The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 02: A Comma (is a Restful Pause)

[oggbashan]

WTF is an 'inorganic' banana ?
Or have Monsanto (??) been playing again ?

Would this be zolved by a Quadratic sum ?

Organic bananas are grown without using chemical fertilisers. Inorganic ones have chemicals added to help growth and prevent diseases that affect the bananas.

The main difference is that we, the customers, pay more for so-called 'organic' bananas. Are they genuinely organic? Do we trust the producers and the supply chain? Anyone from farm to supermarket could lie about the 'organic' nature of the banana production.

Is there a taste difference? If there is I can't detect it.

Organic and inorganic coffee is brewing. Take your pick.

 

[NotWise]

Organic bananas are grown without using chemical fertilisers. Inorganic ones have chemicals added to help growth and prevent diseases that affect the bananas.

The main difference is that we, the customers, pay more for so-called 'organic' bananas. Are they genuinely organic? Do we trust the producers and the supply chain? Anyone from farm to supermarket could lie about the 'organic' nature of the banana production.

Is there a taste difference? If there is I can't detect it.

Organic and inorganic coffee is brewing. Take your pick.

In my case, the "inorganic" bananas are a decoration for the table. The ones we have are glass and made in Italy.

When it comes to coffee, I definitely prefer organic. We grind it up, run hot water through it, and drink everything that we can leach out of it. I don't want there to be a chance that the beans contain soluble pesticide residuals and so on.

I don't know about the UK, but in the US "organic" can only be used by producers who are licensed by the USDA because their methods meet certain criteria.

 

[oggbashan]

...

I don't know about the UK, but in the US "organic" can only be used by producers who are licensed by the USDA because their methods meet certain criteria.

In theory a similar claim would be licensed in the UK but much of our food and all our bananas are imported.

While the originating grower might be rightly labelled as organic, how do we know that the label on the box is genuine? Once it is on a supermarket shelf the original bulk packaging has been discarded.

We have had a couple of recent examples of food not being as described on the packaging.

 

[ishtat]

My sister and her family are organic farmers in the UK and have been for 25 years. Maintaining the licence requirements is pretty tough and expensive. Basically they are regularly inspected, have to have an auditable management plan, and pay a fee of about 1000 to 1200 pounds a year.

Producing organic milk was a bit depressing. They were paid a tiny bonus for it being organic and other small bonus's for low Bacc counts, butterfat and SNF %. Then the tanker turned up and put their milk in the same tank as the non organic milk! Problem was that the Supermarkets did not want to sell organic milk but preferred a standard product they could discount.

70% of UK's milk producers have given up in the last 15 years and a major part of UK's liquid milk is supplied from Eastern Europe ( especially Poland) They can do it cheaper because the EU subsidises them on some promotion of the poorer countries scheme. It is trucked by tanker across Europe and packaged in UK.

 

[Hypoxia]

Many serious organic USA farmers were (rightfully) seriously perturbed when FDA 'organic' standards were too loose. IIRC non-gov't farm groups issued their own certification labels.

I don't worry. I rinse produce thoroughly. I'm aware of (but haven't used) residue-removing washes -- I learned of these from strictly sanitary eatery owners in Guatemala, where what comes from the fields bear no guarantees.

Do 'organic' foods taste better? Lacking preservatives, their shelf lives are briefer, thus they must be eaten fresher. And pesticide-free crops suffer greater pest damage unless grown via hydroponics and/or greenhouses.

But IMHO it's pesticides and preservatives, feeding millions at fairly reasonable cost, that allow high-enders the luxury of buying 'organic', just as advanced medical technology allows the luxury of homeopathy and cult healthcare. It's good to have fallbacks, hey?

 

[Handley_Page]

Well, that was illuminating.
I'll settle for an ordinary cup of tea this time please

 

[_Lynn_]

We have fall for our more days.

We have fall . . . for a week or two.

Just haven't been feeling very chatty. I have gotten some writing and submitting done though.

We apparently need some more cold weather, just found a full size flea on the cat, who already has a Seresto collar on.

Forecast shows a warming pattern for the next week, going up to fifty. Then below freezing and snow for the week of Christmas.

I scheduled surgery for the end of January. It can snow while I'm recovering.

 

[NotWise]

I scheduled surgery for the end of January. It can snow while I'm recovering.

That would be the best time. Good sailing, Ma'am.

 

[_Lynn_]

That would be the best time. Good sailing, Ma'am.

Thanks. This is the third time it has been scheduled. Fingers crossed it actually happens.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Zero today, freezing rain and snow forecast for later this week but that won't matter because we're off to my sometime-next-year-to-be in-laws for a week and a half over Christmas. So I'm going to be incommunicado except for my phone. And that kills my eyes if I use it for too long. So just in case, everyone have a great Christmas, enjoy yourselves, make merry, stay warm and snug and happy Xmas writing and coffee and christmas cake and all that other christmassy stuff

It's been a wonderful year popping in to to Tex's Coffee Shop and chatting. So thank you each and every one of you for helping make my year a better one and I hope I've helped make yours slightly more entertaining ...

https://image.freepik.com/free-photo/cup-of-coffee-with-christmas-cookies_1252-370.jpg

 

[NotWise]

Zero today, freezing rain and snow forecast for later this week but that won't matter because we're off to my sometime-next-year-to-be in-laws for a week and a half over Christmas. So I'm going to be incommunicado except for my phone.

You got the guy to commit? My best wishes to both of you. I hope your in-laws love you and your family loves him.

 

[TxRad]

Thanks. This is the third time it has been scheduled. Fingers crossed it actually happens.

Do I need to come up there and hold your hand or pound some sense into a couple of doctors for you?

 

[TxRad]

Zero today, freezing rain and snow forecast for later this week but that won't matter because we're off to my sometime-next-year-to-be in-laws for a week and a half over Christmas. So I'm going to be incommunicado except for my phone. And that kills my eyes if I use it for too long. So just in case, everyone have a great Christmas, enjoy yourselves, make merry, stay warm and snug and happy Xmas writing and coffee and christmas cake and all that other christmassy stuff

It's been a wonderful year popping in to to Tex's Coffee Shop and chatting. So thank you each and every one of you for helping make my year a better one and I hope I've helped make yours slightly more entertaining ...

Oh yes, a week is too short and two weeks are too long so ten days might just work out. Your soon-to-be-in-laws will love you as much as we do. Of course being incommunicado keeps them from finding out about the smut writing side career.

Yes my dear, you have been a great addition to our group. Hurry back.

 

[TxRad]

Fresh coffee for the evening crowd.

What I thought was going to be one last chapter to the book is actually going to take two. or maybe three.

Or maybe an eleventh book.

My editor ain't going to be happy.

 

[Hypoxia]

Thanks. This is the third time it has been scheduled. Fingers crossed it actually happens.

Good luck, and all that. May all our medical interventions be positive!

 

[_Lynn_]

Do I need to come up there and hold your hand or pound some sense into a couple of doctors for you?

I'm sure the new housemate will let that happen.

Good luck, and all that. May all our medical interventions be positive!

Thank you.

 

[TxRad]

Moanday, Moanday.

Fresh coffee for the work a day crowd.

Cold and foggy here. I'm going back to bed.

 

[Hypoxia]

Way too early this moaning morning in central California mountains. No sleep all night, and I must remain semi-conscious for morning pills. Coffee will come much later. The rest of the family is off to see the new Star Wars in IMax. I'll languish here with popcorn. TANJ.

Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of more steam- and turbine- powered ground and air vehicles but you don't want the details, which will be tidily squashed into story backgrounds.

No, pay no attention. Enjoy your coffee or tea, crullers or porridge or eggs or pho, and face the day. There's not much day out there. It gets worse this week. Time for naked Saturnalia rituals, almost. Bring back the sun!

See what happens before coffee?

 

[Handley_Page]

.
.

No, pay no attention. Enjoy your coffee or tea, crullers or porridge or eggs or pho, and face the day. .There's not much day out there. It gets worse this week. Bring back the sun!

See what happens before coffee?

Usually a trip across the hall to the bathroom.
Our temperature topped out at about +5C by about lunchtijme, so it's not been too bad. And the rain stopped so I managed to make that aerial for my mate.

Coffee

 

[oggbashan]

Slow,slower...

Is it just me, or is Lit running very slow now?

Maybe the Russians have cut the cables across the Atlantic and I'm being routed via the Pacific?

 

[NotWise]

Is it just me, or is Lit running very slow now?

Maybe the Russians have cut the cables across the Atlantic and I'm being routed via the Pacific?

I haven't noticed Lit being slow.

 

[oggbashan]

I haven't noticed Lit being slow.

It was, for about an hour. But it might be our local internet connection. It does get slower in early evening when the local children are playing games on line, or in theory don't their homework.

 

[Handley_Page]

It was, for about an hour. But it might be our local internet connection. It does get slower in early evening when the local children are playing games on line, or in theory don't their homework.

I thought the suppliers had fixed that.
But, I 'spose, as long as they're getting paid for it all . . . .

 

[Hypoxia]

The family is off to the movies. I just ate popcorn, washed down with Genmai-Cha tea -- a dash of soy sauce pops it right up. Just what I need on this chilly day.

I'll get to town tomorrow. I'm fast-scheduled for a cardiac CT scan. I just learned that new meds will boost my out-of-pocket drug bills to about US$1600 per month. The figure hasn't induced a heart attack yet. !Milagro!

The house is decorated for the season. Put little read Santa hats on all the Mexican skeletal figures, skulls, and santos. Sprigs of holly in many Native American pots. A couple of animatronic Santas laughing insanely. Brass and bone reindeer scattered about. Ho ho ho. Only three days till Saturnalia.

I believe I'll have another salty tea.

 

[Handley_Page]

And I'll have 'ordinary' tea please; without the salt.