This article appeals to the coffee snob in me, and might go some way to explaining why you might love coffee but hate espresso.
I had no idea that anyone could contemplate using as much as 20 grams of it for a double, let alone a single - ugh! At least now I know how some places manage to make such syrupy drinks. And these are the same places that will give you weak tea, when they’re doing the coffee equivalent of stuffing four teabags into a mug.
Crazy world.
The election results are in and the UK has a hung parliament. Nobody wins.
Especially not the people.
The Conservatives have 36% of the popular vote and 47% of parliament.
29% of people voted Labour, awarding them 40% of seats.
Finally, the Liberal Democrats get 23% of votes, but just 9% of seats.
(source)
In what world is this disparity between the electorate’s wishes and the actual result fair?
It’s not even the first time our voting system has given skewed results. In 2005, Labour got 3% more votes than the Conservatives across the entire country, yet this translated to 24% more seats in parliament.
As a result of our political system’s inherent need to form a majority government, we are going to see a possible Con-Lib or Lab-Lib coalition. This is unlikely to please voters of any of the three major parties due to conflicting policy interests. Britain simply isn’t used to compromise, and as a result we have a real problem dealing with it in times, like now, when it is required.
Storm clouds of discontent have been brewing ever since it became possible for less than two-fifths of the population to set the government for the entire country. Now we have no majority party we are forced to deal with it. Perhaps, at long last, we will.
We don’t need superficial change, as presented by the Tories. We need genuine reform.
We need to take back parliament.
More info on the hard facts, with charts visualising where your votes go - or don’t.
Ooh, you know you want some. My first encounter with asparagus was at an Italian restaurant in a risotto - it was pretty damned delicious. Besides which, there are few vegetables with that unique, inviting look, much less any that retain that look post-cooking.
(photo by itsjustanalias)
Tonight I am going to try it with tomato salsa and mild, crumbly cheese. I’m personally substituting the suggested cheese for Caerphilly; one day I’ll have the budget to let me mimic the foodies’ experiences, but knowing cheaper and more readily available substitutes to the niche ingredients is very useful for a budding cook.
Also on the menu: diced tuna lightly rubbed with Cajun spices (Bart’s make a nice mix). Clearly I’m making up for our grill pan’s months of disuse.
