Lord Mair, perhaps you could enchant and delight us with your Mandarin from Hugh?
Chocolate Cake (as requested by Val P.)
4oz sugar
4oz golden syrup
4oz margarine
5 oz plain flour
1 oz cocoa
2 oz drinking chocolate
1 egg (beaten)
录 pint milk (warmed to blood heat)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 8-inch cake tins (preferably loose bottomed)
Pre-heat the oven to about 150 degrees C. In a saucepan stir and melt together sugar (any kind), golden syrup and margarine. Take off the heat when runny and melted together, not too hot.
Weigh and sieve together flour (can be wholemeal) with cocoa and drinking chocolate.
Stir the flour mix into the saucepan of melted syrup etc. Beat in the egg.
Add bicarbonate of soda to the milk and add quickly to the rest of the mixture which will now be pretty runny. Stir well.
Divide between two tins and cook for about 20 minutes in a medium oven. Test for done with a warm skewer which will come out clean when done (sticky if not).
Cool on a rack.
Make a butter icing with softened butter, icing sugar and cocoa sieved together with drinking chocolate and a few drops of lemon juice and a very little hot water. Sandwich the cakes together and put icing on top. You can make a pattern by dragging a fork round in concentric circles. Candles optional.
Depending on the flour it can be quite crumbly. Keeps for a few days if you can leave it that long!
OK as it's such a slow news day.. how about a 'tips from our listeners' feature. My tip for the day is to ignore the offer of 2 x 500ml contour bottles of Diet Coke for 1.49, and buy the 2 x 2 litre bottles of Diet Coke for 拢2.00. Then you can fill up an old contour bottle for convienience. I haven't done the detailed math on this, but I reckon it's quite a tip Eddie?
I think the blog is having a slow day too!
Why not repeat the programme about the Chagos Islanders which was broadcast on R4 this morning at 11am?
The 'story' for those of you who do not know of it concerns the UK government in the mid-1960s forcibly removing the inhabitants of this remote archipelago to provide a 'secure' base for the USA.
Two court cased has determined that the islanders were unlawfully exiled and should be allowed to return. The UK government have rejected these judgements.
Surely, pressure needs to be exerted to help these poor people to return to a life that they had from 1830 to 1960. Jonathon Charles was the reporter.
I have just had two: 569 No Data
Why not repeat the programme about the Chagos Islanders which was broadcast on R4 this morning at 11am?
The 'story' for those of you who do not know of it concerns the UK government in the mid-1960s forcibly removing the inhabitants of this remote archipelago to provide a 'secure' base for the USA.
Two High Court cases have determined that the islanders were unlawfully exiled and should be allowed to return. The UK government have rejected these judgements.
Surely, pressure needs to be exerted to help these poor people to return to a life that they had from 1830 to 1960. Jonathon Charles was the reporter.
Why not repeat the programme about the Chagos Islanders which was broadcast on R4 this morning at 11am?
The 'story' for those of you who do not know of it concerns the UK government in the mid-1960s forcibly removing the inhabitants of this remote archipelago to provide a 'secure' base for the USA.
Two court cased has determined that the islanders were unlawfully exiled and should be allowed to return. The UK government have rejected these judgements.
Surely, pressure needs to be exerted to help these poor people to return to a life that they had from 1830 to 1960. Jonathon Charles was the reporter.
Sara (27) I think the incest story seems sad rather than grubby. As so often in these cases the couple were each unaware the other existed until they were adults as it seems he was fostered as a small child.
The natural taboos that surround siblings brought up together often don't seem to kick in when they meet for the first time as adults.
Now that they have children should those children be deprived of being brought up by loving parents? OK there are good genetic reasons why sibling marriage is not to be generally recommended, but in rare cases I think it is more humane to accept what has happened rather than attempting to punish the couple and in effect also their children.
I have just had: 569 No Data
Impossible d'ouvrir cette page web en raison du nombre trop 茅lev茅 d'utilisateurs essayant d'y acc茅der ou de son indisponibilit茅. Ve uillez recommencer ult茅rieurement.
Why not repeat the programme about the Chagos Islanders which was broadcast on R4 this morning at 11am?
The 'story' for those of you who do not know of it concerns the UK government in the mid-1960s forcibly removing the inhabitants of this remote archipelago to provide a 'secure' base for the USA.
Two court cased has determined that the islanders were unlawfully exiled and should be allowed to return. The UK government have rejected these judgements.
Surely, pressure needs to be exerted to help these poor people to return to a life that they had from 1830 to 1960. Jonathon Charles was the reporter.
Why not repeat the programme about the Chagos Islanders which was broadcast on R4 this morning at 11am?
The 'story' for those of you who do not know of it concerns the UK government in the mid-1960s forcibly removing the inhabitants of this remote archipelago to provide a 'secure' base for the USA.
Two court cased has determined that the islanders were unlawfully exiled and should be allowed to return. The UK government have rejected these judgements.
Surely, pressure needs to be exerted to help these poor people to return to a life that they had from 1830 to 1960. Jonathon Charles was the reporter.
Eddie,
If you're short of real news,
FOR HIS HELP IN WAR ON TERROR
Praises him for removing bin Laden from his Rolodex.
WORLD NEWS
Iraq: Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds
Agree to Split Oil Evenly
Between Chevron, Exxon and BP.
Swiss Soldiers Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein
U.S. accidentally invades Iran.
xx
ed
*** got 502'd thrice so far! (in case anyone says the problems are sorted)
SSC - that sounds awful! Reminds me of a piece in the Guardian (poss Observer) a few weekends ago when they were discussing the North/South divide in respect of Arts and Culture. Incredibly annoying as South seemed to mean London....this happens a lot and intensely annoys me as I live in the most south westerly bit of the UK. (as did a Nigel Slater recipe that used Salt Cod....available in the 'drak corners' of Italian, Portuguese and Carribbean supermarkets......anywhere outside the Big Smoke???)
Rant rant rant; off to the beach
I gather Sarko has made citizen journalism illegal in France if it involves filming scenes of violence - must be a story in there, surely?
You should ask us for stories on a regular basis, you know: individually, we know a lot less than you; collectively, a lot more.
Big Sis (13)
I think you may have something there. I saw a lot of flooded areas on my way between Swansea and Tewkesbury yesterday...
Does flooding cause serious problems for water voles? Do they find themselves miles from home, with no means of returning to their "Nests"?
I want to know how you can leave a cake out in the rain anyway. Did you leave it on a park bench after a sit down on the way into work? Or put it outside to cool off after it had been naughty at home? Or fail to collect it from the doorstep when the cake- delivery man left it there this morning? I'm intrigued. Please tell us more.
Btw, what rain? It's gloriously sunny up north. Reflecting the nature of the inhabitants.
To: Mr Mair,
Re: Fruitcake.
1. Try to find an independent baker, whose reputation depends on making 鈥済ood things to eat鈥.
2. Be prepared to pay handsomely for a good fuitcake.
3. Chill it before slicing.
4. Serve it ceremoniously, sliced thin, with a good quality coffee or a fine tea.
Fruitcake, misunderstood and stripped of it鈥檚 former stature by greed and corporate merchandising, needs our help! Enjoy a good fruitcake. Remember to buy one for grannie.
Anne P - thanks everso. I'll let you know how I get on with it (ie, just exactly how foolproof it turns out to be!)
SSC - I know all about this strike of which you speak as I've been getting a running update from my frequent visitor over the last few days; the heating engineer has had rail tickets booked for tomorrow, since Christmas time, for a special trip. He's lost count of the number of different call centre helpers he has spoken to since he first heard a whisper last week, the funniest one he has recorded:
" No, sir, thank you for your patience, but you are not listening to me! The strike is on at 12 noon on Wednesday and 12 noon on Friday, therefore you will be perfectly fine to be able to travel on the Thursday"
Verbatim - you couldn't make up something that funny could you? They must do strikes very differently in India then? Mind you, Heating Guy and his wife aren't finding the lack of info all that funny....
Excellent tip Carl. ! Asda do a great deal when buying three bottles of their own brand diet tonic!
Re: SSC : That was no interest to the London and middle-England audience!
It's all go around here!
re Carl @35
A better tip is not to buy any diet coke as it contains aspertime.
Do a search on Google to see the problems produced by drinking this product. (I could not use the expression that I wished as it might cause the Frogmaster to explode).
Hohoho th newsletter's just really cheered me up thank you:-)
If there's no news, maybe you could describe for us again who is going past the window this afternoon?
Big Sis - I'd always talk to you... having a Big Sis supporting a rival team would fit right in, as I have 2 brothers.... one who supports Man U and one who supports.... Spurs.....
Dream Team...? hmm..... we could do with a Brady on the pitch at the moment, though he's doing magnificently as the Youth coach.
uh oh. Hold on. I'd best not discuss this anymore or someone will suggest that we have a separate blog area for talking about sport, or discussing the oddity of someone who wasn't really a fervent sports fan as a kid but has increasingly been more and more impassioned as he gets older...
[ahem]
oh btw Eddie - No news is good news
(is that a strapline??)
I personally can't wait for tonight's programme to hear how slickly and professionally Eddie manages to present an hour long news and current affairs programme with no actual news or current affairs to discuss. Eddie, I am sure you will pull it off no problem :)
FF - Yay! another one begging for an end to the endless inquest saga. We are not alone.
Question for Anne P - the cake recipe sounds lovely but how do you know the milk is at blood heat? Do I have to have a sample of blood in another jug and a thermometer to compare both? (can you tell I don't cook very often?)
Hohoho the newsletter's just really cheered me up thank you:-)
If there's no news, maybe you could describe for us again who is going past the window this afternoon?
Eddie - have you given up News for Lent?
Eddie,
What about the bongs? Mind the Gap!
Nice strapline Annasee!
Whisht: I'm with your brother - but which one?
And Arsenal are always okay by me, for the reason I gave. Dad grew up near to the ground and was a lifelong supporter. A childhood friend of his went on to become one of the directors, and Dad loved being invited to the Directors' Box. It seemed a fitting reward for somebody who was watching the team play even throughout his last, long illness.
So, Whisht, I'll regard it as a friendly rivalry, if I may.
Fiona (57) unless you are a cleanliness freak, the easiest way to check for blood heat is to insert a clean forefinger knuckle into the milk. If it's blood heat you won't feel it either hot or cold. A bit warm is fine. For the purposes of this recipe you just don't want it too hot or the bicarb will foam up very fast before you can get it mixed in.
Or you could drip a few drops onto the back of your hand, but the advantage of the knuckle method is you can withdraw it pdq if you've misjudged and it's too hot!
If this doesn't appeal then you'll have to buy a thermometer!
This thread seems to have stalled completely.