08/23/2015 archive

As timely as ever.

This is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future.

Find the past “On This Day in History” here.

August 23 is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 130 days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day in 1902, pioneering cookbook author Fannie Farmer, who changed the way Americans prepare food by advocating the use of standardized measurements in recipes, opens Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery in Boston. In addition to teaching women about cooking, Farmer later educated medical professionals about the importance of proper nutrition for the sick.

Farmer was born March 23, 1857, and raised near Boston, Massachusetts. Her family believed in education for women and Farmer attended Medford High School; however, as a teenager she suffered a paralytic stroke that turned her into a homebound invalid for a period of years. As a result, she was unable to complete high school or attend college and her illness left her with a permanent limp. When she was in her early 30s, Farmer attended the Boston Cooking School. Founded in 1879, the school promoted a scientific approach to food preparation and trained women to become cooking teachers at a time when their employment opportunities were limited. Farmer graduated from the program in 1889 and in 1891 became the school’s principal. In 1896, she published her first cookbook, The Boston Cooking School Cookbook, which included a wide range of straightforward recipes along with information on cooking and sanitation techniques, household management and nutrition. Farmer’s book became a bestseller and revolutionized American cooking through its use of precise measurements, a novel culinary concept at the time.

Cookbook fame

Fannie published her most well-known work, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, in 1896. Her cookbook introduced the concept of using standardized measuring spoons and cups, as well as level measurement. A follow-up to an earlier version called Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book, published by Mary J. Lincoln in 1884, the book under Farmer’s direction eventually contained 1,849 recipes, from milk toast to Zigaras à la Russe. Farmer also included essays on housekeeping, cleaning, canning and drying fruits and vegetables, and nutritional information.

The book’s publisher (Little, Brown & Company) did not predict good sales and limited the first edition to 3,000 copies, published at the author’s expense. The book was so popular in America, so thorough, and so comprehensive that cooks would refer to later editions simply as the “Fannie Farmer cookbook”, and it is still available in print over 100 years later.

Farmer provided scientific explanations of the chemical processes that occur in food during cooking, and also helped to standardize the system of measurements used in cooking in the USA. Before the Cookbook’s publication, other American recipes frequently called for amounts such as “a piece of butter the size of an egg” or “a teacup of milk.” Farmer’s systematic discussion of measurement – “A cupful is measured level … A tablespoonful is measured level. A teaspoonful is measured level.” – led to her being named “the mother of level measurements.”

I still have my copy.

“Punting the Pundits” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.

Thanks to ek hornbeck, click on the link and you can access all the past “Punting the Pundits”.

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The Sunday Talking Heads:

This Week with George Stephanopolis: The guests o Sunday’s “This Week” are: GOP presidential candidates Donald Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley.

The roundtable guests are: TIME editor Nancy Gibbs; National Review editor Rich Lowry; Yahoo News national political columnist Matt Bai; Republican strategist Ana Navarro; and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Face the Nation: Host John Dickerson’s guests are: GOP presidential candidates Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ).

His panel guests are: TIME‘s Michael Scherer; Politico‘s Manu Raju; Ruth Marcus and Anne Gearan, both of the Washington Post.

Meet the Press with Chuck Todd: The guests on this Sunday’s “MTP” are: Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina; and California Gov. Jerry Brown (D).

The political panel guests are: Alfonso Aguilar, Executive Director, American Principles Project’s Latino Partnership; Susan Page, USA TODAY; Jon Ralston, Reno-Gazette Journal; and Amy Walter, The Cook Political Report.

State of the Union with Jake Tapper: Mr. Tapper will have an exclusive interview with GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson and Democratic presidential candidate former Sen. Jim Webb (VA).

His panel guests are: Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress; Kevin Madden; former Rep. Bakari Sellers (D-SC); and S.E. Cupp, CNN contributor.

ell, we’re back racing again. Here’s a piece at The Guardian evaluating the season so far by team from Mercedes to Manor.

Has Success Spoiled Formula One?

By BRAD SPURGEON, The New York Times

AUG. 21, 2015

“The words that I would use to describe it is that it is too perfect,” said Gil de Ferran, who worked at the Honda team a decade ago and who won the Indianapolis 500 as a driver. “People got too good at it. They are very, very good. So you don’t see anymore the imperfections, the human factor as clearly. The cars don’t break down, they don’t blow up. Nothing happens.”

…

Mercedes had only been guilty of achieving what every team and driver had always aimed to do.

“As a driver, think about this for a second, what is the perfect race?” de Ferran asked. “The perfect race is when I put the car on the pole, and I get the perfect start and each lap I pull away by a few tenths. Which is also possibly the most boring race you could think of.”

In a totally wrongheaded move Formula one is moving to further communications restrictions.  There is a new start rule that restricts communications between the car and pit about clutch settings.  Mark Webber for one worries this could lead to a rash of stalls and subsequent collisions.

Lotus in financial trouble.  Charles Pic is suing over their commitment to him as a driver (for which he paid, mind you) and he’s secured a court order impounding the cars after the race.  Gosjean qualified 4th but was dropped 5 grids for a gearbox replacement.  Alsonso and Button on the other hand will have to start from the back due to changes in their Honda power plant.

Renault evaluating F1 commitment.  Because of the poor performance of its engine and the dissatisfaction of Red Bull, their primary team, they are deciding whether to quit all together or buy a team.

The Guardian has a financial state of play article about the acquisition of Formula One by the Quatari Sovereign Wealth Fund and RSE Investments (owners of the Miami Dolphins).  The Russian GP could become a night race.

Driver gossip- Raikkonen has a new contract with Ferrari.  Jenson Button’s house was broken in to, and there is some speculation he and his wife may have been gassed.  Hamilton was caught playing with fully automatic weapons (perfectly legal if the people you’re renting time from have the right paperwork and you can afford it).  Kvyat was fined for not paying attention and unsafe release from pit lane.

There were several shaky incidents in practice.  There were 4 penalties in Qualifying penalties, all due to engine woes.  Grosjean got 5 Grids for his gearbox (as previously mentioned ); Alonso, Button, and Verstappen got 30, 25, and 18 Grids for exceding Engine Allowance.  Grosjean will start 9th, Verstappen 18th, and Button and Alonso will start 19th and 20th.

On offer are Mediums and Softs.  Rosberg had a huge blowout in Practice.  Rain is expected, but it always is at Spa.

• Spa
• Also Spa

Mid-Season standings below (pretty tables).

Migrants crisis: More than 2,000 people rescued near Libya coast

 



More than 2,000 migrants and refugees have been rescued from boats off the coast of Libya in one of the biggest single-day operations mounted, Italy’s coastguards have said.

Distress calls came from more than 20 vessels, AFP reported.

More than 2,000 people have died this year in attempts to reach Europe in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats.

The route from Libya to Italy is one of the busiest for those trying to enter Europe.

Of the 264,500 migrants the United Nations says have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year, close to 104,000 have landed in Italy. Another 160,000 arrived in Greece.

Two Italian navy ships were involved in Saturday’s rescue effort. Responding to two wooden boats in danger of sinking, the Cigala Fulgosi picked up 507 people and the Vega 432, the navy said.

Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover  we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it’s PhilJD’s fault.

Breakfast Tune: Folk Alley Sessions: Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn – “Little Birdie”

Folk Alley Sessions: Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn perform “Little Birdie” from their album “Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn”.

Recorded at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, October, 2014

Today in History

Published on Aug 22, 2011 Nazis and Soviets sign a non-aggression pact on eve of World War II; Sacco and Vanzetti executed; Defrocked priest John Geoghan killed; Movie star Rudolph Valentino and Broadway’s Oscar Hammerstein die. (Aug. 23)

Something to Think about, Breakfast News & Blogs Below