Important news of the day thread

[JA2340 16]

But, GN has a point! That's the reason we pack a plunger and a vac pack of grounds! At least the FIRST cuppa will be "Real" coffee! The rest of the day is in the lap of the gods! (and they are notoriously not caffein addicts!)

 

As it happens, we have found a couple of really nice places that serve decent coffee, n our travels around the place.

 

Travelling with a bloke who prefers "Earl Grey" tea and a lady whose idea of "good" coffee is Starbucks, +1 and I have a losing battle to wage. Last trip to Kyoto resulted in a few good places being discovered (and a few not so good, as well!!)

 

Bloke at a coffee shop near here (well 150km south, but who's counting?) had a saying "Life's too short to drink crook coffee". I agree but would rephrase it to "Life too crook to drink crap coffee".

[thursday 1]

coffee is what you find it. If I had a coffe craving for breakfast, I'd take it.

 

The Nikko JR Tower Sapporo does marvellous organic cofee.

[smellyfeet 0]

I was given a coffee making machine for christmas. It's that Nestle one you can find in 7-11s. Actually it's pretty good the Cappuccino is nice. Really simple. Cold water plus 'capsules'. It even makes the good noises.

[JA2340 16]

We gave ourselves a Gaggia cappuccino machine for Xmas. Love it!

 

BUT, it's starting to get expensive, we have too many cups!

[thursday 1]

Quote:

Giant tuna fetches $177,000 at Japan fish auction

TOKYO – A giant bluefin tuna fetched 16.3 million yen ($177,000) in an auction Tuesday at the world's largest wholesale fish market in Japan.

The 513-pound (233-kilogram) fish was the priciest since 2001 when a 440-pound (200 kilogram) tuna sold for a record 20.2 million yen ($220,000) at Tokyo's Tsukiji market.

The gargantuan tuna was bought and shared by the owners of two Japanese sushi restaurants and one Hong Kong-based sushi establishment, said a market representative on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

Caught off the coast of northern Japan, the big tuna was among 570 put up for auction Tuesday. About 40 percent of the auctioned fish came from abroad, including from Indonesia and Mexico, the representative said.

Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood with Japanese eating 80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught. The two tuna species are the most sought after by sushi lovers.

However, tuna consumption in Japan has declined because of a prolonged economic slump as the world's second-largest economy struggles to shake off its worst recession since World War II.

"Consumers are shying away from eating tuna ... We are very worried about the trend," the market representative said.

Apart from falling demand for tuna, wholesalers are worried about growing calls for tighter fishing rules amid declining tuna stocks.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in November slashed the quota for the 2010 catch by about one-third to 13,500 tons (12,250 metric tons) — a move criticized by environmentalists as not going far enough.

I don't eat bluefin. Meguro, toro, I avoid, 'cos I don't like the taste.

The price itself is self advertising. I know which chain in HK bought it. So I'll stay away from them and will bad mouth them forever.

[indosnm 0]

Omah maguro. Yum..

 

Thurs, you don't eat Maguro or toro, so what do you eat?

[thursday 1]

dunno, something I don't like about the taste of tuna.

 

I prefer the white fish like sword, hamachi. And of course the raw prawns and crab and akagai.

[thursday 1]

Originally Posted By: thursday

Quote:

Giant tuna fetches $177,000 at Japan fish auction

TOKYO – A giant bluefin tuna fetched 16.3 million yen ($177,000) in an auction Tuesday at the world's largest wholesale fish market in Japan.

The 513-pound (233-kilogram) fish was the priciest since 2001 when a 440-pound (200 kilogram) tuna sold for a record 20.2 million yen ($220,000) at Tokyo's Tsukiji market.

The gargantuan tuna was bought and shared by the owners of two Japanese sushi restaurants and one Hong Kong-based sushi establishment, said a market representative on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

Caught off the coast of northern Japan, the big tuna was among 570 put up for auction Tuesday. About 40 percent of the auctioned fish came from abroad, including from Indonesia and Mexico, the representative said.

Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood with Japanese eating 80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught. The two tuna species are the most sought after by sushi lovers.

However, tuna consumption in Japan has declined because of a prolonged economic slump as the world's second-largest economy struggles to shake off its worst recession since World War II.

"Consumers are shying away from eating tuna ... We are very worried about the trend," the market representative said.

Apart from falling demand for tuna, wholesalers are worried about growing calls for tighter fishing rules amid declining tuna stocks.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in November slashed the quota for the 2010 catch by about one-third to 13,500 tons (12,250 metric tons) — a move criticized by environmentalists as not going far enough.

I don't eat bluefin. Meguro, toro, I avoid, 'cos I don't like the taste.

The price itself is self advertising. I know which chain in HK bought it. So I'll stay away from them and will bad mouth them forever.

The stunt has backfired too. There were protestors blockading the shop. When the fish arrives today from Tokyo, there'll be protesters out too.

Just hope they don't try to free it

[indosnm 0]

Originally Posted By: thursday

dunno, something I don't like about the taste of tuna.

I prefer the white fish like sword, hamachi. And of course the raw prawns and crab and akagai.

Maybe you just haven't had it good enough! Won't complain, because more for me!

[BagOfCrisps 24]

wow thats some price

[BagOfCrisps 24]

It was an unexpected introduction to the 11th Timelord... and has prompted a flood of complaints from viewers.

‘I’m still not ginger’ Dr Who announced following his regeneration at the end of the New Year’s Day special which saw Matt Smith, 27, replace David Tennant, 38, as the TV's most famous time-traveller.

Unfortunately, the off-kilter comment was perceived by many as a sign of relief from the new arrival. As a result, it quickly led to complaints from outraged viewers that Dr Who and, by proxy the BBC, were anti-ginger.

Parents of red-headed children were particularly upset by what they perceived to be an insult. They claimed the programme, which was the second part of a Christmas special and was seen by 11 million viewers, would encourage victimisation

 

By yesterday afternoon, the BBC had received 143 complaints.

One mother said: ‘I think it is totally inappropriate for the Doctor to make fun of people with ginger hair. It is a programme children watch and I think it will encourage bullying'

But last night the BBC fought back in the row. The Corporation insisted that Dr Who had made the comment as a matter of regret - rather than relief.

The Corporation said: ‘We’ve received complaints from viewers who believed a line in Doctor Who: The End of Time was insulting to people with ginger hair.

'We would like to reassure viewers that Doctor Who doesn’t have an anti-ginger agenda whatsoever.

‘This was a reprise of the line in the Christmas Invasion episode in 2005, when David Tennant discovers that he’s not ginger, and here he is, missing out again — disappointed he’s still not ginger.’

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Dr Who doesn't have an anti-ginger agenda!!

 

You can just see the scriptwriters sitting down and saying..."right, these bloody gingers need a good pummelling, lets not hold back this series..."

[JA2340 16]

Life needed! 143 of them, in fact! please send to BBC so they can distribute to the fools who complained.

[pie-eater 207]

Isn't the new "Companion" a ginger?

 

A rather tasty looking ginger too!

 

[RobBright 35]

Uk hits -22.1c

 

And a satellite image to go with it

[thursday 1]

I can see green

[RobBright 35]

Only cos the scousers stole it.

[Jynxx 4]

Pretty amazing pic.

Never seen anything like that

[Go Native 70]

Reminds me of The Day After Tomorrow! Great pic.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Originally Posted By: thursday

I can see green

Thats Ireland

Yeah I thought the same GN

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Looks like UK is worse than France too.

[thursday 1]

Looks like a good excuse to work from home.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

A utopian planet inhabited by blue aliens is the ideal setting for a bit of cinematic escapism.

But the world of the sci-fi epic Avatar is so perfect the line between fact and fiction has become somewhat blurred.

Movie-goers have admitted being plagued by depression and suicidal thoughts at not being able to visit the planet Pandora.

Set in the future when Earth's resources have been depleted, director James Cameron's film tells the story of a corporation trying to mine a rare mineral.

The humans clash with the natives - a peace-loving race of 7ft tall, blue-skinned creatures called the Na'vi, who exist in perfect harmony with nature.

Fans have flooded the internet with their confused feelings. On the site Avatar Forums, the topic 'Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible' has more than 1,000 posts.

In a similar forum, one user wrote: 'When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless.

'I still don't really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world.'

 

[mitchpee 10]

I don't know if anyone has seen this, but a major earthquake hit near Port-au-Prince, Haiti this evening. The damage is looking very bad as most of the houses there are not exactly architecturally sound.

 

Looked at the BBC home page and saw this...

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8455629.stm

 

It's appalling that these things seem to happen to the people who are already worse off. Look at the Tsunami. Hopefully the world won't turn too much of a blind eye after everyone loses interest in the story.

[thursday 1]

that looks like a lot of pain and sadness.

 

Now, got to prepare to go to lunch. What will it be today.