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Archive | October 11, 2015
October 11, 2015  

“Great British Bake Off” Finalist Ian Cummings’ Birthday Cake For Dalai Lama — Did It Have Eggs?

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
>> Tamal to win Season 6, “Bake Off”?
>> Sue Perkins’ brain tumor
>> “The Great British Bake Off” — 6th Series
>> “The Great British Bake Off”
 >> Sue Perkins for Jeremy ‘bloody’ Clarkson …

++++ Search on ‘cake’, ‘BBC’ and ‘British’ for related posts >>>>
 ++++ Search ‘Dalai Lama’ for other posts >>>>

iandalilamacake1

The announcement that appeared at the end of the “Great British Bake Off” Season 6 Final about Ian baking a cake for the Dalai Lama.

Yes, Ian Cummings and the Dalai Lama go back a long time. He is said to be the official U.K. photographer for the Dalai Lama. Click to access Amazon listing for this book.

The YouTube video. Very cute. The Dalai Lama at his irrepressible best — asking for the candle to be lit. MUST WATCH. Click to access.

This is ALL very good, cute, rewarding and fulfilling BUT I have a very basic, but pivotal, question.

Did Ian Cummings, the Season 6 “Great British Bake Off” also ran, use ANY EGGS in baking this cake?

I suspect he did.

Why? I am trying to work out whether the Dalai Lama STILL eats eggs.

Why? Because I am going to start writing a book about what it was like, in Ceylon, in the early 1960s, to grow up a Buddhist and I am starting my first chapter by talking about eating eggs.

Many Buddhists eat eggs.

The Dalai Lama USED to eat meat. He is said to have become a vegetarian late in life. But some vegetarians eat eggs. Plus today you can get unfertilized eggs.

wattalampam

Wattalampam — my mother would make VERY large dishes of it with dozens of eggs. It was beyond DIVINE. You felt the pounds just adding on to your body as you just smelled it.

I have know strict Hindus that would NOT eat eggs eat fancy puddings that my adoptive mother made and they contained dozens of eggs. I actually confronted her on this. This Indian, a dear friend of the family, had seconds and then thirds of my adoptive mother’s famous ‘Watalappam‘ (a extremely rich cream caramel) — that she would cook mainly for me — one night in Paris. I knew that she had used OVER a dozen eggs preparing it. So this elderly, very gentle gentleman ingested a ton of eggs. He had to have known. My mother said nothing. But this was kosher. Hindus that refused to eat eggs would eat things that contained eggs. Strange?

So I am curious. What do YOU think?

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October 11, 2015  

The Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ1000 Can Take Stunning Pictures Out Of The Box.

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by Anura Guruge

Other Related posts:
>> Lumix FZ1000 blog.
>> Got a Panasonic Lumix FZ1000.
>> Fall foliage — October 1, 2015: with FZ1000.
>> Bought FZ1000 from BuyDig.com.

 >> Search ‘Sony’, ‘Panasonic’ & ‘camera’  for other related posts >>>>

Yesterday, at Sandwich Fair, was my first full-day outing with my new Panasonic Lumic DMC (‘Digital Media Camera’) FZ1000. I only got it as of September 29, 2015. So it is still very new to me.

I like it, but I am not sure I love it as yet. It sure can take some stunning pictures effortlessly. I do NOT shoot RAW and rarely if ever even adjust brightness a JPEG picture I shoot. I am very much a ‘What You See Is What I Captured With The Camera’ person. I do not have the temperament, time or patience to play around with image altering software. So what you see here and in 99.99% of the pictures I post are JPEGs that come straight out of the camera. Yes, with the FZ1000 I will monkey around with some of the special effects built-into the camera — in shooting mode, e.g., starburst, sparkling water etc. But that is applied as the picture is taken. That to me is the same as what I used to do, 35 years ago, with Cokin filters.

The FZ1000 can be infuriating to use — at least at the start. There are too many mode-specific MENU options, e.g., HDR, iHDR etc. and just having one finicky control wheel is a pain. I am still coming to terms with what MENU options work with what shooting modes. For example if HDR is on you CANNOT for love or money get the flash to work. I am sure that in time I will get the hang of all the important settings BUT by then, knowing myself, I will probably be ready to move onto another camera. 

So here are 7 more pictures from Sandwich Fair.

Untouched — JPEGs straight off the SDXC card.

Click to ENLARGE.

Copyright on all these images will be ENFORCED.







October 11, 2015  

PBS Masterpiece “Home Fires”, Episode 2 Which Airs Tonight, More Engaging Than ‘Indian Summers’.

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by Anura Guruge

Other Related posts:
>> ‘Indian Summers’ sluggish start.
 >> ‘Indian Summers’ preview.
>> ‘Indian Summers’ on PBS Roku.

>> Addictive “Downton Abbey”.

>> PBS: “Pope Francis the Sinner”.

++++ Search ‘PBS‘ for many other related posts >>>>

homefires

Click to access “Home Fires” homepage on PBS.

I had a hunch that this might be a ‘keeper’ and I may have got it right. I DVRed Episode 1 last Sunday, straight after recording Episode 2 of “Indian Summers“, and we watched it, mid-week after we had watched “Indian Summers”.

Teischan was enthralled and that just makes my day. These days I record many of these programmes for the kids. That they absolutely adore anything and everything to do with British period drama just cracks me up (in a nice way) given that they really haven’t had that much exposure to the ol’ country. It started, of course, with ‘Downton Abbey‘ but they have now seen all of ‘Cranford’ (via Roku & Amazon Prime), ‘Mr. Selfridge‘ and many episodes of ‘Upstairs/Downstairs’ (via Roku & Acorn).

“Home Fires” is a warm and cozy story kind of like Cranford meets Downton Abbey in 1939.

I have been wracking my brain to see if I knew anybody who attended “Women’s Institute” (WI) meetings on a regular basis and I am still drawing a blank. But, of course, WI is no stranger to I.

I loved Episode 1. It was cute and compelling.

I found it much more engaging that “Indian Summers”. We have now watched 2 episodes and I am still not convinced about it. It seems to lack some pivotal  je ne sais quoi. It has got all the right ingredients but in my book it still comes up short. Per PBS tonight’s episode 3 is supposed to have fireworks. Lets hope so. We are going to watch all of it, but right now I am more looking forward to seeing episode 2 of ‘Home Fires’ than E3 of ‘Indian Summers’.

P.S., We (Deanna & I) watched Episode 1 of “The Widower“. It was GOOD. Give it a try. Interesting. Enjoy.

October 11, 2015  

Pope Francis Choosing Ireland Does NOT Mean He Will Personally Be There In 2018.


.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

Related Posts:
>> Pope Francis’ U.S. Visit — THE book.
>> ‘Vine Voice’ Amazon review of Pope Francis book.
>> Pope’s arrival at Andrews.
 >> Holy See flag at the U.N.

>> Supermoon eclipse, Sep. 27, 2015.
++++ Search on ‘pope‘ & Check Category ‘books‘ for many other posts >>>>

popeireland1212

Click to read original in “Irish Central”.

That Pope Francis will be visiting Ireland in 2018 is based on him selecting Dublin as the host city for the next triennial (every 3 years), “World Meetings of Families” in 2018. The reason Francis visited the U.S. last month was to attend the 8th meeting — which was in Philadelphia. Whenever possible the pope tries to attend these ‘World Meetings’. Hence the belief that Francis will visit Ireland in 2018.

But that might NOT be the case.

Pope Francis will turn 80 on December 17, 2016. Francis, as some of you will remember (and here are two separate links: link1 & link2), has intimated that his pontificate will be short and that he too could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, and retire.

There is no retirement age for popes and popes are not normally expected to retire. But Benedict kind of set a new norm.

Cardinals lose their right to participate in conclaves when they turn 80. That is a BIG deal when it comes to a cardinal. So age 80 has significance in today’s Catholic Church. So there are those that believe that Francis will retire upon turning 80. IF he did there will be a new pope in 2018.

And here is the funny thing. Benedict was the one who chose Philadelphia for 2015. So there was the expectation that HE will visit the U.S. in 2015. He did not.

He actually resigned, when he did, so that a new pope would be in place to make the U.S. trip.

So re. Ireland we could have a repetition of this. A POPE will visit Ireland in 2018 but it might not be Francis.

October 11, 2015  

‘Sandwich Fair’ (New Hampshire) 2015: Saturday, October 10 — A Blaze Of Color, Some From Exceptional Foliage.

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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
>> Sandwich 2015 — the shows.
>> Sandwich 2015 — schedule.
 >> Sandwich 2015 — ‘The Peacheater’ etc.
>> Sandwich 2015 — Saturday will be soggy.

 ++++  Search ‘Sandwich’ or ‘fair’ for TONS of other past posts and pictures.  >>>>>>

Click images to ENLARGE.

Attribution a MUST, images are copyright.







Yes, of course, we went. We go every year without fail and have been doing so for more than 15 years.

Yes, of course, it was good. It is always good. This year was special because New Hampshire Fall Foliage was ablaze all around the fairground. Yes there is always foliage for Sandwich Fair but this year was a banner year. Lots of vivid reds this year. That added to the normal ‘artist gone mad’ palette you normally get at a fair. I could not believe how lucky we were to get such exceptional foliage for the fair.

Yes, it was cold. We knew that. But, Saturday October 10 was Devanee’s birthday and she likes to go to Sandwich Fair on her birthday if she can — and we try to do so quite often. For the first 90 minutes, and we got there are 11:20 am, it was colder than we had bargained for. Then around 1pm the Sun came out, burned away all the clouds and we had brilliant blue skies and you will see in some of my later pictures. It warmed up considerably, but it was still chilly at times.

It was not as busy as is the norm for the Saturday. I think the weather was a major factor. The Sunday and Monday are warmer. There were still crowds but it was not mobbed like it can sometimes be. Less merchandise tents and even exhibits. Not sure what that was all about. But still, as ever, plenty to do. Prices much the same as last year and if anything the rides required less tickets (I am sure). Rides that I think required 4 or 5 last year only required 3. There were even ones for 2. So that was good.

It was fun. It always is.

This was my first outing with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ1000 (which I had delivered on September 29). I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am still coming to terms with it. I took, as I had done at the Highland Games in September (with my ill-fated Sony a77 mk II), over 900 pictures! So lot to sort out. I will post some in batches as I did with the photographs from the Highland Games. Fairly happy with the camera. It can take some STUNNING pictures. So that is good. So here is a dozen more. More later. I still have over 300 to download to my PC!

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P1000510
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A few MORE pictures here.

sandwich2015collage

Click to ENLARGE.

A montage of the first 636 pictures.

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