Link to the story
Saturday, August 30, 2008
[fannie and freddie] the couple who might bring it all down
The WSJ had this to say about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac:
In Henry M. Paulson's first month as Treasury secretary, two deputies flagged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as significant risks to the economy. He didn't share their level of concern. When he was at Goldman Sachs, he told the aides, the mortgage giants weren't on the list of things that kept him up at night.
Two years later, they're at the top of his list. Mr. Paulson is embroiled in emergency planning on ways to shore up the companies to avert a destabilizing jolt to the U.S. economy and the world's financial system.
Moving obliquely from the big crash, it makes one think about whether to own property or whether to rent and take your chances.
Methinks it is going to be increasingly the case that more and more people will be keeping their assets, such as they are, as cash. Advice is to put it in commodities but the average Jo can't do these things.
I wonder how much my own current situation is the worst available option. Looks like it at the moment but mobility might become a key factor in a few years or even earlier.
In Henry M. Paulson's first month as Treasury secretary, two deputies flagged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as significant risks to the economy. He didn't share their level of concern. When he was at Goldman Sachs, he told the aides, the mortgage giants weren't on the list of things that kept him up at night.
Two years later, they're at the top of his list. Mr. Paulson is embroiled in emergency planning on ways to shore up the companies to avert a destabilizing jolt to the U.S. economy and the world's financial system.
Moving obliquely from the big crash, it makes one think about whether to own property or whether to rent and take your chances.
Methinks it is going to be increasingly the case that more and more people will be keeping their assets, such as they are, as cash. Advice is to put it in commodities but the average Jo can't do these things.
I wonder how much my own current situation is the worst available option. Looks like it at the moment but mobility might become a key factor in a few years or even earlier.
Brick Bridge over Beverley and Barmston Drain
Brick Bridge over Beverley and Barmston Drain
It's along this embankment where you can find the blackberries if the council has not destroyed most of the brambles in its slash and burn policy. In my view there is no difference between council workers and vandals. Those brambles that you can see on the bridge on the last photo have now been destroyed by council workmen.
All photos subjected to Creative Commons Licence.
It's along this embankment where you can find the blackberries if the council has not destroyed most of the brambles in its slash and burn policy. In my view there is no difference between council workers and vandals. Those brambles that you can see on the bridge on the last photo have now been destroyed by council workmen.
All photos subjected to Creative Commons Licence.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Beverley and Barmston Drain Blackberry Jam 2008
A unique product from the kitchens of JHL.
Step 1 – Out with Mrs. Beeton’s Cookbook and a cursory glance to brush up after last year’s effort.
Preserves [Jam-making]
“The fruits from which jams are made vary in their content of sugar, acid and pectin [a natural gum like substance]. All three of these make an essential contribution to the set and finished results.”
* Fruits very easy to make into well-set jam include apples, blackcurrants, damsons, gooseberries, plums, redcurrants.
* Fruits of medium setting quality include apricots blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries
* Fruits of poor setting quality include cherries , strawberries.
Blackberry jam
3 pound blackberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 lb sugar
Place berries in pan with lemon juice and simmer gently until the fruit is cooked and well softened. Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. Skim. Pour into hot, dry jars. Cover. Yield – 5lb.
Step 2 – Pans, scales, sugar, berries jars, chef and chief bottle washer at the ready and JHL is away. In with the berries and sugar, the required flame beneath, checks with the special jam thermometer and things are bubbling. Tension mounts as the temperature crept towards the magic 220 Fahrenheit, along with a bare minimum of salty language, the heated bottles at the ready, great tension, the temperature comes up and the pan is lifted from the stove.
Plop, slop – the jam goes in but there’s something wrong – too thin, clearly the fault of the bottle-washer as he wasn’t around for last year’s masterpieces. [The definition of a masterpiece is when you can turn the jar upside down and nothing falls out.] At this point the smoke alarm goes off, which requires the bottle-washer rushing into the dining room with the broom handle to push the button on the ceiling.
Step 3 – Retire to the living room with cups of tea and start the post-mortem. Maybe best to re-check Mrs. Beeton’s. Oh, b—ger. Should have put the fruit in first and softened it.
Not to worry.
Step 4 – Second batch and this one is slick and professional. Bottles at the ready, jam bubbling, temperature reached, pan off the stove and a warmed pyrex measuring jug used to slop it into the jars, bottle-washer following up with the cloth, wiping the bottoms clean [of the jars] – all well.
Step 5 – Jars placed in refrigerator, JHL reflecting that there’s far less swearing in this kitchen than in Gordon Ramsay’s.
However, this was not the case when that journalist was here. For a fuller and more balanced account, read this and scratch your head.
Step 6 – Take Rocky for a walk and get more sugar from Tesco. Finish first half of pork pie and then get ready for Round 3 – The Master Round.
Everything goes like clockwork this time, jars ready, sugar in at the right time, thermometer registering that this jam is on song, as per the video and there we finally are – bottled and settling in to its new home already.
Ice-cream with hot blackberry jam sauce - extremely yummy!
ORDER FORM FOR YOUR JAR OF BEVERLEY and BARMSTON DRAIN BLACKBERRY JAM
Name: __________________________________
Address: ________________________________
Sexual orientation: ________________________
£1.75 per jar via email or you can enter the Great Jam Contest. Simply complete the above form, send a pic of your own favourite jar of jam and the winning entry will be sent one of these unique offerings asap.
Step 1 – Out with Mrs. Beeton’s Cookbook and a cursory glance to brush up after last year’s effort.Preserves [Jam-making]
“The fruits from which jams are made vary in their content of sugar, acid and pectin [a natural gum like substance]. All three of these make an essential contribution to the set and finished results.”
* Fruits very easy to make into well-set jam include apples, blackcurrants, damsons, gooseberries, plums, redcurrants.
* Fruits of medium setting quality include apricots blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries
* Fruits of poor setting quality include cherries , strawberries.
Blackberry jam3 pound blackberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 lb sugar
Place berries in pan with lemon juice and simmer gently until the fruit is cooked and well softened. Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. Skim. Pour into hot, dry jars. Cover. Yield – 5lb.
Step 2 – Pans, scales, sugar, berries jars, chef and chief bottle washer at the ready and JHL is away. In with the berries and sugar, the required flame beneath, checks with the special jam thermometer and things are bubbling. Tension mounts as the temperature crept towards the magic 220 Fahrenheit, along with a bare minimum of salty language, the heated bottles at the ready, great tension, the temperature comes up and the pan is lifted from the stove.
Plop, slop – the jam goes in but there’s something wrong – too thin, clearly the fault of the bottle-washer as he wasn’t around for last year’s masterpieces. [The definition of a masterpiece is when you can turn the jar upside down and nothing falls out.] At this point the smoke alarm goes off, which requires the bottle-washer rushing into the dining room with the broom handle to push the button on the ceiling.Step 3 – Retire to the living room with cups of tea and start the post-mortem. Maybe best to re-check Mrs. Beeton’s. Oh, b—ger. Should have put the fruit in first and softened it.
Not to worry.
Step 4 – Second batch and this one is slick and professional. Bottles at the ready, jam bubbling, temperature reached, pan off the stove and a warmed pyrex measuring jug used to slop it into the jars, bottle-washer following up with the cloth, wiping the bottoms clean [of the jars] – all well.
Step 5 – Jars placed in refrigerator, JHL reflecting that there’s far less swearing in this kitchen than in Gordon Ramsay’s.However, this was not the case when that journalist was here. For a fuller and more balanced account, read this and scratch your head.
Step 6 – Take Rocky for a walk and get more sugar from Tesco. Finish first half of pork pie and then get ready for Round 3 – The Master Round.
Everything goes like clockwork this time, jars ready, sugar in at the right time, thermometer registering that this jam is on song, as per the video and there we finally are – bottled and settling in to its new home already.
Ice-cream with hot blackberry jam sauce - extremely yummy!ORDER FORM FOR YOUR JAR OF BEVERLEY and BARMSTON DRAIN BLACKBERRY JAM
Name: __________________________________
Address: ________________________________
Sexual orientation: ________________________
£1.75 per jar via email or you can enter the Great Jam Contest. Simply complete the above form, send a pic of your own favourite jar of jam and the winning entry will be sent one of these unique offerings asap.
[interim report] hopes and expectations
Have to admit I was hopeful of one reply in particular when I logged on at the library just now. It wasn't there and that was mortifying. Perhaps it was all an illusion, perhaps it was real, I don't know. One of our fellow bloggers did write and there might be a blogger meet-up tomorrow.
Another tireless lady helped with some excellent links and they are definitely worth pursuing. John is long suffering at his end and today cooked up the best bacon butties imaginable.
Bit down just now but it might be better by the evening. Hope your Friday is good. They just warned they're logging me off now. Bye.
Another tireless lady helped with some excellent links and they are definitely worth pursuing. John is long suffering at his end and today cooked up the best bacon butties imaginable.
Bit down just now but it might be better by the evening. Hope your Friday is good. They just warned they're logging me off now. Bye.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
[lovely pic] my contribution to the fad
OK, everyone's posting beautiful pics of animals so here's my contribution above.
And don't forget the latest news through a few minutes ago - someone is trying to assassinate Gordon Brown. Not exactly relevant but thought I'd put it in anyway.
OK - tea's up.
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