I have more errands yet to run this morning, but am posting a few things from my shopping trip to amuse myself. I’ve always gotten up early, but it seems that the older I get, the earlier I rise. Fortunately, my local grocery (actually on Chicago’s North Side, a 25-minute drive) opens at 6 a.m., and I love shopping for food when nobody else is around. Huge empty aisles of goodies temptingly present themselves, and there are no lines at the checkout. While shopping early today, I found two things:
First an inflatable store promotion for Halloween candies, as CavityFest is coming up next Saturday. We’ll have a special Halloween Caturday felid that day, so if you have a black cat, send me his/her photo (since some readers have several black cats, one photo per reader, please!). Add a sentence or two about your black cat if you wish. Partly black cats are not eligible unless they have only a small white locket on the chest.
Do you think they’d give me this display after Halloween?:
And here are some of my unusual qualities:
- I’ve never seen Star Wars, Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, nor any other space adventure movie save Alien and Aliens, and I didn’t like the second one. I probably will see The Martian as I read the book and liked it: it’s sciencey and doesn’t have monsters. Plus Anthony Lane gave it a very positive review in The New Yorker (Matt Damon plays the protagonist).
- I am the only American who neither possesses nor watches cable t.v.
- I have never ordered food—either groceries, pizza, or any other ready-to-eat comestible—delivered to where I live.
- I have never tried Nutella.
But today I remedied #4. Based on the laudatory comments of several friends who love the stuff, plus a recent review that ranked Nutella as better than any other competitor, I bought a jar that was on sale. Now I ask readers to tell me what to do with it!
Finally, on the way home I had to listen to the oliagenous lucubrations of Krista Tippett on National Public Radio—the one downside of driving early Saturday morning. And I realized that there is no equivalent NPR show to counterbalance her constant, irritating paeans to the “spiritual”. I would suggest that NPR add a new show about reality and the wonders of science and reason: I would call it “On Knowing” to balance her own show, “On Being.”
NPR has that show already–it’s called Science Friday.
No, my show would have more than science, including, perhaps philosophy, and perhaps refutations of woo like homeopathy.
You know…you could start with a podcast, which has a very low barrier for entry. Doesn’t take much at all in the way of equipment or technical skills. And, even if you don’t want to deal with any of that side of things…I’ll bet you a cup of coffee that there’s a journalism student at the University who would leap at the chance to take you on as an high production values project.
Run the thought past Sam. He does a regular podcast and I’m sure would be more than happy to help you get off to a good start. He could even be your first guest….
b&
Personally, I love this idea. I’m always looking for podcasts that can sustain my attention for the duration of an episode. I love “The Thinking Atheist”, produced by fellow Okie Seth Andrews. I’ve listened to several episodes of “The Scathing Atheist” but have lost interest lately. Some of the others that get high praise I find difficult to enjoy such as “Dogma Debate”. But one thing for sure, I always enjoy broadcasts that include Jerry as a guest. His confidence, knowledge, and big picture awareness are incredible and reassuring.
But PCCE doesn’t listen to podcasts of him that other people do – he can’t stand it – which is a bit of a barrier to entry for him.
OTOH, I’ve done audio editing ; rocket science it ain’t. Well, not at my level of audio (what is “stereo”, and why do people expend such effort on music?).
A really valuable aspect of a podcast would be to invite guests with whom you disagree and try to figure out where they’re coming from. Say, someone like Ken Hamster or Karen Armstrong. It should not turn into a debate, just a forum for airing views.
I’d watch that podcast. Hell, I’d make it an appointment podcast.
Graham crackers for the Nutella.
On Knowing would be a great retirement pursuit for PCC(E). A show that explains how we know that meteorites found in Antartica came from Mars, and that the universe is expanding, and – of course – why evolution is true.
I would recommend Nutella as a filling for crepes. If you don’t have time to make them, it’s good just spread on bread or toast (no butter) 😛
Yes, indeed. Nutella is fantastic in crepes.
But riffing off of the anonymous comment just above, Nutella also makes a great substitute for chocolate bars in s’mores.
I’d also suggest Nutella on French toast with confectioner’s sugar.
I’d also suggest eating it right out of the jar with a spoon.
Oh, and Nutella on bananas.
Just in case anyone has missed my enthusiasm for Nutella, just let me say that hazelnut is one of the two flavors that work perfectly with chocolate, the other being orange. This is an objective fact.
Nutella and banana crêpes. So delicious. I could’ve lived off those while visiting Paris.
I concur with charitablemafioso. Nutella and banana crêpes are the best possible way to have Nutella… and bananas… and probably the best way to have crêpes if it isn’t a time of day when you can have Grand Marnier on them instead.
Since I’m no good at making crêpes, I usually have to stick with flat British-style pancakes when I have Nutella. I don’t think this combination would work with American-style pancakes.
Nutella and bananas on toast is an acceptable substitute.
Probably because we are the same age, I could say the same about your number one qualities. Movies should be without computer generated effects and other strange things. Should have actual dialogue between people who are real.
I also do not have cable TV but not because I wouldn’t, it’s just not available so I have satellite. We are the generation that was born with TV, although it was black and white and hard to see. You had to like that.
I do not know what Nutella is, so can’t help there. I do not shop so that would be the odd thing about me. I just have no interest in it.
Also being the same age, I’m surprised any of us didn’t see 2001: A Space Odyssey when it came out in the late 60’s!
It wasn’t my favorite movie but certainly iconically memorable
Also being the same age, I can’t imagine any of us didn’t see 2001 when it came out in the late 60’s!
Not my favorite movie, but certainly iconically memorable.
I somehow didn’t. I was a bit of a snooty nouvelle vague French movie fan in those days. I’ve rewatched a few of those films recently, and I don’t find that most of them hold up very well.
I hadn’t even heard of 2001 at the time, but my boyfriend insisted on going.
1. I’m your complement in this respect: I have seen Star Wars, Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I haven’t seen Alien nor Aliens. I don’t plan to see The Martian.
2. I also don’t have cable, so you’re not alone here.
3. Pizza Hut
4. What exactly is Nutella?
-jaxkayaker
4. Nutella is widely considered to be food of the gods. (Their nonexistence is beside the point.) It is a chocolate-hazelnut spread, and can be eaten with fruit, Graham crackers, crêpes, and even toast. It’s essentially a spreadable candy bar.
Nutella — the desert version of that favorite of our friends from a land down under, Vegemite.
er, dessert
I was wondering if you meant desert island food;-)
> the oliagenous lucubrations of Krista Tippett
Amusing factoid:
“Lucubration” is a common word on this not-a-blog. (And something of a signature word of PCC, I think)
Contrariwise, “oliagenous” — which I’m definitely adding to my own arsenal — has only been used twice, and both times in reference to Krista Tippett.
Will it become her official website adjective™ ?
The dictionary says the proper spelling is
oleagInous
If you want to apply your own words to Krista I once altered an osculating NYT interview with her into a soft-core Mad Lib.
https://airbagmoments.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/sucking-up-to-faith/
Nutella?On toast. Or spread lightly on a flour tortilla, fold over, toasted briefly under a broiler or in a griller. On ice cream. In yogurt. Licked off a spoon. It’s mostly just hazelnuts and oil and cocoa. Nutella uses palm oil so maybe buy other brands – read labels – there are some. Most people say Nutella itself is the ne plus ultra. I have not tried others so cannot judge. It is addictive.
I think it’s mostly sugar, therefore I’d say treat it like a sweet dessert and not for any nutritional benefits.
Yes. It’s marketed in part as a breakfast food, but it’s like eating a candy bar. Very tasty, but you don’t eat it for its nutritional properties.
Nutella is a good sugar substitute.
Substitute? There’s plenty of sugar in Nutella.
Just stick a teaspoon in the Nutella and lick it off the spoon. Nothing else is required! Everything else is just pretending. 😉
That’s how I tried Nutella, and, surprising myself, did NOT like it, despite the delicious-sounding ingredients. Our Whole Foods used to have grind-your-own peanut butter with dark chocolate chips which was to die for, but, alas, no more.
Saw a similar life-sized M&Ms guy the other day, but sans black cat.
You do have to be in the right mood, with your palette properly prepared. It’s quite rich, but no other brand is as good as Nutella.
I’ve got a jar of Nutella in the cupboard that’s probably expired by now because I did the grocery shopping hungry, but I’ve never got around to having any. So I’m probably not the best person to be giving advice on eating it. 🙂
I had some peanut butter chocolate for the first time about a year ago, and that was wonderful, but I’ve only had it once since.
Merilee here, commenting on M&Ms guy, also eppearing as Anonymous. Also don’t appear to be subbing properly…Are you out there, WP??
I have to fill in my name & email fields every time I post today, Merilee. It’s happening to a slew of us.
And even though I tell myself over & over & over, “don’t forget to fill in those fields!,” I only seem to remember about half the time.
I think that by now just-type-&-click is a motor memory; very hard habit to break.
yup, same here, Diane.
Are you there WP? It’s me, Sometimes Anonymous.
Just noticed my rather clever typo: eppearing🐸
Most edroit of you.
and ept
Not only do I not possess nor watch cable TV, I don’t possess nor watch any other form of TV.
I’ve ordered some comestibles from Amazon, but only of things like katsuobushi (for Baihu and for dashi, the broth that’s the base of miso soup) that’re non-perishable and not readily available locally.
And I’ve never tried Nutella.
…I have seen those movies, though….
b&
I was talking about when a guy comes to your door with pizza or other takeout food. I have ordered food from Amazon.
Ah — no, I’ve not done that, either.
b&
I’m surprised. I would have thought an advantage to living in Chicago was the ability to get great pizza delivered.
Ditto!
Ditto!
I also do not have a TV, nor do I subscribe to cable TV (which would be pointless without the actual TV). I also do not have Internet at my house.
I have tried Nutella, and can recommend it as cake frosting, not as a bread spread.
I also like to shop in the early morning, on Sundays, but have found that some items are not well-stocked at the time I go.
Why so stoic about not having a TV? You have what you wrote your comment on. Sort of TV. Actually can be used as one…even exclusively if one had the inclination.
Apparently lowbrow types watch TV, whether through cable, satellite, or other technology, whereas the Cool Kids watch many of the same programs through Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Don’t ask me how they’re fundamentally different in nature, or why one is better than the other; I have no idea, and don’t really understand the mentality.
I kept my old MacBook Pro and use it to watch anime and other DVDs, as well as to watch episodes of programs like Portlandia and Game of Thrones. However, for watching Dr.Who, Frontline, nature documentaries, and sports, I prefer my old TV set and Uverse (my neighborhood was a test site years ago, and I’ve been happy with it ever since). I especially enjoy watching the Olympics (summer and winter) and the Tour de France, all of which coincide with stressful and demanding teaching responsibilities at work. It’s just not the same to watch these events on a laptop screen. Each year there’s a spinning challenge on Ravelry called the Tour de Fleece, and it’s so relaxing to come home from a busy day teaching, sit down to work at my spinning wheel, and watch the impressive athletes and beautiful scenery of the Tour de France.
We don’t have cable or satellite.
Haven’t seen any of those movies.
Don’t like Nutella.
We have canned cat food delivered, but not human food. L
Perhaps PCC(E) should pitch “On Knowing” to NPR …? I’d listen!
Nutella on pancakes. With favorite jam/jelly (strawberry, of course).
Nutella on apple slices.
Nutella with peanut butter (on pancakes, or whatever).
I’m of the PCC(E) generation, too – but I’ve seen those movies but hate CGI, mostly; and I enjoy cable tv.
JB
And I am one of eleven people in New York City who doesn’t own a smart phone. I don’t know who the other ten people are.
I finally succumbed about three months ago. I’ve a tendency towards being a spendthrift, but I still think it’s a bit of a waste of money.
I have no cell phone at all and do not wear a watch. When you are retired – I think you are suppose to take a stand on these things.
I hadn’t had a cell phone for twenty years when I bought my smart phone. I like it when people can’t contact me!
Eat nutella directly from jar with spoon.
Yes, that would be my recommendation too 🙂
Go full throttle just like Furious Pete.
(search youtube for “one man one jar of nutella furious pete).
This comment did not go thru on round 1.
Some have argued that Star Trek promotes the values of scientific scepticism and secular humanism, whereas Star Wars is rooted in murky mysticism.
As such, the Center for Inquiry’s “Encyclopedia of Unbelief” has an article on Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, but not on Wars creator George Lucas.
There is also a rationalist subtext in the film of Carl Sagan’s “Contact”.
I agree that Star Trek positively promotes, for the most part, science and humanism. Star Wars is very much based on myths common to many human cultures. When myth is kept as myth I do find it entertaining
Yes, many atheists love Star Trek. I just never found it particularly engrossing. Science fiction and I don’t play well together.
Ther’s often an unfortunate tradeoff between “science” and “fiction”.
Many observers regard Jules Verne’s sci-fi to be scientifically astute (Verne anticipated a lot of the engineering of submarines very well- only missing out on the fact that water pressure limits how deep they can dive), but dramatically not that interesting, whereas H.G. Wells’ stuff is far more dramatically engaging but far less scientifically plausible.
I suppose what individuals find dramatic or engrossing won’t be universal. I enjoyed both 20,000 Leagues and The Mysterious Island.
Good SF does three things.
First, as with any literature, it has to have good storytelling. No good story, you don’t get out of the gate.
Second is the defining characteristic of the genre: it has to propose something scientifically plausible (as understood at the time of writing) that lies beyond current technology and explore what the resulting implications are for the society that invents it.
Last, the really good stuff is also social commentary relevant to today.
So, to pick an easy-to-summarize example…Haldeman’s The Forever War. Superficially, it’s about an interstellar war between space aliens and humans — the stereotypical cliché of science fiction. But Haldeman does a great job at proposing a realistic-for-the-70s method of interstellar travel, including long transit times and time dilation and the like, including plausible descriptions of just how disruptive it would be to everybody. And, lastly, it’s an heartbreaking parable of the Vietnam War.
There’s a fair amount of good SF here and there in Star Trek, but also its fair share of drek as well. But the communicators and tricorders they made use of that were wildly unrealistic in the ’60s have long since been surpassed by modern smartphones, and they frequently tackled race relations and the Cold War head-on, and they had some entertaining and engaging plots.
In stark contrast, you’ll find none of that in Star Wars. The proper term for its genre isn’t, “Science Fiction,” but, rather, “Science Fantasy.” It’s just ancient garden-variety swords-and-sorcery faery tales with technological-looking props rather than Mediaeval-looking ones. The storytelling is at times (but only at times) good and the sheer spectacle of the special effects can be impressive…but there’s no meat there. Cotton candy — which has its place, sure, but there’s nothing substantial nor sophisticated about Star Wars.
b&
It has been argued that in the 1960s the TV networks would ONLY let sci-fi shows tackle race relations and other hot button topics. They assumed few people were really watching these shows (or would not catch onto the allegory), while they vigorously would not allow the Smothers Brothers to tackle such topics.
Without some social commentary, they’re dreck. It’d be like “King Kong” without the subtext on race, like “Godzilla” without the commentary on The Bomb, like “Plan 9 from Outer Space” … well, exactly like “Plan 9 from Outer Space.”
http://youtu.be/WvZt3bHN-cU
It is an easy argument to make that Star Trek promotes rationalism over religion. Growing up I’d never heard religion treated so harshly as it was on Star Trek – while it has some godlike beings, all are treated as having evolved to that point from more human-like ancestors, while gods themselves are regularly shown to be false or pure superstition.
That was me, sorry about the embed.
Unfortunately, there’s also a soggy-headed preacher, played by The McConaissance.
You drive 25 min for groceries!!? That’s a long drive!! I like the original star wars for I saw it when I was a child!! Nutella is great on bread, but I have a fantastic nutella-stuffed cookie recipe that is to die for if you are interested!! Pizza has to be home made!! Food from amazon? What kind? Saw Richard carrier last night. Pretty interesting stuff.
I have tasted but don’t eat nutella. My son’s recommendation is a nutella and peanut butter sandwich, but he is also a sweets addict.
I agree with your son. A peanut butter and Nutella sandwich is very tasty.
I just had one, but the flavor of the Nutella overwhelmed the peanut butter. I think I’ll have Nutella on bread on its own, or put it on bananas or pretzels. It is very good, though.
Of all the qualities you have, your eclectic and adventurous palate is one of my favorites. I’m glad you like the Nutella.
How much do you cook?
Nutella is an excellent replacement for peanut butter in (mostly) dessert recipes.
The missus just likes dipping pretzels in it. I like to put it on croissants. It make a good, light frosting for brownies and cupcakes.
You drive 25 min for groceries?! That’s a long drive!! Nutella on bread is good. I have a fantastic nutella-stuffed cookie recipe that is to die for if you are interested. I like the first star wars for I saw it when I was a child. Pizza has to be home made. What food did you purchase from amazon? Saw Richard carrier last night. Pretty interesting stuff.
Nutella is an Italian delicacy, much loved by my late husband (a Roman). He used to spread it on ordinary bread – nothing else. It is being touted as a healthy breakfast here in South Africa – although I like it myself I have my doubts about that!
Your doubts are justified. Ingredients in order of content: Sugar, Modified Palm Oil, Hazelnuts, Cocoa, Skim Milk Powder, Whey Powder, Soy and/or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanillin.
I guess it’s the vanillin thst I don’t like.
I concur. There was a documentary/expose about misleading food claims, and it turns out that, in a typical Nutella sandwich, there’re only about 3 hazel nuts!
IOW, all four food groups.
That’s interesting because they got sued (and settled) in the states for promoting Nutella in that way.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/nutella-backs-off-balanced-breakfast-claims-after-hit-with-3-million-lawsuit/article4103025/
like Ronnie counting catsup as a veggie in school lunches.
We have antenna TV and rent DVDs from Netflix, so no cable here.
Nutella is great on crackers, on peanut butter, and just by the spoonful. It is very popular in Europe I hear.
I love Star Wars and have watched all the movies, read a few Star Wars novels, and watched several seasons of the animated series. All very enjoyable.
I look forward to watching the Mars movie once it comes out on DVD.
We live too far out in the country for delivery of food except for items from William Sonoma and other such cheeses, cookies, meats etc mail order stuff.
I drive about 12 miles to get to the nearest grocery store.
Our black cat Missy died a few years back. We now have tricolor female, Abbie.
Here in the Netherlands, it is very popular to coat a piece of bread with Nutella than top with chocolate sprinkles.
PS: I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. It’s hard to lose the furballs.
Mark, so sorry about Missy. 🙁 Perhaps you can enter a previous photo of her?
Mark, sorry about Missy! 🙁 Perhaps you could enter a previous picture of her?
I too have neither TV nor cable TV.
Here’s a quick and easy Nutella recipe I really want to try:
kirbiecravings.com/2014/02/3-ingredient-single-serving-nutella-brownie.html#comments. My problem is once the Nutella is opened, the simple spoonsful method wins.
Nutella on warm toast is nice, but I like it best baked in muffins. High sugar, fat and thus calories, but YUM!
To get that cat display you’ll have to schmooze up to the store manager, I guess. And I’m sure you’re not the only one who wants it. LOL
OK -subbing problem solved, and, possibly, anonymous prib. WP ate my name and email address.
Nutella is awesome, although our local Smith’s store has a generic brand that is better and cheaper!
1. I have never had a headache.
That’s probably not common.
I think Diana got all your headaches….
b&
Maybe headache number is an explicitly conserved quantity in the universe which may force those who get them to have them more often to make up for the ones that other people do not. 🙂
Funny, I purchased Nutella for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I tried it on ordinary toast first and was taken aback at what I’ve been missing. I’m not a huge “sweets” person, but it was fun.
Then I refrigerated it. Error. 🙂
Mike
A widely recognized fact among Nutella snobs is that the American version differs from the European version. Ours, I believe uses a different (cheaper) vegetable oil. Both, mind you, are delicious. Nevertheless, I find the foreign version noticeably better.
It’s not clear whether you’re an American or not, so it’s just as unclear which version is the “foreign” version! Please clarify.
Nutella is the poor man’s chocolate. A real connoisseur wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.
Its history is very interesting though. Originally created when cocoa was unaffordable for the masses and real chocolate was a luxury even for well-off people. The hoi polloi went crazy for it of course and you will find it in every single Italian home. They mostly eat it on bread for breakfast although it’s not uncommon to catch an Italian spooning it directly out of the jar at any other time of day.
Enjoy it with strawberries. Enjoy it with ice cream.
There are several gourmet varieties I’ve tried (mostly in France) that are far superior in taste and texture and lack some of the more obnoxious ingredients.
I also don’t own a TV. Never have.
Forgot to mention: In Italy it’s not uncommon to find croissants filled with Nutella. They’re amazing.
Cornetti con Nutella… Minchia bello!!!
I stopped watching TV around 2008. I found I just wasn’t watching it, and I would be damned if I would continue to pay Comcast’s extortionist rates. I’ll occasionally watch a BBC documentary with fiance, but other than that, I don’t have much use for TV. Don’t think I’m trying to be morally superior; the internet is a huge time-suck for me.
Frankly the sight of Nutella gives me the boake. I don’t have a t.v. but a projector and big screen so yes have watched Star WArs, Star Trek and quite a few of the non-scary monster movies. Football (U.K.) and nature programs are superb on a screen twelve feet across. Don’t know anything about Krista Tippett but a P.C.C. pod cast would be great.
Nutella: Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour (vanillin)
Toss it out or use it to attract ants. Buy real hazelnuts.
IMHO
take the refrigerated dough “croissants”, unroll from tube, smear one side with nutella, roll up so nutella is inside and bake as directed. very tasty if one doesn’t have time for making homemade chocolate croissants.
Retired ten years ago. Tried a couple of other jobs, but quickly got tired of supervisors, or whatever they are called, interfering with work. Rise at 5:00am; check Internet for any overnight interesting stuff; weather permitting, go for long walk at first light (I live in the country — not sure if one could or should do this in Chicago). No Nutella, hardly any TV, dusty prehistoric TracFone. Reasonably happy.
Nutella is crack in disguise.
Best time to shop? Sunday morning when everyone is at church except us atheists. Or Saturday; when many are wasting their time watching college football. Worst time to shop? When the local retirement community bus pulls up. So everyone has the’right’ to shop but must you stand in the exact middle of the aisle?
I find that going shopping too early in the morning is not a good thing. Some stores have not stocked their shelves yet, and the fresh fish is usually not out at the fish counter yet. I don’t like playing “do you have any…”.
I’ve not owned a TV since the late 90’s. There’s enough to keep me entertained and informed through books, radio, and internet.
A thin layer of Nutella on baguette or brötchen is best, IMHO.
I enjoyed several of the Star Wars movies, but I like Star Trek, particularly TNG, much better. I’m also a Dr. Who fan, and usually want to watch a few PBS programs, so I have an old TV (25+ years old, belonged to my grandmother) hooked up to Uverse. I do a lot of knitting, especially for charity (therefore simple hats, socks, sweaters), as well as other crafts, and I like TV or radio as background.
I order some recipe ingredients, difficult to find otherwise, from Amazon, and I also use Amazon to indulge my addiction to Dutch licorice. However, I’ve never had pizza or any other takeout food or local groceries delivered to my current house (been here 10 years). I live about 2 miles from one of the largest grocery stores in the county (perhaps in the state) – it’s a local chain that has pretty much pushed all other grocery stores out of business. That’s not a good thing in some ways, but they treat their employees and the community well, the prices are very reasonable (especially compared to the rest of the US), and they source much of their produce locally and seasonally. My other food-shopping haunts are Costco and a tiny, but awesome, Japanese grocery store near my workplace.
You’re missing out on the films. Well, less so on the Star Wars (1977 edition ; the numbering system keeps changing), which had only special effects as a redeeming feature.
Nutella is probably a bit of a “Marmite” taste ; some people love it, some loathe it ; few are neutral. My step-daughter, sister and wife love it ; I’m neutral ; my parents gag. The Australians would call a “Marmite” taste, a “Vegemite” taste, which is their approximation. It’s actually quite nice, but if Marmite is available, I’ll scrape my toast with that.
Cable TV is what the song “57 channels and nothin’ on” was written about, wasn’t it ; ’nuff said.
Delivery food is for either self-indulgent laziness, or intoxication of sufficient depth to prevent walking and or driving.
This is an American usage of “local”, where most of the rest of the world think in terms of 5 to 10 minutes walk, carrying the shopping back.
Heh…the closest grocery store to me is about a mile away, and it’s not one I typically shop at. The next closest would be the Whole Paycheck I do typically shop at…and it’s about three miles.
I haven’t walked to go grocery shopping in…forever, basically. But I also almost never drive just to go grocery shopping; I’ll instead make a stop when going other places…for example, my parents live about as far from the Whole Paycheck as I do, but on the other side, so I’ll frequently do my shopping on my way home from visiting my parents.
There is absolutely nothing at all remarkable about my situation. Indeed, I’m remarkable in that I drive a negligible fraction of the miles most others do — and that would be because I telecommute and so I’m not driving to work every day.
b&
At my Florida place, I have nine supermarkets within 3 miles. There’s another 10 supermarkets between three and 4 miles away.
Lots of supermarkets within a three- to ten-mile radius of me, too.
But would it even occur to you to walk to any of them?
Me, neither.
b&
I would walk to the closest one because it’s about .4 miles away. The problem is I have to cross a road that has three lanes each way. Five lanes each way at the corner crosswalk because of the left turn & right turn lanes.
I’ll walk to the grocery store when I develop a death wish, or decide that I no longer want to buy any frozen or readily meltable foods.
…especially in Arizona. During the hot season, the wise have pre-chilled ice chests for transporting home groceries. Whole Paycheck cashiers offer customers bags of crushed ice if they’re buying any perishables. And that’s if you’re driving! If you’re walking…forget it. Unless you’ve got a wagon to tow the ice chest, I suppose.
b&
That’s where home delivery could come in handy.
Yes, but home delivery of perishables like meats and dairy and produce…that’ll be the very last part of retail to successfully go to home delivery. I know there’ve been some experiments with that, but none have taken off even remotely the way Amazon delivery of non-perishables has. In addition to all the logistical problems you’ve got with any delivery service, you’ve now got the added problems of mobile refrigeration, on-demand packaging of bulk and messy goods, and so on.
I’m sure it’ll happen…but last, and, even then, people like me are still going to want to go to the meat counter to pick out stuff. Maybe after my generation is dead and gone….
b&
Just had a flashback to when I was a kid and the milkman came every few days with your order of milk and/or cream.
I think a key difference…is that, in the era of milkmen, somebody was always at home to take the order. But if both husband and wife are at work…the milk is going to sit on the porch all day and spoil before anybody gets home.
Amazon deliveries work so well because the stuff they sell has no problem sitting outside indefinitely, with the most protection necessary being putting the whole cardboard box in an insubstantial plastic bag if it’s raining especially hard.
Maybe if telecommuting becomes the norm we’ll see a return of deliveries of perishables in a big way…but, short of that, we’ll all need refrigerators by the front door for the deliveries.
b&
Oh yes, of course. (Though as I remember it, the milkman came ungodly early…)
The man with the handcart who came through the neighborhood periodically and sharpened all your knives certainly expected the hausfraus to be home as well…
(Though my mother worked; but my grandmother was there to see to such conveniences. Extended families–another phenomenon of the past.)
We still have vans with bells going around neighborhoods to sharpen knives, always at very odd times. I’ve never availed myself of their services.
“We still have vans with bells going around neighborhoods to sharpen knives…”
No kidding! Canada is so adorably quaint. 😀
*ducks*
Searching, unsuccessfully, for an arm throwing a snowball
The supermarket deliveries are booked for 1h slots, so you can schedule it when someone will be in.
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That answers the other part of the question. Do they charge a premium for the hour right after everybody gets home from work?
b&
Yep!
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Fancy that….
b&
Every day, Monday to Saturday in the UK, when I was a boy.
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And the milk was not homogenized back in the 60s in the uk.
Pasteurised, full-cream!
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My dad used to love to scrape the cream off the top. We kids found it yucky.
Small birds liked it. We used to leave flat stones by the doorstep for the milkman to cover the foil tops and prevent them being pecked through.
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Makes sense. I remember those foil tops.
“Pasteurised, full-cream!”
…rises to the top!
Indeed, the UK has a shameful history in such matters…just look at what happened to Alan Turing!
b&
@ Ant
I wanted to say it was every day back in Portland, Oregon, too, but didn’t completely trust my memory. Yours makes me more confident of that. 🙂
Home delivery of *all* groceries from high-street supermarkets is very common in the UK. The trucks have freezer compartments and the like. Granted, it doesn’t get quite so warm here as Phoenix!
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Schwan’s has been delivering perishable foods and ice cream to homes in parts of the southern US (at least) since the 1950s. I’ve never tried their home delivery service, but I still occasionally see Schwan’s trucks here in the ‘burbs, so some households must be keeping them in business.
It won’t be long, too, that deliveries of every sort will be run out using self driving vehicles. Drivers will be retrained, I suppose, to become packagers and loaders, unless that can be automated.
Amazon’s warehouses are already almost automated enough to load trucks, and it won’t be all that much longer before they are.
But getting the merchandize from the back of the truck to your doorstep…that’s going to be a looooong time. Warehouses are nice, neat, tidy places where you can put all sorts of sensors and markings and what-not that robots can easily follow. But good luck telling a robot to stay off the grass at this home but on it at the next…assuming it’s even capable of making it across the terrain in the first place….
b&
A largish, standardized receptacle, like a mailbox (only bigger) or a garbage bin, but mounted at a specified location, is all that would be needed. If you opt not to install one in front of your house, you can just count pennies.
No cable here. I have Netflix, which I use 2-3 times a month… otherwise I read. Nutella one time, straight up with a spoon, but generally I like my chocolate with as little else as possible in it– even just brewed like coffee in a French Press from the ground beans. Ok, maybe a little cream but that’s it.
I’d be interested in a podcast like that. What I’m most interested in, though, is too long to explain well here. I don’t think anyone would finish reading. The short version is that I don’t think we are being very scientific about how we approach increasing atheism. I wish we would consider more possible avenues and even experiment some. A rational approach may not be the most effective. I’m not advocating dishonesty, just maybe a little work on phrasing, approach, etc.
I’m a little baffled as to why some of my fellow atheists think being rational will fix everything or that it is even possible for humans to be completely or mostly rational. I’m a pediatrician and from what I read, the human brain did not evolve as a rational organ. We have some conflicting heuristics for decision making, some of which are opaque to us. We confabulate and don’t always know why we think what we think. Imagining that the human brain can be fundamentally rational seems irrational to me. I suppose it’s also irrational to get annoyed about that!
I’m not going to think that trying to persuade people away from religion using reason and argumentation is the most effective approach for most people until I see some good evidence for that. I know it has worked for some, but I want to know what is most likely to work for a random person?
I have seen some research that people’s political opinions get MORE entrenched when you argue with them. What would be effective? I don’t know, and I’d like to find out. I was raised atheist– my friends who have become atheist either had an abrupt switch from fundamentalism or gradually had a looser and looser “progressive” version until they realized there was no more god in it. Which is more likely– which is more doable for the “average” person? There is research on changing minds on other topics, and maybe we could look at some of that to see how to get more atheism. It might be that a podcast On Knowing could include some discussion of effective strategies and possible research directions.
Pippa Abston
Your ideas sound most intriguing, Pippa; I’d love to hear more.
One thing that (always) occurs to me is that aiming for “the average person” probably doesn’t cut it. We already know, for instance that brains of conservatives respond differently to certain inputs than brains of liberals. Given that variation is the essence of evolutionary opportunity and that our species is so massively variable I suspect that many of the questions you raise are going to have more than one answer, depending on, er, the raw material. 😉
I, for one, am not convinced that everyone has the capability to think rationally most of the time.
Good point– I think it would be worth finding out what works with the largest group of religionists first and then the others, although… maybe it would be best to identify the most influential group first and see what works with them? The tipping point folks?
I have plenty of Dem friends who have strong supernatural beliefs too. It seems to be in both parties. What kind of categories might be useful?
I’m thinking there is a difference between those who have beliefs because of assigned credibility to parents, teachers, etc and those who have also had direct brain experiences. For the credibility group, dismantling that credibility seems to help. For those with mystical experiences, it might be harder. When they talk about “other ways of knowing”, what they are really talking about is “other ways of experiencing a sense of knowing”– that sense of knowing is a brain function which can be dissociated from evaluating evidence. It might even be more compelling when it is free-standing, for them. If they enjoy that sensation, telling them it isn’t fact- based is useless. It’s a brain state they want to evoke and prefer. If they can’t achieve it with contemplating science, which just may not be as awesome feeling for everyone as it is for scientists, they will get it with religion, just as some use drugs. Lol, maybe the answer is legalized drugs, who knows…
Ha, I was arriving at the drug solution just as you got there… 😀
Certainly the experience of doing some of the drugs available in the 60’s/70’s gave a lot of us some idea of what so-called religious experiences might be like!
At any rate you have a lot of interesting ideas on the subject!
You could’ve checked all four boxed at once by watching Star Trek on (someone’s) cable TV while eating Nutella that has just been delivered to your door.
D’ya think you can get Nutella delivered?
My old bf had a Chinese pizzeria near him (Toronto Beaches area) which made scrumptious pizza. Occasionally we had it delivered but you always HAD to take a 2 liter bottle of Sprite, no exceptions. Neither one of us liked Sprite but I think we gave it to someone who did. When we occasionally ate at the very scruffy joint (diner-type place with ripped leatherette banquettes, there was always at least one cat milling about (possibly responsible for the ripping…)
MERILEE
Some grocery stores do have an option to have your order delivered to your home for an extra charge. So yes, you can have Nutella delivered.
It sounds like that pizza place was really a Sprite delivery dealer with an optional pizza thrown in.
The whole deal was actually incredibly cheap, but they would not under any circumstances take back the Sprite, even if we paid for it.
1.I love science fiction, although not all of it translates well into film. But, I prefer the old masters to many of the current writers. I’m looking forward to seeing “The Martian” as it was a fine book and it seems as though every effort is being made to keep the science believable in the film (with the exception of the initial windstorm). I may deign to return to a theater to see this one. Big screen Mars!
2. Cable is unavailable in the country where we live. We’re out in no man’s land between where the service for one town ends and before service for the next town begins. Satellite is not a good option as we live at the bottom of a hill and would have to put up a 35′ pole in the pasture for the dish to find anything. Too much trouble for mostly drek. We do fine with DVDs and/or Netflix. And, books are still my drug of choice.
3.I may have ordered pizza delivered many moons ago, but am too old to remember with certainty.
4. Nutella and some of the other knockoffs are excellent. I’ve seen many recipes for making a version of “Nutella” at home that could be refined to your taste.
Forgot to say that your idea for NPR programming is excellent. They need new blood.
I enjoy shopping at non-Walmart stores that are open 24 hours a day. Shopping late at night or very early in the morning reduces the volume of patrons with screaming kids. Problem is navigating the aisles with all the boxes waiting to be opened and shelved. I prefer a store in the northwest called Winco that is employee owned.
I’ve never seen any of the blockbuster movies – find them pretentious and designed for testosterone-stoked adolescents (judging only from the trailers!).
But I bet I’m one of the only three people in the universe who’ve never watched The Sound Of Music!!
As for Nutella, not on my shopping list, because it’s sooooo addictive!
I saw The Martian earlier this week and I liked it though because I read the book, I felt that the movie didn’t bring out the character of Mark Watney as much as the book did. They also eliminated some neat science-y things and many of the calamities he went through, which also made his solutions appear much easier than they were in the book.
There were also some really funny parts that they eliminated, which disappointed me.
The character of the head of PR – played by Kirsten Wiig (who I really like) wasn’t as colourful as in the book – she doesn’t even swear in the movie!
However, I still liked it, the book is just better.
Pretty sure that is almost always true.
+ 1
“Almost” being key — there have been some great movies made from pulpy novels, The Godfather being a classic example.
Occasionally, great movies will be made from equally great source material, too. Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (from the Anthony Burgess novel) and the Coens’ No Place for Old Men (from Cormac McCarthy’s) come readily to mind.
…er, “No Country for Old Men.”
I wouldn’t call Cormac McCarthy a pulp fiction writer. More like a brilliant writer. Blood Meridian comes to mind.
That’s precisely why I included him in the category “equally great source material” along with Anthony Burgess.
Nutella goes great with graham crackers, but if you can find graham cracker sticks, then you can use the Nutella like a dip.
Nutella grilled up quesadilla or burrito style in a large flour tortilla totally rocks. If you are just going plain, then quesadilla is the easiest. Spread the Nutella on half of the tortilla, fold the other half onto the first half, and stick in a George Foreman grill or some other kind of grill press for a couple minutes until the flour tortilla is nicely golden. I’m thinking grilling it on the stove top should work well too. The goal is to get it golden enough where the tortilla crisps up a bit.
If you have strawberries, a flat burrito/wrap style is best in order to contain the goopy mess once finished. I usually spread the Nutella in an approximate 3 inch by 4 inch rectangle in the center, and lay chopped strawberries on top. Use more Nutella as a glue to fold over the bottom, top, then sides. Grill, and voila! Be careful when eating this as the strawberries make everything a lot more messy, but it’s worth it!
The strawberries I have on hand are mixed up with other fruit in a salad, but I do have bananas, as well as tortillas and Nutella, in the house. Now I know what I’ll make for breakfast tomorrow morning …. 🙂
On sliced bagel, toasted. Eat both halves. If only one bagel left and you’re not alone, some deviousness required.
The time of scarcity referred to above was during and after WW II in northern Italy, my favorite corner of the world. The Dolomites and the Tyrol, including adjacent Austria and Italianate and Romanch Switzerland.
Nutella is a good bait for mouse traps, but has the same relationship to chocolate that Starbucks has to coffee. You can after all buy real chocolate with actual hazel nuts in; if your teeth can’t handle it put it in a blender. For chocolate as with coffee it’s the quality of the beans and integrity of the processing that counts.
To me, the stuff tastes like cake frosting with a bit of an attitude. I guess if I was a few decades younger I’d go crazy for it.
Rich
My daughter makes Nutella cake – a bit like chocolate cake, but with Nutella.
It’s actually very nice, as cakes go.
Orson has grown two white whiskers. Hopefully he still qualifies as a black cat.
Yes; whisker color doesn’t count. Send photo!
Hmm. I have a (aging) smartphone, satellite TV (which I don’t much watch), streaming video via internet, but I have not tried Nutella. Maybe I’ll buy a jar to see what it’s all about. Mainly I’m posting to see if my post shows up as “anonymous.” It says I’m logged in with my real name, so we’ll see.
CHRISTOPHER BONDS
As someone from the UK I only feel as if I am actually in continental Europe when I have had a croissant with Nuttella for breakfast.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Pie
1 9-inch Oreo ™ prepared cookie-crumb pie crust or the crumb crust of your choice (a good old-fashioned graham-cracker crust should work well)
12 oz chocolate hazelnut Spread (at room temperature)
12 0z cream cheese (at room temperature)
½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Whipped cream
Break the cream cheese into a few chunks and beat it into the chocolate hazelnut spread. Beat in the powdered sugar. Finally, beat in the hazelnuts. Spread in the pie pan and expect to have a bit left over (an extra treat!) Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Top with whipped cream.
I’ve used a jar of nutella as a gauge for predicting the height of rivers in the French Alps.
You use half a jar, if it is solid rivers are going to be low, if it is semi liquid medium and if it is very runny they’re going to be high. They’re glacial fed so the warmer it is the more water you get.
It sounds like I watch far more tv than others here, mostly crime dramas — Criminal Minds, Crime Scene Investigations, NCIS, Ripper Street (period, with very early forensics), &c. – and sf & fantasy/horror – Doctor Who (of course!), Penny Dreadful, Grimm, &c.
I’m also a big fan of blockbuster genre movies – recently Interstellar, Mad Max: Fury Road, most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stuff (which often, for all their bombast, draw the characters and their relationships well, sometimes driving the plot).
I was a huge Star Wars fan boy, and I’m very glad they’ve got around to making a fourth film at long last…
And I’ve just bought 2001: A Space Odyssey on Blu-Ray. The 50yo cinematographic is still gorgeous.
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PS. I love Nutella, but since I have type II diabetes …
I haven’t been able to listen to Namby Pamby Radio for years (is it still the propaganda wing of the Archer Daniel Midlands Corp.?), but I’m a huge fan of Phillip Adams’s Late Night Live from Australia for general culture – an amazing show from an avowed atheist and a bit of a lefty – he is the best interviewer out there. I’d download the podcast and listen to that instead.
You’re wrong on 2, unless you want to say you’re the only MALE American. I am a female American and not only do I not possess or watch cable TV, I do not own a TV at all. I am also your equal on 3.
I’m your opposite on these factors, Jerry. Have seen all the movies. Got cable. Pizza man regularly beats a path to my door. And I’ve tried Nutella (though never yet sprung for a jar).
Like to sleep in, too.
PCC (R), I am astonished that you never ordered pizzas when you were a student. I have rarely done it since my student years (60s), though.
I agree with what most people have said about Nutella (except measuring rivers in the Alps). It is great with bananas, on toast, and in croissants. If you heat it by standing the jar in some very hot water for a while and then dollop it on ice cream, it is like a hot fudge sundae–possibly better.
“I am the only American who neither possesses nor watches cable t.v.”
Not quite: We do not have cable. I only had it once, when it came free with an apartment (for a little while and then they turned around and charged for it — I did not pay.)
I don’t watch TV period. My television is used for movies only.
I recommend a generous dollop on porridge.
Or melt some in hot milk to drink.
Or melt some in hot milk and pour over muesli with slices of banana on top, yum!
Spread on pancakes, crepes, cupcakes…the uses are endless!
quote:
1. I’ve never seen […] any […] space adventure movie save Alien and Aliens […]
2. I am the only American who neither possesses nor watches cable t.v.
3. I have never ordered food […] delivered to where I live.
4. I have never tried Nutella.
In regard to number 1, I am a sci-fi junkie… but to each his own. In regard to number 3, that is interesting. I don’t care much about ordering restaurant food (pizza, Chinese, etc.) for delivery, but I do enjoy sampling snack foods that I can’t get in my area, but can order online… and I have been known to order Chilean sea-bass fillets online, because I couldn’t find them at any of my local grocers… and I dearly love a well-prepared Chilean sea-bass fillet… and, if I may say so, I prepare them rather well.
On #2… You aren’t the only one. I do not have cable (or satellite) TV, and, for the most part, don’t watch it… except during College Football season. Then, my affinity for my alma-mater’s team forces me to seek out a sports bar to watch their games.
On #3… me either. Please let us know what you think. I am huge peanut butter fan… I eat way too much of it. I’ve been curious about Nutella, since the Internet seems to be obsessed with it… but I’ve never tried it.