Comments for The Watermelon Blog

Comment on Back to Methuselah by Trev

Trev — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:01:56 +0000

I’m sure you’re familiar with Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development David. I’d probably agree with you that your average progressive is more intelligent than his conservative counterpart, but perhaps it’s more a question of stunted moral development?

Kohlberg postulated a number of stages in moral development (I’m not sure now how many) but I remember reading once that while people in adjacent levels can understand each other’s stance on a moral issue, those further apart cannot. To me, most conservatives have a total incapacity to place themselves in another’s shoes.

Comment on Back to Methuselah by Roslyn

Roslyn — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:16:22 +0000

A timely post Watermelon Man. Makes me proud to be a progressive. Why don’t you tweet little chunks of this?

Comment on Fiddling while Rome burns by Hector

Hector — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:16:11 +0000

All good points, though one suspects that Nero, Kim Jong-il like, might have met with a train accident before he lit the match. Unfortunately it is – we all know this – entirely possible to fake images or to simply say they are from somewhere they weren’t. That’s not to defend unspeakable rogues; they don’t deserve defending. Terrible things are happening in Syria (or parts of it). Eventually Assad will depart or be departed. That’s how it goes. It’s not pretty. It’s not justice (except in the lynch-mob mentality that the global social media encourages). But it happens. And no one will shed a tear for the latest tyrant when he does vacate his criminal throne, whatever are the means of his departure.

Comment on Fiddling while Rome burns by Eric Snyder

Eric Snyder — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:57:24 +0000

I agree with you David, don’t think it would have made much difference. It doesn’t make any difference today and I, honestly, don’t think the disclaimers have anything to do with it. The base natures (greed, selfish ambition, immorality, envy, etc.) of human beings is what prevents us from calling evil what it is and taking strong action to prevent it and eliminate it.

According to Tacitus, Nero coated Christians in tar and set them on fire for night time illumination. There were no disclaimers accompanying the news reports about more than 100 Christians killed by Muslims in Nigeria last September.

Evil exists independent of technology, governments, or trade. It is what it is and it should not be tolerated anywhere anytime.

Comment on Factory floored by Eric Snyder

Eric Snyder — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:42:49 +0000

Isn’t it great to live in a society where you have the freedom of choice to pick “plastic” food or natural home-grown from the farmer’s markets? And, the abundance of it all! Plenty of both available for most everyone.

Comment on Factory floored by fred

fred — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:29:25 +0000

Veggie gardening is part of the answer for us.
We have problems of course, water scarcity, searing 40 plus heat, lousy soil.
But we make do, recycle water from the laundry a bit, mulch copiously, compost all the kitchen ‘waste’, utilise the chook manure from our neighbours’ chooks when they have some to spare, make weed manure [soak weeds in a bucket for a couple of weeks and then use the liquid - sparingly]. Use shade cloth.
No insecticides, no herbicides, no ‘stuff’ from the hardware store/chemical shop –none -ever – don’t need it.
The result is that we have most of our herbs just outside the kitchen door for grabbing, totally fresh, when desired. A fair seasonal supply of veggies augmented by bartering with our neighbour as we complement their crop failure with our crop surplus and vice versa.
Our butcher is a local country killed family business, you can see their workshop from the shop counter, no unnecessary packaging involved, a 1$ bag of dog bones keeps the dog cruching happily for a couple of weeks, their meat tastes better than supermarket meat and, wonder of wonders, is cheaper. We didn’t know it was cheaper cos we don’t buy elsewhere and it took a visitor who accompanied us on a shopping trip to let us know our meat was cheap, and better.
And, joy of joys, a farmer from the Riverland has recently taken to parking his produce laden truck on the edge of our rural town and suppies us with decent stuff we can’t grow and at better prices and quality than the supermarket [we're expecting them to complain anytime soon].
What’s the catch?
We are retired. We have time, no longer rushing from home to work and back again.
And, like adelady, we have the time to delight in cooking as an art. We make our own sauces, jams, dried herbs, pickled onions, pasta and so on.

Shoulda been doing more of this stuff whilst we were captured by the ‘rat race’.

Excuse me, gotta water the vegies and then take the dog for a walk, she’s giving messages.

Comment on Factory floored by adelady

adelady — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:39:17 +0000

One food advantage of modern times to offset the disadvantages of ‘food’ sold in supermarkets.

Wonderful products like slow cookers, easy to control ovens and some of the easy to use kitchen implements – highly valuable to people like me with weak hands or other problems – as well as the dreaded microwave and freezer. Great when you grow your own and finish up with a silverbeet/zucchini/eggplant mountain during a week or so of ‘favourable’ weather. A freezer full of quiches, vegetarian lasagne and chocolate zucchini cake is a joy to behold.

Comment on Factory floored by David Horton

David Horton — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:56:47 +0000

Welcome to the blog Margaret, and thank you very much. Come again.

Comment on Factory floored by wrb330

wrb330 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:39:02 +0000

Well writen David, very good points and an honest yet scary view of what goes into our stomachs.
Myself I caught onto this some years back when “seafood mixer” appeared in deli’s, yummy animal intestines bleached, minced, pressed into shape then dyed and flavoured to taste like crab meat.
Great on crackers enjoyed it immensley then I discovered the ruse.
Nowdays I opt for fresh ingredients, nanna’s old recipes and a simpler style of cooking. And the savings are ridiculous if you soiurce wholesale markets or suppliers, I have gone from an average of $200 a week to $85 and I eat fine.

Yes cooking takes a little time but once into a routine its simplicity itself.
You cant escape pesticides in many foods but you can avoid salt, high fat and the various dyes used in far too many food groups especially canned goods.
Example; a lasagne I was served whilst in the military in 2007, packaged in 1987, good as the day it was packed.
Tell me that our foods are good for you, like hell they are its just clever marketing and spin by conglomerates selling crap for fast large profits.

Diabetes, heart disease, obesity and dozens of other illnesses and conditions resulting from modern life and dietry failings
Its why the average person no longer decomposes after death, we consume so many preservatives our bodies are pickled and cant.

May I suggest 1 site…. Aussieruths freebies …. dozens of recipes most older and requiring you to actually be involved in cooking generally using basic ingredients from days gone by. I found several I loved as a child my grandmother used to make, which my kids now adore too.
Its one of my faves and I suggest you and your followers may enjoy checking it out.
NOTE: I have no affiliation with the site I just found it chasing simple recipes and recommend it to others as its been fabulous for me.

Thanks again for a good read.

Comment on Give the order by Gruffbutt

Gruffbutt — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:19:50 +0000

The sugar’s at the end, Hector, stirred in with Gina’s medicine. What a Pyrrhic victory for truth that will be.

A bloke asked me ‘What’s wrong with Andrew Bolt’? Having managed to get my appetite back after a few days, I realised his question was its own answer.