Best Of

@____PM1O

Donald Trump winning a Peace Prize is like Fred West winning Gardener of the year.

It's not that, it's getting an organisation which has no business awarding a peace prize - and likely had no intention to ever do so - to invent one for you that grates. And because he is so powerful even though us muggins can point that out, other people more powerful than us are forced to take it seriously and pretend it is not an obvious sap to his vanity. All of that is separate to the merits of his peace efforts or the awards given to others.

I don’t think anyone’s taking it seriously, are they? Maybe some hardcore MAGA types…

Thing is, who's laughing hardest, us at him or him at us?

I think Trump is so full of himself that he actually believes he is the recipient of some great and deserved award. But I find it hard to believe that beyond a few young, naive, football fans — maybe some 12 year old in Brazil — anyone thinks better of Trump because of this award.

Does the bacon in a bacon sandwich sizzle?

As a good Muslim boy I've never eaten anything pig related because I observe Leviticus 11:4 devoutly.

A friend’s husband moved to Scotland as a young man from Pakistan. He was staying in a guest house and the landlady offered him bacon for breakfast. He had not heard of this substance, so sensibly checked whether it was pork. The landlady said, “No, it’s bacon.” Being a polite young man, he therefore accepted what he was offered and ate it, and enjoyed it. A week later he discovered the unfortunate truth and immediately changed his breakfast option. Fortunately, Allah is all-forgiving.

Anyway, the bacon only sizzles while it is cooking or for a very short time (seconds) afterwards.

I tried to persuade an observant Jewish friend to try bacon-flavoured crisps on the grounds that the contents were entirely 'chemical' and no animal products were cited in the ingredients. "I'll ask God and let you know," was his response. He never did, so I guess God said "No".

"OK. Listen closely. There's a priest, a minister, and a rabbi. They're out playing golf. They're deciding how much to give to charity. The priest says "We'll draw a circle on the ground, throw the money in the air, and whatever lands inside the circle, we'll give to charity." The minister says "No, we'll draw a circle on the ground, throw the money in the air, and whatever lands outside of the circle, that's what we'll give to charity." The rabbi says "No no no. We'll throw the money way up in the air, and whatever God wants, he keeps!""

I keep trying to convince my wife that driving on a motorway is safer and much less stressful than driving on a winding country road that isn't always wide enough for two vehicles to pass.

We'll never agree on this.

A few months back I was driving and we ended up taking a ridiculous route to end up at a destination about half a mile from a junction of the M62. I was not pleased!

I often take one route to go somewhere and a different route back. I don't know why.

I prefer winding roads to motorways as I enjoy driving them and hate motorways. If I'm on a long journey I use the motorway but get very bored very quickly. I am not capable of driving long distances on a motorway and don't know how people manage that.

In the past I drove quite often from Llandudno to Lossiemouth in the day using motorways, the infamous A9, and county roads from Aviemore

A distance of 456 miles and I could do all of that and back to Perth on a tank of diesel

It is now way beyond my ability

I think the furthest I've driven in one day is SE London to Campbelltown, about 550 miles.

My dad drove us from Ilford (east London) to Aviemore in a single day, back in 1989.

And so terrified you into travelling everywhere by train?

Was your Dad racing a Class 47 over Drumochter?

My wife and I travelled on a class 47 over Drumochter many times

I once drove 650 miles in a day from Achiltibuie to Islington. It was downhill all the way.

I noted with a mild sadness after looking at Google maps and then cross checking a few months ago that the Hydroponicum seems to be long gone.

The best named tourist attraction ever.

It was named by Robert Irving, owner of the Summer Isles Hotel and father of Castaway Lucy. Originally just a collection of poly tunnels on the croft below the hotel, to provide fresh veg for the guests, it was later developed as a tourist destination with Wester Ross bananas a headline attraction. Sadly it cost far more to run than it could ever recoup in ticket money and eventually it was demolished. The site has now reverted to a community garden and it looked a bit forlorn when I was there in June.

And the hotel is being revamped and not due to reopen until 2027.

Does the bacon in a bacon sandwich sizzle?

As a good Muslim boy I've never eaten anything pig related because I observe Leviticus 11:4 devoutly.

A friend’s husband moved to Scotland as a young man from Pakistan. He was staying in a guest house and the landlady offered him bacon for breakfast. He had not heard of this substance, so sensibly checked whether it was pork. The landlady said, “No, it’s bacon.” Being a polite young man, he therefore accepted what he was offered and ate it, and enjoyed it. A week later he discovered the unfortunate truth and immediately changed his breakfast option. Fortunately, Allah is all-forgiving.

Anyway, the bacon only sizzles while it is cooking or for a very short time (seconds) afterwards.

I tried to persuade an observant Jewish friend to try bacon-flavoured crisps on the grounds that the contents were entirely 'chemical' and no animal products were cited in the ingredients. "I'll ask God and let you know," was his response. He never did, so I guess God said "No".

“The Talmud cites many stories of a pious and scholarly woman by the name of Yalta. She would often seek out kosher foods that tasted like forbidden foods. Yalta once asked her husband, the renowned sage Rav Nachman, to find her something which tastes like blood which the Torah forbids us to partake. He cooked for her a piece of liver, which is permitted, but has a blood-like taste. The commentaries are bewildered why Yalta would often be looking for foods which tasted like forbidden ones?!

One classical commentary, Maharsha, offers an explanation based on the above discussion of Maimonides. One should desire to eat the non-kosher, but refrain from doing so because of the decree of the Torah. Yalta, in her great piety, aspired to fulfill the mitzvah of kosher only to perform the will of God. She therefore purposely created a yearning to consume forbidden foods by partaking in permitted items which tasted like them.

My family and I once took a tour of a non-kosher chocolate factory and at the end they offered a free taste of all the chocolates you can eat. I felt that we truly fulfilled the mitzvah by refraining when that chocolate looked and smelled so good! (Needless to say, we were sure to make it up to the kids for their willpower by rewarding them afterwards with other treats.)

In summary, you are correct that there is nothing negative about eating imitation non-kosher food. By doing so, besides enjoying the taste, you have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Yalta and enhance your fulfillment of the mitzvah of kashrut. Not only is this not contradictory to the spirit of the law, it's a chance to augment your performance of the mitzvah.”

https://aish.com/kosher-bacon-bits/

@____PM1O

Donald Trump winning a Peace Prize is like Fred West winning Gardener of the year.

It's not that, it's getting an organisation which has no business awarding a peace prize - and likely had no intention to ever do so - to invent one for you that grates. And because he is so powerful even though us muggins can point that out, other people more powerful than us are forced to take it seriously and pretend it is not an obvious sap to his vanity. All of that is separate to the merits of his peace efforts or the awards given to others.

I don’t think anyone’s taking it seriously, are they? Maybe some hardcore MAGA types…

Thing is, who's laughing hardest, us at him or him at us?

I think Trump is so full of himself that he actually believes he is the recipient of some great and deserved award. But I find it hard to believe that beyond a few young, naive, football fans — maybe some 12 year old in Brazil — anyone thinks better of Trump because of this award.

It's possible he knows it's absurd and that's part of the pleasure. The ultimate point (and thrill) of power in the hands of a tyrant is to abuse it. Of course he is full of himself and he isn't the brightest, so maybe he does also half believe it. God knows really. It's just a pity we have to concern ourselves with him. Still, it won't be forever. Tick tick tick ...

Does the bacon in a bacon sandwich sizzle?

As a good Muslim boy I've never eaten anything pig related because I observe Leviticus 11:4 devoutly.

A friend’s husband moved to Scotland as a young man from Pakistan. He was staying in a guest house and the landlady offered him bacon for breakfast. He had not heard of this substance, so sensibly checked whether it was pork. The landlady said, “No, it’s bacon.” Being a polite young man, he therefore accepted what he was offered and ate it, and enjoyed it. A week later he discovered the unfortunate truth and immediately changed his breakfast option. Fortunately, Allah is all-forgiving.

Anyway, the bacon only sizzles while it is cooking or for a very short time (seconds) afterwards.

I tried to persuade an observant Jewish friend to try bacon-flavoured crisps on the grounds that the contents were entirely 'chemical' and no animal products were cited in the ingredients. "I'll ask God and let you know," was his response. He never did, so I guess God said "No".

Given the Orthodox Jewish cleave to the letter of the law over spirit of the law, I'm surprised!