Remember that surge of invention in the US when we came up with the light bulb and the wheel? That was great, wasn’t it?
Trump seems to believe the wheel was invented in the United States: "We have to protect all of these people that came up with, originally, the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things." pic.twitter.com/re6CyRi6HY
Hi! Too long indeed. Something called real life has intervened. But I’ve been lurking here off and on, just not finding the time to take part in discussions. Sorry about that. And also (even more) sorry about your so-called president, and the all too likely chance that he’ll stay on for another four years. The only humour that we can bring to bear, it seems, is the gallows kind. What a clusterfuck.
Rob
[looks up velveeta], [gags slightly]
You Americans do realise there is this delicious thing called cheese, right?
Claire
@Rob Best not get into that. And don’t look up Cheez Whiz whatever you do.
I apologize for the kid who squirted cheez whiz into his mouth.
I apologize for ALL OF IT.
The thing we most need to apologize for is putting sugar in everything, including savory foods.
Rob
Thank you.
Now about that sugar business. What is with sweet bread? Every god damn sauce is sweet, pickles are all really sweet, cured meat is often sweet. Apart from being terribly unhealthy, it just makes everything taste mono dimensional. Actually, no need to apologise. I know there are Americans who like real food. It’s not your fault.
I saw a tweeted list of foods with respondents being asked to list how many they would not eat. It was mostly fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood with a sprinkling of sauces, condiments, spreads and odd balls thrown in. My veto was two. Snails and Nutella. At a pinch I might try snails.
Answers in the range 3-8 were not common. Answers in the range 18-32 were. Sauces aside, it was all just fresh ordinary food.
Heh. I love both snails and Nutella. Not exactly snails themselves, mind, but snails meaning escargots the way the French do them, which taste of garlic and parsley.
And yes about how everything is sweet. Sauces, pickles, everything. I HATE IT.
The myth here is that you “have to” add sugar to tomatoes to “balance” the acidity. NO YOU DON’T. Sugar ruins tomatoes.
Claire
Oh god yes, the bread. It’s like cake. The first time I bought bread here, I thought I’d made a mistake and picked up some sort of tea bread.
Yes! My first time I asked the American with me what the hell was going on. He’d promised me nice bread and instead I had a mouthful of some sweet milky tasting stuff with a texture like cotton wool swabs. He assured me te stuff we were eating was better than supermarket bread. Wow. Did not try supermarket bread.
Sorry Ophelia, I’ve dragged this way off thread. Yes, Trump is, amongst other things (many many other things), an ignoramus.
No apology necessary, Rob, this isn’t the kind of thread that needs to stay on topic.
The bread – I think a good dense crumbly whole wheat loaf WITH NO SWEET ADDED is a human right. Unattainable here. I get naan bread or sourdough, but I WANT whole wheat, dammit.
latsot
Making your own bread is easy and not very time-consuming, especially with a decent breadmaker.
I usually use a breadmaker to do all the kneading, then I form the dough into whatever shape(s) I want, leave it to prove for half an hour and put it in the oven.
The elapsed time is a couple of hours but the amount of time you need to spend actually doing anything is about 15 minutes. Plus, you can get creative.
But just using the breadmaker on its normal cycle gets perfectly good results, too.
KBPlayer
American food exists so the British can feel better about their food! At least we do make good cheese and bread, purchasable at supermarkets. Brilliant cheese and bread from specialist shops and farmers’ markets.
Re snails in garlic and butter – I think they taste like rubber bands in garlic and butter.
Most things taste better in garlic and butter – practically all vegetables do.
Acolyte of Sagan
Rob, if you like shellfish like razor clams you’ll probably like (properly cooked) snails. Like a lot of foods, it’s the thought of what you’re eating that’s the off-putting part. It’s why we (Westerners) eat tons of prawns and shrimp but baulk at the thought of eating locusts.
What a Maroon
Ophelia, the question must be asked. Have you ever tried snails in Nutella?
My problem with snails is the texture. I’d probably eat them if I was in France, but it seems like a waste of garlic, butter and parsley to be honest.. Nutella bothers me. Hazel nuts and dark chocolate. I love both, but Nutella is just damned sweet.
Anyway, all this talk of delicious bread and cheese makes me think lunch today will be at the market just a few minutes walk from work. Fresh crusty bread with a nice cheese and dry cured ham, spot of fresh salad. Mmmmmm.
Nutella is very sweet, not gonna lie, but then I like sweet things that are meant to be sweet. Good ones. Not shit packaged cookies [biscuits] that taste of nothing but sweet, but good stuff, usually in small quantities. Sweet does start to cloy fast.
Comments
35 responses to “The light bulb and the wheel”
Not that the incandescent light bulb was invented in the US, either.
Fine, but we totally did invent Velveeta.
You can have that one.
One of my “favorite” of Trump’s verbal tics is his “by the way.”
It comes across to me like a weird attempt at modesty. “You all don’t know this fascinating thing that I’m helpfully letting you in on.”
The guy is just every kind of dummy.
I wish I could still laugh at this stuff.
Pfft. Those Sumerians (or whoever) with the chariot are just time travelling intellectual property thieves.
Wait ’til he claims the invention of fire.
You should rebrand this website as Lightbulbs & Wheels.
Bahahahahaha I should.
I wonder if Trump eats Velveeta?
Maybe that’s what turned his skin that color.
Oh, on the subject of velveeta, try the Austin Lounge Lizards’ classic cool whip song!
Hi Harald! It’s been too long.
Hi! Too long indeed. Something called real life has intervened. But I’ve been lurking here off and on, just not finding the time to take part in discussions. Sorry about that. And also (even more) sorry about your so-called president, and the all too likely chance that he’ll stay on for another four years. The only humour that we can bring to bear, it seems, is the gallows kind. What a clusterfuck.
[looks up velveeta], [gags slightly]
You Americans do realise there is this delicious thing called cheese, right?
@Rob Best not get into that. And don’t look up Cheez Whiz whatever you do.
No no Harald we’re the ones who are sorry about our “president.” My GOD are we sorry.
Rob, I know, I know, believe me. Trump is probably our punishment for Velveeta.
Claire, I once watched (with some disbelief) as the son of an American I was having dinner with ate cheez whiz straight from the can.
Ophelia, there needs to be an international convention for crimes against food.
I apologize for the kid who squirted cheez whiz into his mouth.
I apologize for ALL OF IT.
The thing we most need to apologize for is putting sugar in everything, including savory foods.
Thank you.
Now about that sugar business. What is with sweet bread? Every god damn sauce is sweet, pickles are all really sweet, cured meat is often sweet. Apart from being terribly unhealthy, it just makes everything taste mono dimensional. Actually, no need to apologise. I know there are Americans who like real food. It’s not your fault.
I saw a tweeted list of foods with respondents being asked to list how many they would not eat. It was mostly fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood with a sprinkling of sauces, condiments, spreads and odd balls thrown in. My veto was two. Snails and Nutella. At a pinch I might try snails.
Answers in the range 3-8 were not common. Answers in the range 18-32 were. Sauces aside, it was all just fresh ordinary food.
Heh. I love both snails and Nutella. Not exactly snails themselves, mind, but snails meaning escargots the way the French do them, which taste of garlic and parsley.
And yes about how everything is sweet. Sauces, pickles, everything. I HATE IT.
The myth here is that you “have to” add sugar to tomatoes to “balance” the acidity. NO YOU DON’T. Sugar ruins tomatoes.
Oh god yes, the bread. It’s like cake. The first time I bought bread here, I thought I’d made a mistake and picked up some sort of tea bread.
Yeah. Sigh.
I seem to vaguely recall another time when DJT was astonished about wheels. Can’t remember the context, but it was as dumbfounding then as it is now.
@maddog1129 Are you talking about the time he claimed walls were older than wheels?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/10/president-trump-is-wheel-older-than-wall/2539339002/
Yes! My first time I asked the American with me what the hell was going on. He’d promised me nice bread and instead I had a mouthful of some sweet milky tasting stuff with a texture like cotton wool swabs. He assured me te stuff we were eating was better than supermarket bread. Wow. Did not try supermarket bread.
Sorry Ophelia, I’ve dragged this way off thread. Yes, Trump is, amongst other things (many many other things), an ignoramus.
I know, I know. We’re all sorry.
As we’re apologising for our political leaders, I can’t sit by and allow Boris Johnson to go unapologised-for.
No apology necessary, Rob, this isn’t the kind of thread that needs to stay on topic.
The bread – I think a good dense crumbly whole wheat loaf WITH NO SWEET ADDED is a human right. Unattainable here. I get naan bread or sourdough, but I WANT whole wheat, dammit.
Making your own bread is easy and not very time-consuming, especially with a decent breadmaker.
I usually use a breadmaker to do all the kneading, then I form the dough into whatever shape(s) I want, leave it to prove for half an hour and put it in the oven.
The elapsed time is a couple of hours but the amount of time you need to spend actually doing anything is about 15 minutes. Plus, you can get creative.
But just using the breadmaker on its normal cycle gets perfectly good results, too.
American food exists so the British can feel better about their food! At least we do make good cheese and bread, purchasable at supermarkets. Brilliant cheese and bread from specialist shops and farmers’ markets.
Re snails in garlic and butter – I think they taste like rubber bands in garlic and butter.
Most things taste better in garlic and butter – practically all vegetables do.
Rob, if you like shellfish like razor clams you’ll probably like (properly cooked) snails. Like a lot of foods, it’s the thought of what you’re eating that’s the off-putting part. It’s why we (Westerners) eat tons of prawns and shrimp but baulk at the thought of eating locusts.
Ophelia, the question must be asked. Have you ever tried snails in Nutella?
My problem with snails is the texture. I’d probably eat them if I was in France, but it seems like a waste of garlic, butter and parsley to be honest.. Nutella bothers me. Hazel nuts and dark chocolate. I love both, but Nutella is just damned sweet.
Anyway, all this talk of delicious bread and cheese makes me think lunch today will be at the market just a few minutes walk from work. Fresh crusty bread with a nice cheese and dry cured ham, spot of fresh salad. Mmmmmm.
Nutella is very sweet, not gonna lie, but then I like sweet things that are meant to be sweet. Good ones. Not shit packaged cookies [biscuits] that taste of nothing but sweet, but good stuff, usually in small quantities. Sweet does start to cloy fast.