Things that don't deserve their own thread

[Niegs]

When I first saw that, someone reminded me that Bugs had a good idea some 60+ years ago…

[fishfoodie]

When I first saw that, someone reminded me that Bugs had a good idea some 60+ years ago…

Well after buying it from Spain makes it looks like the US should ask for a refund !

[tabascoboy]

Are you OK, honey? Not if you buy cheap supermarket jars...but hey we don't need no stinking standards here

All UK honey tested in EU fraud investigation fails authenticity test

Ten samples from Britain were suspected of containing cheap sugar syrup

Jon Ungoed-Thomas
Sun 26 Mar 2023 09.00 BST

Adulteration of honey with cheap sugar syrup has been exposed in a new investigation by the European Commission, which found 46% of sampled products were suspected to be fraudulent. Ten honey samples from the UK all failed the tests. They may have been blended or packaged in Britain, but the honey probably originated overseas.

This is not the first time tests have suggested that UK shoppers may be being cheated on their honey, though supermarkets say they regularly test honey and audit supply lines.

The government said this weekend that it was investigating the results, but there was no risk to food safety. Officials say no single test can establish honey’s authenticity and research is continuing.

The EU’s anti-fraud office (Olaf) said: “Such practices defraud consumers and put honest producers in jeopardy as they face unfair competition from operators who can slash prices thanks to illicit, cheap ingredients.”

The action was led by the European Commission’s directorate general for health and food safety, collaborating with the 18 countries that are part of the EU food fraud network (which no longer includes the UK since Brexit). It was also supported by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the commission’s science and knowledge service, and Olaf.

Investigators tested 320 samples and found 147 (46%) were suspicious, where “at least one marker of extraneous sugar sources was detected”.

The report last Thursday by the JRC said honey imported from the UK had a suspicion rate of 100% and “this could be the result of honey produced in other countries and further processed in the UK before its re-export to the EU”.

In 2022, the UK imported more than 38,000 tonnes of honey from its biggest supplier, China, where there is a known risk of adulteration with sugar syrup. Country of origin labelling is not required for a blended product from more than one country, so many shoppers don’t know a cheap pot of honey probably originated in China.

Lynne Ingram, master beekeeper at Wesley Cottage Bees, near Bridgwater in Somerset, who is among a group of beekeepers calling for better information for shoppers, said: “If you see honey that is cheap as 75p a jar, it is too good to be true. It’s unrealistic for people to be able to produce genuine honey at those prices.

“This shocking report is only a snapshot, but it indicated almost half the honeys were adulterated and it’s a growing problem. There is no proper enforcement or testing at the moment and people can get away with it very easily.”

Ingram suggested shoppers should choose honeys that state the country of origin on the label and ideally source it from traditional local beekeepers.

A series of tests on supermarket honey in the UK indicated that samples may be adulterated with sugar, including ones at a leading German laboratory in 2020 that found eight of the nine samples were non-compliant. Retailers and the honey industry have disputed the test results and government officials say more advanced testing technology is required.

Arturo Carrillo, the Mexico-based coordinator of the international Honey Authenticity Network, which has conducted tests on UK supermarket honey indicating adulteration, said: “The UK is flooded with very cheap adulterated honey imported from China. What is disappointing is that the British authorities have been very, very much reluctant to accept and address this tremendous problem.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/m ... icity-test

[Ymx]

That’s quality

[sturginho]

Another Simpsons prophecy comes true:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65071989

[Gumboot]

The Honky Tonk Nun has died.

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, an Ethiopian nun, composer and pianist, has died at the age of 99.

Such a wonderful musician. RIP

[fishfoodie]

Any twitchers on the board ?

I'm trying to identify this magnificent beast.



As you can probably tell, he's a decent size, certainly much bigger than the more common buzzards you'd see.

[Sandstorm]

Any twitchers on the board ?

I'm trying to identify this magnificent beast.



As you can probably tell, he's a decent size, certainly much bigger than the more common buzzards you'd see.

Sea eagle?

[fishfoodie]

Any twitchers on the board ?

I'm trying to identify this magnificent beast.



As you can probably tell, he's a decent size, certainly much bigger than the more common buzzards you'd see.

Sea eagle?

That's what my neighbour reckons, & they are in the area but I thought they had white tail feathers, or is this a juvenile/adult thing ?

[tabascoboy]

Any twitchers on the board ?

I'm trying to identify this magnificent beast.



As you can probably tell, he's a decent size, certainly much bigger than the more common buzzards you'd see.

Sea eagle?

That's what my neighbour reckons, & they are in the area but I thought they had white tail feathers, or is this a juvenile/adult thing ?

Profile of the head looks different to sea eagle. I know you said about the size, but the tail pattern is exactly that of a common buzzard. You cant completely rule out a more "exotic" escape from a collection though

[fishfoodie]

Sea eagle?

That's what my neighbour reckons, & they are in the area but I thought they had white tail feathers, or is this a juvenile/adult thing ?

Profile of the head looks different to sea eagle. I know you said about the size, but the tail pattern is exactly that of a common buzzard. You cant completely rule out a more "exotic" escape from a collection though

I think I can rule that out, because one day last summer, there were at least 5x doing orbits overhead at altitude.

On the size, this guy was probably >18" from tail to crown, which is significantly larger than buzzards I've seen, but then again, he's on the wall looking at a field full of lambs, & is acting like a carrion bird so who knows ?

I think I'll send it onto birdwatch Ireland & ask the proper nerds

[TB63]

Think there might be a snow leopard in the background..

[GogLais]

That's what my neighbour reckons, & they are in the area but I thought they had white tail feathers, or is this a juvenile/adult thing ?

Profile of the head looks different to sea eagle. I know you said about the size, but the tail pattern is exactly that of a common buzzard. You cant completely rule out a more "exotic" escape from a collection though

I think I can rule that out, because one day last summer, there were at least 5x doing orbits overhead at altitude.

On the size, this guy was probably >18" from tail to crown, which is significantly larger than buzzards I've seen, but then again, he's on the wall looking at a field full of lambs, & is acting like a carrion bird so who knows ?

I think I'll send it onto birdwatch Ireland & ask the proper nerds

Not often you get a decent rear view of a bird, I reckon buzzard. Fwiw - hard to get the scale - they can be up to nearly two feet long.

[GogLais]

Think there might be a snow leopard in the background..

That'll certainly explain the absence of livestock.

[Niegs]

This appeared in my feed for some reason... older vid, which I don't think I've seen before. Nearly died laughing as it repeated, especially at "JAY-OW-LLL!!!|

[tabascoboy]

That's what my neighbour reckons, & they are in the area but I thought they had white tail feathers, or is this a juvenile/adult thing ?

Profile of the head looks different to sea eagle. I know you said about the size, but the tail pattern is exactly that of a common buzzard. You cant completely rule out a more "exotic" escape from a collection though

I think I can rule that out, because one day last summer, there were at least 5x doing orbits overhead at altitude.

On the size, this guy was probably >18" from tail to crown, which is significantly larger than buzzards I've seen, but then again, he's on the wall looking at a field full of lambs, & is acting like a carrion bird so who knows ?

I think I'll send it onto birdwatch Ireland & ask the proper nerds

Eagles are solitary and territorial so they would be buzzards which are pretty much the only raptors in UK & Ireland which will soar together in a group ( I've seen a half-dozen at a time), kites will also tolerate others but this clearly isn't a red or black kite ( black kites still very rare visitors from mainland Europe)

[Grandpa]

This appeared in my feed for some reason... older vid, which I don't think I've seen before. Nearly died laughing as it repeated, especially at "JAY-OW-LLL!!!|

Epic! You fear for the parents when he grows up...

[Sandstorm]

This appeared in my feed for some reason... older vid, which I don't think I've seen before. Nearly died laughing as it repeated, especially at "JAY-OW-LLL!!!|

Epic! You fear for the parents when he grows up...

Diabetes is a bigger threat to the little porker than anything else as he grows up.

[Glaston]

This appeared in my feed for some reason... older vid, which I don't think I've seen before. Nearly died laughing as it repeated, especially at "JAY-OW-LLL!!!|

As an adult, I have seen games of scrabble with flatmates get worse than that

[Niegs]

Looking for a better version, I found this... "Taxes." I feel ya, buddy.

[Jim Lahey]

This appeared in my feed for some reason... older vid, which I don't think I've seen before. Nearly died laughing as it repeated, especially at "JAY-OW-LLL!!!|

Reminds me of myself tbf as a kid losing at Monopoly, except I had marginally smaller breasts.

[TB63]

[Raggs]

That's where you learn voltage doesn't kill you, just hurts like a bastard. Last time I did that at school I was stood in a load of plastic trays. Voltage got high enough that a spark jumped from my ankle to the floor around the trays, probably 10-15cm.

[Kiwias]

.

[Grandpa]

[tabascoboy]

Christ, how lucky there was no-one in the place when it went...

[Hal Jordan]

Fuck secondhand smoke.

That is all.

[Gumboot]

Full Moon Fever.

It's a real thing I reckon, but have no idea if there's any actual scientific evidence...

[inactionman]

A dipshit youtuber has been shot after someone he pranked didn't take too kindly to it.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... fied-goons

A popular US YouTube creator who prides himself on making videos in which he displays odd behavior to put people off intends to keep at it, even after one of his targets allegedly shot him nearly to death.

An over-reaction, to put it mildly, but god above, what does this clown expect to happen.

Cook’s page contains clips of him acting as if he is vomiting on ride-sharing service drivers, making a fast-food restaurant employee nervous by going behind the establishment’s counter, and bothering people at stores.

[Guy Smiley]

Full Moon Fever.

It's a real thing I reckon, but have no idea if there's any actual scientific evidence...

We used to notice the change in the crowd when I worked in bars. It’s a thing.

[weegie01]

I have three of those shovels from Costco. great things to keep in the car for winter.

[PornDog]

Full Moon Fever.

It's a real thing I reckon, but have no idea if there's any actual scientific evidence...

We used to notice the change in the crowd when I worked in bars. It’s a thing.

Is it though? I always just assumed it was born of it being bright at night so people can go and actually do stuff then for a change.

[Guy Smiley]

Full Moon Fever.

It's a real thing I reckon, but have no idea if there's any actual scientific evidence...

We used to notice the change in the crowd when I worked in bars. It’s a thing.

Is it though? I always just assumed it was borne of it being bright at night so people can go and actually do stuff then for a change.

Deal with a large crowd every night for weeks. Watch the change.

Come back and ask me if it’s real or not after that.


I worked a very popular, upmarket bar in Sydney in the mid to late 80s. Live music every night of the week. Primo spot on the beach in Manly. Backpackers mixing with tourists and local chancers. It was a real scene, a melting pot. A great place to observe the human race strutting its stuff and we would all share the night’s madness over drinks after closing. We all noticed it and compared notes with workers from other bars. It was a popular theme with bar staff… lookout, here comes full moon night. Back to them climbing the walls and eating their own shit for a night.

[PornDog]

We used to notice the change in the crowd when I worked in bars. It’s a thing.

Is it though? I always just assumed it was borne of it being bright at night so people can go and actually do stuff then for a change.

Deal with a large crowd every night for weeks. Watch the change.

Come back and ask me if it’s real or not after that.


I worked a very popular, upmarket bar in Sydney in the mid to late 80s. Live music every night of the week. Primo spot on the beach in Manly. Backpackers mixing with tourists and local chancers. It was a real scene, a melting pot. A great place to observe the human race strutting its stuff and we would all share the night’s madness over drinks after closing. We all noticed it and compared notes with workers from other bars. It was a popular theme with bar staff… lookout, here comes full moon night. Back to them climbing the walls and eating their own shit for a night.

Sure, I get that. However humans see patterns in everything, retroactively finding meaning in otherwise random events. Its a well known phenomena. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc and all that.

Is that a more likely explanation for your experience than how much sunlight is reflected off the Moon having a metaphysical effect on the psyche of human beings on Earth!!! Smacks a bit too much of "Mars is setting in Aries, while Jupitor crosses Orion" to me.

[TB63]

[Sandstorm]

[FalseBayFC]

The Honky Tonk Nun has died.

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, an Ethiopian nun, composer and pianist, has died at the age of 99.

Such a wonderful musician. RIP

Very cool! Went down an Ethiopian jazz youtube rabbit hole after listening to that. Thanks.

[Grandpa]

I have three of those shovels from Costco. great things to keep in the car for winter.

He was lucky the guy who found him had one!

[Gumboot]

Very cool! Went down an Ethiopian jazz youtube rabbit hole after listening to that. Thanks.

I highly recommend the Ethiopiques series of absolutely banging '60s and '70s jazz and funk. There are over two dozen volumes - I haven't heard them all, but my favourite so far is Volume 8: Swinging Addis.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89thiopiques

[Grandpa]

Very cool! Went down an Ethiopian jazz youtube rabbit hole after listening to that. Thanks.

I highly recommend the Ethiopiques series of absolutely banging '60s and '70s jazz and funk. There are over two dozen volumes - I haven't heard them all, but my favourite so far is Volume 8: Swinging Addis.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89thiopiques

This is what your avatar pic sounds like!