Horsemeat contamination

So, over the past few weeks the general public have found out that there has been horsemeat in certain pre-prepared food products...i.e. convenience foods.
I can see why a single person would pick up a frozen lasanga for one, rather than make it for themselves....BUT, if they went to the trouble, in my case, pleasure, of making their own bolognese sauce.  They could then make it into lasanga for one meal, spaghetti bolognese for another, and maybe add some herbs and spies to make it into chilli for another meal, and cottage pie for a fourth meal.  That is four decent meals from 450g of minced beef, which has to be minced beef or the supplier gets into trouble for selling things under false pretences. 
Similarly, you can quickly and easily make your own burgers. OK they might not be as firm and compact as commercial ones, but just what do they put in them to achieve the firmness?
As I've said before..part of my job is in the food room room at a local high school, and the burgers...when the pupils make their own, do have bits break off them during cooking, but only disintegrate if they are continually flipped.
The question is....Do you want to know what exactly is in your food, or do you want to survive on "convenience foods"?
I know which I would rather do.

fox attacks

Now, perhaps I am being just a bit obtuse here, but the fox attacks that take part inside people's houses....Why does no-one say how the foxes have gained access?  Is it warm weather and the foxes are wandering in through open doors and just exploring?   If not, just how do the foxes get into the houses?  It's not like they have opposable thumbs and a set of skeleton keys.
These foxes, I suspect are getting in through windows left open, or maybe cat flaps.  The window thing should not be a problem as in this day and age, when most people have UPVC windows...it is possible to lock your window in a vent position, which is not enough to let intruders of any kind in.  In fact UPVC windows can be locked in the vent position.
As for cat flaps...surely if you know there are urban foxes around, it would make sense to put in a cat flap with a collar sensor, so only the household cat could get in?
Just things that went through my mind when I read the article about the fox attacks.

Who choses where supermarkets are sited?

It does make me wonder.  In Morecambe, we have two Tescos, an Iceland, an Aldi, a Lidl, Co-op, Morrisons, a Sainsburys, an Asda and if we count anything this side of the river as Morecambe, a Booths, Spars, (don't know how many of those,) another Aldi and a large Asda. Not to mention places like Home Bargains and B & M bargains,we also have a busy market, and a fairly busy Sunday market
The newest of these is the Sainsburys, and it doesn't matter what time of day you go in, you can get round easily with no crowds and don't have very long to wait to checkout. I wonder who in their wisdom thought we needed a Sainsburys?  There is one in Lancaster, which is always very busy, but the one in Morecambe never is, they are only a couple of miles apart at the most.
Did the powers that be at Sainsburys get around a table and discuss this?  The more affluent people in the area tend to shop in the Lancaster shop, as they can combine it with a trip into the city. As soon as I knew what they were building I thought to myself that it would never be busy, and sure enough it never is.  Could it be that the prices are much higher than even Morrisons and the Co-op? Nah! why would that put people off. And if you want real quality stuff you would go to Booths, well, I would.
I don't expect an answer, but it puzzles me why when there is already a plenitude of supermarkets from cheap as chips places to high quality places, they went and built another one.

Lonely or alone!

As you might know, I've been alone since my lovely Lithuanian partner went back to Lithuania.
That is over 2 years past now. Although he said he would be back, our current economic climate doesn't seem to agree.
So..... I signed up to a dating website yesterday.
I'll hold my hands up...if there is any chance of my lovely friend coming back to the UK.......I would welcome him with open arms..after all..he's a craggy Daniel Craig, with a few years added!
However, diving into the murky depths that are dating sites these days is not pleasant.
Why do men think it is OK to be smutty online at first chat?
If you wouldn't act that way at a face to face first meeting, why do it online?
I'm really sorry, but I'd rather be alone than with someone who can't think further than his dick and it's needs.

Baking

I am constantly amazed by the people who praise my baking, following their comment with the comment.  "I always make a mess of things when I try"
I just don't get this.  OK, I have been baking from a very early age, being fortunate enough to have a grandma who had been a confectioner as a profession, but I still don't understand why people say they can't bake. Cookery and baking are a type of science, and this is where I suspect the people making the comment they do, go wrong.
After all if you were trying to make soap in a laboratory, and was given a list of supplies, and they had specific amounts...you wouldn't change them.  Believe me, having made soap at school in Chemistry there are reasons why you wouldn't mess around with the quantities.
So why when people are baking do they think the amount/quantities don't matter.  Baking is a chemical process.  The mixing of ingredients is essential to ensure the reaction works properly.
As regular readers will know, I work in a school, and am food technician.  I am constantly amazed that the pupils think that steam coming off the food, or from the oven is wrong, even ones who are good at science.  Perhaps they might understand better if they had the chemical reaction written out for them. Although I suspect it would look far too complicated. I don't think eggs have a simple chemical formula.
I know, I'll ask one of the Chemistry teachers. I bet it's something they have never been asked.

What makes me delete e-mails

Some of my friends send me what are clearly "chain" e-mails.  Most I will read, and some I even pass on to other friends if I think they will appreciate the sentiment expressed....BUT!!!!   There is one thing that will always make me click the delete button, and that is the ones that take a preachy tone and start telling the recipient how wonderful god is and how we should all be thankful.  I don't preach to others about my beliefs, and only wish others would respect this and reciprocate.  The beliefs of an individual are just that, individual, or should be, and people who try to convert others to their beliefs should back off, and take a look at their own lives before preaching to others.

Sick of my own company

Well, not completely sick of it, but it sure gets lonely with only the dogs to talk to.