Soddball

I don't understand the bitterness in the Aussie press towards Britain over this. It's so immature. Comments like 'Brits have only won medals in stuff where they can sit down', and the whole class thing because they've done well in sailing. I had no idea the Aussies had such a chip on their shoulder. It's a shame. As for the Phelps wins - people have been saying 'hey, look, that guy's got it easy because swimming's just swimming, right?' Well, the man's won one medal every day for eight days. The physical toll on him is extraordinary and critics should bear that in mind.

I demand OPTIONS for my nitch challenges.

You can slice those onions, and cook them on a low heat with a partially-covered lid for an hour with a splash of olive oil before you use them. They'll caramelise and give you sweetness and richness.

The Belgians sprinkle it on chips (US: Fries), and it's pretty good. I use it in curries and chillies. It also goes in Stroganoff.

How does France manage their nuclear system?

This recipe is straight from my Blog(http://soddball.blogspot.com), where I've been putting together a Bloke's Cookbook for the last year or so. Feel free to dive in and help yourself to any recipes that might be useful. Warning: some political ranting there (which can safely be ignored). This recipe is for an awesome vegetable curry: Like many great recipes, this one was the result of a lack of organisation and 'What have I got in the cupboard' syndrome. It's probably one of the best curries I've eaten. It's hot, the coconut milk makes it deliciously rich and it's reasonably healthy. It's also something that even a vegan can eat, so long as they don't believe that 'coconut milk' is cruelty to animals. The only trouble with this recipe is that you have to be absolutely certain that the potatoes have cooked through, otherwise it wrecks the dish. Test them by sticking a fork in to the largest one. If they are still hard, they're not ready. You have to be patient. This dish will feed 2 people. To feed more simply round up the quantities. You will need: Around 200g new potatoes, washed but not peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces; Around 200g sweet potato, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces; Around 200g green beans, chopped in to 1.5" lengths; Around 100g tomatoes, chopped; 100ml coconut milk; 2 medium onions; 4 small thai or 3 large chillies (vary depending on how spicy you like it); 4 garlic cloves; Ground coriander; Turmeric; Fennel seeds; Fresh ginger; A wok with a lid; A pestle and mortar; A food processor (not mandatory) You can find coconut milk in the tinned foods section of your local supermarket. It's phenomenally fattening but gives an excellent flavour to (amongst other things) curry. Firstly, put the onions in the food processor and process until they become a paste. If you don't have a food processor, then chop them finely. You'll get a different effect from the dish (it won't be quite as smooth) but it won't spoil the flavour. Then, make the spice paste. In the pestle and mortar, put 2 of the garlic cloves, 3/4 of an inch of the fresh ginger, one of the chillies (chopped) and 1/2 a teaspoon of the fennel seeds. Fennel is a strongly-flavoured seed so don't overdo it. Now grind all the mix together. Once you've done that, add the chopped tomatoes and mix again. Now on to the main dish. Slice the remaining chillies. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Heat the oil in your wok on a medium heat and when it's starting to bubble, add the onions, garlic and chilli. Cook these fairly slowly, moving them around, until the onion starts to turn golden. Then lower the heat and add the potatoes. Put the lid on the wok and leave for ten minutes. After ten minutes, remove the lid. Mix in the spice paste from the pestle and mortar. Add the sweet potato, and replace the lid for another ten minutes. After a total of 20 minutes, test the potatoes to see how well they've cooked. The sweet potatoes should be well on their way (they cook very fast) and starting to soften. The new potatoes should be pretty much done. If they're not, put the lid on, wait 5-10 minutes and check again. Don't get impatient and try to rush the dish or eat the potatoes when they're hard. When the spuds have reached the stage described, remove the lid and mix in the green beans. They'll take a matter of a few minutes. However, you've probably still got a fair amount of liquid in the bottom of the wok and it's all runny and a bit feeble. You need to burn some of that off, so keep the lid off, turn the heat up to full and keep everything moving for as long as it takes to get rid of most of that liquid. We're going to add the coconut milk and you don't want your curry swimming in insipid liquid. You want it bright and fresh and frisky and so fierce on the tastebuds it could earn an ASBO. As you cook, more liquid will come out of the tomatoes, so be patient. When you've got rid of most of the excess liquid, turn the heat down and mix in the coconut milk and stir in slowly. Serve with rice (perhaps flavoured with cloves and cardomon pods, perhaps saffron), and naans to soak up the sauce. Awesome. Drink with: The usual - ice-cold beers. Ease of cooking and preparation: 3/5 - No special skills required, just equipment. Mess Factor: 3/5 - Wok plus rice saucepan plus baking tray for naans, and food processors are a bastard to clean, and you've got the pestle and mortar to wash up too. More of a slog. Leftover value: 4/5 - Reheats flawlessly and edible (although not awesome) cold.

It rather reminds me of a comedy sketch in which two sweary tough-talking crooks have all their bad language edited by censors. "You're talking bulldish, you goddam cake sucker!" It might catch on here.

De rien, dear boy. I recommend the Guardian's comment pages most heartily. The reaction of the posters to some of the inane articles is far superior to the articles themselves. Take today. Today, Tom and Jemima from a group called The Fabian Society (left-wing 'think tank' for posh people) decry the term 'chav', which is used to describe troglodytic morons without jobs who smash stuff up and make everyone's life a misery. According to Tom and Jemima the word 'chav' should be banned because it is middle-class snobbery abusing the working classes. The literary beasting they receive is a joy to behold and I commend it to you all: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/15/equality.language I also recommend the responses to any Polly Toynbee article. You don't need to read the article because once you've read one you've read them all.

I remember reading that when it came out. I regularly read the Grauniad to keep myself abreast of the latest trendy Islington fads and so that I know what barking-mad BS Labour is going to do next. What you're seeing there, REVS, my lad, is the reaction of people who don't like to be patronised and who object to a newspaper which consistently and vociferously claims the moral high ground on everything then going and giving some dopey journalist's son money to loaf around in Thailand. All the major newspapers are having to come to terms with a new horror - the opinion of their readers. They've never had to deal with it before and some of them are struggling. The recent resignation of Shadow Home Secretary David Davis over the government's backing for a 42-day detention without trial delivered the best example yet of the disconnect between the mainstream media and public opinion. All the journalists were disparaging Davis, and in the comments section 80% or more of the public backed his stance. Pretty quickly the journalists were forced to look at how they'd got the mood of the country so very wrong.

Oh that'll fade in jig time, I'm sure. Before you know it there'll be the rank stench of flame wars and crap throwing just like the good old days. It's a relief to note that unlike Otter Memes, I'm a senoir memberer. Damn newbies getting in the way.

Ignore Barking Mad Major Kettler. He's off his meds again.

It's just the way that lefties beat anyone who doesn't love the EU, state intervention and unfettered immigration. "Ooh you must be a daily mail reader". Their hate for it matches the loathing that the right has for Polly Toynbee.

Blair's Labour = Socialism?!?!? Go back to your alternate dimension! </font>

Yes, pull your head out of the sand, flamingknives! Can't you see what a decade of socialism has brought to our nation? Tractor Production up 95% as part of our Glorious Leader's Five Year Plan!

No, it doesn't suck balls. No, IMO it isn't as good as CM:AK. yes you should download the demo and stop asking sturpid questions. :mad: :mad: </font>

That level of dastardly evilness doesn't just make itself, you know. Yes, the name of the flaw begins with 'B' and ends in 'T' with the letters 'ECKE' in the middle. Maybe you should have tried cunning tactics instead of fleeing the map like a girly queen.

No. If you want hellish, I have a CM:AK 4km x 2km 400-turn campaign with 35,000 points of kit. I gave up playtesting after battle 9 due to fatigue.

So does this game suck balls or what? I'm still trying to decide whether to download the demo. :mad:

Weren't those figures rubbished?? </font>

You are just begging to be banned, aren't you? </font>

I don't mind giving the role a go. Sure, I'm a little pasty and I don't have a beard, but that's what CGI's for, right?

You are just begging to be banned, aren't you?

Hey! Less of the old!

Why? </font>

Gaaaahh! Not again! :mad: