What is that? (Τι είναι αυτό;) 2007

I've just joined Niume and this is my first post there

English Expressions and Idioms About Nature

 A few expressions you will remember, I hope, and nice nature photographs to accompany and illustrate them.  Do take a look.

Taking Thrift to New Depths

Am I going mad?....Don't answer that!

Poor dear, she can't help it

  
I've just spent over an hour mending four-year-old pants which cost less than £2 each to start with! 

 Not exactly cost-effective, but quite relaxing to sit and watch an old film on TV whilst industriously sewing away.

 
Retirement is a far cry from my old custom of being a workaholic.

I'm Thinking of You - a Fun Postcard

I'm Thinking of You - a bit of a bombshell - humor Postcard by GloriousConfusion
Look at Humor Postcards online at Zazzle.com

This will show them!

Dynamite Time Bomb Tough iPhone 6 Plus Case by GloriousConfusion
View another iPhone 6 Plus Case at Zazzle

In London Darkness Only Lies Within the Mind

This is my poem on YouTube:

John Parker's Guest Blog October 7th 2014 T05:14:24.366-07:00 - Is this still relevant on January 2nd 2016?

Is the Spanish Street Protest the Start of the Broad Masses of the World Confronting Global Capitalism?

 Spanish students have taken over a square in Madrid - hopefully this will be the start of the Western World telling the banking institutions and the IMF that the broad masses are not going to pay for their bungling greed, and that the broad masses are going to tell the bnanking systems and their representatives that the slate should be wiped clean and that the banking systems will all start again from scratch.

What they are saying on their placards is that they are not going to pay, but Spain on its own could not achieve that without global capitalism.

The banks say we're broke, you bailed us out.  We've taken your money and you will now have to be poor for another decade, but we'll still pay ourselves bonuses out of your money.

The demonstators in  Madrid hopefully will be followed by the rest of the Western broad mass of people and none of us will suffer for the banks' greed and bungling.

Spain, Greece and France are all shouting, but not together - it needs at least the Western European countries to be really demonstrating together and to tell the large corporations and their bganking stystems that we're not going to pay for their greed and mistakes, and hopefully the American people as well.

This happened in Central America, when Cuba led the Central American countries and told the IMF clearly that they were not paying, in the early 80's.  And it was very funny because the IMF said"you've got to pay - have some more money from us so that you can do so."  Then everything fell silent.

What are we to read into it?  That the IMF didn't want other poor countries following suit?

They offered to lend the Cubans more money in order for the Cubans to keep up with their payments.  We don't know whether Cuba accepted the money or not, because everything went silent.  If Cuba had indeed borrowed more money, they would not have been able to repay it.  The whole situation is ridiculous, because if they can't pay money that they owe, why lend them more?  Only to prop up Capitalism which had collapsed.

We have never heard anything about it since then and don't know whether the Cuban debt was written off or not. A UK representative was at the IMF talks, but the Public weren't told of the outcome.

The reason we are currently in debt is because the financial institutions are lending the broad masses more when they can't repay it.  It is a mere pretence of paying.

The IMF is like a bank, and the countries are like the bank customers.  The countries are run and owned by large corporations and we don't have a say about how our financial affairs are run.  But, for the first time, we see Western people - the Spanish unemployed - saying "we're not paying!"

For Spain to win, all the other countries would have to follow suit. I wonder what would happen - would it be like Cuba in the 1980's?  Because of the silence, we don't know what happened. Would it be "Don't give us more money, we'll give you more money so that you can continue to pay us", or would the debt be written
 off?

How Relevant is this Article at the Beginning of 2016?

I Have Just Designed This iPhone Samsung Galaxy 6s Cover on Zazzle

Red Hollyhock Design Samsung Galaxy 6s Cover Tough iPhone 6 Plus Case by GloriousConfusion
Check out another iPhone 6 Plus Case

First I took a photograph of some beautiful red hollyhocks in my garden, and then I played around with the photo on Photoshop, adding swirls and whirls, until I created this design.

It would make a lovely present for a lovely lady, don't you think? ......Worth thinking about, anyway.

Actually, you can go on Zazzle and design your own items, from T-Shirts to posters, and everything you can think of in between, using your own pictures and designs - it's quite fun, once you've got the hang of it.
Do follow the link above, and have a look.
 

Skulls and Hearts - Gothic Halloween

A fun page with Gothic #Halloween, #skulls and hearts, a Poll, posters,T-shirts and other products

Gothic Skulls and Hearts - Very Trendy!

I used to have a little white skeleton dangling from a key-ring when I was a teenager, in the 1950s. I loved that skeleton, and even had a name for him - Skelly. I took him everywhere.

Of course, although I didn't know it at the time, that was the precursor of Gothic style as we know it today.
People thought I was ghoulish or just plain weird, a little girl carrying round horrid things like that. Not that I cared - I always liked to be different, and still do. I would be a bit sad if people thought of me as ordinary, or normal - not that I make a point nowadays of standing out in a crowd, but I don't necessarily conform to what other people think I should be, and prefer to choose what I think I should be.

I'd like to show you a great selection of Gothic style here - including Jewelry, Cards, and Artwork

Skulls are trendy this season. When they are connected with romantic hearts you have weird somewhat tongue-in-cheek symbolism, of the loving you to death or loving for eternity genre

What's this all about? Gothic things, of course!

You might want to buy these items for Valentine's Day or Halloween , but they can be used all-year-round

I'm going to show you a few Gothic posters, some jewelry,  and cards  all featuring skulls and/or hearts. There are also lots of Ghoulish pictures to keep your attention

A Gothic Poster - Spiral Assassin - This fellow looks dangerous!

 

Spiral Assassin - Buy This on Allposters

 

A Skull and Heart Poster

 

Toma Mi Corazon

Abril Andrade

Buy This at Allposters.com

 

Hearts and Skulls Pendant Necklace:

 

 Skull Heart Pendant - Collectible Medallion Necklace Accessory Jewelry

this is my personal favorite skull pendant

for women - very decorative

 Buy Now

See Below for My Zazzle Skull Designs - I've done quite a few:

Glorious Confusion on Zazzle

My Zazzle Skeleton and Skull Designs - Is there anything you like?

You Can Get this Skeleton Design on an Apron, Card, or iPad Cover, on Zazzle. You can even insert your own wording, or choose the colour and style of your items. Zazzle is just such a pleasure to play about with:

Apron - Skeletons

by GloriousConfusion

 

 

And this Skull design comes on a T-shirt, card or mug:

T-Shirt - Burning Skull by GloriousConfusion

 

What do you think of the Gothic Hearts and Skulls fashion trend? - Does it show disrespect for the dead? Is it an abuse of symbolism?

  

Lets see what you all thinkAfter all, we're all gonna die sometime!

 

NO SEW CUT OUT SHIRT | HEART DIY

Lisa Pullano

 

 Sexy Skull Nails

How to Draw a Skull

How to Draw a Skull:

Gangnam Style Parody - Whitby Gothic Style:

That's all for now, folks - don't forget to leave a comment below

 

Cheap Gifts - Pendant Earrings Made by me – Mostly £5.50 or $9

I've made a whole lot of earrings which I am now selling in my online Etsy shop Glorious Confusion

The Greek Bailout Explained

(A jolly little piece which is currently doing the rounds on the Internet)

It is a slow day in a little Greek Village. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted.

Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.

On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the village, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.

The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.

The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.

The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the taverna.

The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit.

The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.

The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything.

At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory,   pockets the money, and leaves town.

No one produced anything.

No one earned anything.

However, the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.

And that is how the bailout package works!

http://www.zazzle.co.uk/the_maid_of_muswell_with_patrons_canvas_10_x_8-192164621721350373?

The Maid of Muswell and its Patrons in North London -

You can buy this painting on stretched canvas on Zazzle - 

in my Zazzle Shop GloriousConfusion

Morris dancer novice 35 secs 20150606

I designed this Red Hollyhock iPad 6 Cover

I had a photo of some lovely hollyhocks in my back garden, and I just played around with Photoshop until I made this design.  I hope you like it. 

You can buy it on Zazzle if you want to - see the link below the picture

How to Make Custard the Easy Way, to go With Pudding and Trifle

The Secret of Making Smooth Custard to pour over your Pudding

Custard is a delicious accompaniment to any pudding -
but does your custard turn out lumpy?

What goes wrong? How do you stop the lumps forming in the first place, or, if necessary, get rid of the lumps in your custard once you've made it?

The secret of lump-free custard is revealed below, and you can benefit from my experience gleaned from making custard regularly whilst I was helping to run a restaurant.

These are the Things You Need to Make Custard

- A jug,
- a measuring jug,
- a measuring spoon,
- a spoon for stirring,
- custard powder,
- milk,
- sugar,
- and, of course, a saucepan

Bird's Custard Powder

Bird's custard powder is the one I always use, although there are other brands of custard powder on the market

It has a lovely smooth texture, and is the custard powder I have used all my life.

I was very pleased to see that you can buy it in America as well as in the UK!

Buy Now

Method for Making Perfect Custard:

It's so easy to make custard - just follow the instructions on the packet or tin

This is the easy way to make custard from a packet or tin – not the gourmet’s way of starting from scratch, using eggs.

We haven’t got time for all that, have we?

As long as it’s quick, simple to make, and tastes nice, that’s all we need worry about.

That’s what you have here, in this recipe, which has been good enough for my family ever since I was a child. And that speaks volumes, because in my family, we all love our food.

• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 3 minutes
• Total Time: 6 minutes including cooking

Ingredients

• 2-3 heaped dessert spoons Powdered Custard
• 1 pint of milk or you can use half milk and half water
• 1-2 dessert spoons of sugar

Instructions

1. Basically, you put about 3/4 pint of milk (or part milk, part water although they don't tell you that) to heat up in a saucepan.
2. Put the required amount of custard powder with l or 2 dessert spoons of sugar, according to how sweet you like it, into a large jug.
3. Add about a tablespoon full of milk and mix to a smooth paste. Then gradually add a little of the warmed milk, and again mix to a smooth paste. Gradually add all the milk to the jug, and mix thoroughly,
4. Then pour the whole mixture into the saucepan, and stir furiously whilstheating it slowly on a low heat, to ensure that lumps don't form, being careful to scrape the bottom and sides. Let it bubble and boil for a minute, and you should have smooth and beautiful custard without a lump in sight.
5. If you have not followed my instructions to the letter, you might have a few lumps, and, as lumpy custard is an abomination, pass the mixture through a strainer into a jug. The strainer will hold back all the lumps.

The Secret of Making Smooth Custard Without Lumps:

Lumpy custard is disgusting!

Have patience:

- Ensure powder is completely
   mixed with liquid
- Add heated milk to mixture in jug
- Mix thoroughly
- Only then pour whole lot into saucepan
- Boil slowly
- Stir constantly
- Squash all lumps as they form

Do you like cream or sauce on your desserts?

See How You Measure Up Against Other Pollsters

What do you like on your puddings and desserts?

I like cream

I like chocolate sauce

I like custard

I don't have sauces on my puddings beause I'm too thin

Pudding? What's that? Are you having a laugh?

All or any of them, in any combination

  Show the poll results

A Cusinair Food Processor Would Help You With the Heavy Work in Your Kitchen

Amazon's product description: ".. slices whole fruits and vegetables, kneads bread dough and minces garlic with amazing ease. ...bowl is heat-resistant, cold-resistant and shatterproof. ... includes chopping and dough blades. Exclusive how-to video offers tips and techniques. Easy to clean."

I love my food processor - I have had it for about thirty years and it hasn't let me down - I use it a lot, for chopping, grating and mixing a great variety of foods, and it's great for liquidizing soup if you like it smooth

Buy Now

Like This Lens Web Page? - I need a little love!

How to Make Custard

If so, please spare a minute to rate it - give a thumbs-up

Your approval would greatly help me - thank you
      It's really good to get feedback

                                                 

 

Some of my Foodie Designs on Zazzle

You Can Get these Designs on a Card, Mug, Shopping Bag, T-Shirt , Apron or Button, on Zazzle

You can even insert your own wording, or choose the colour and style of your items. Zazzle is just such a pleasure to play about with:
                                                 
Shopping Bag – 5 Red Tomatoes on the Vine by GloriousConfusion
Create your own bag at Zazzle.

                                                 
Apron – Five Tomatoes Ripened on the Vine by GloriousConfusion
Make custom print aprons at zazzle.com

                                                 
Red Hollyhocks Mugs by GloriousConfusion
Check out Hollyhocks Mugs online at zazzle

                                                 
Apron – "I Love Yummy Home Cooking" Cake by GloriousConfusion
Many more cooking aprons online at zazzle
See more of my designs in my Zazzle Store: Glorious Confusion

How to Cook Roast Turkey or Chicken

Kitchenware on eBay

Why not join an eBay auction and get a Foodie bargain?

A Small Non-Stick Saucepan and Lid for Your Custard

This one is just the right size

Cuisinart 619-16 Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 1-1/2-Quart Saucepan with Lid

Buy Now

Non-stick is best for milky products which do otherwise tend to stick to the pan. Amazon is selling this model well below the list price, so grab it while you can.

Edit

Vanilla Custard Powder

A real treat to pour over your Pudding

Laziza Falooda Mix Kesar 200-Gram Boxes (Pack of 6)

Buy Now

Vanilla has a clean, distinctive flavor - you'll love it!

Leave a Comment - What are your thoughts about custard?

Don't be a cowardy-custard, spill the beans and say what you think

What’s on your mind?
Naturally, if you wish to expand into more of an essay, that’s fine too!

It’s just nice to know who has been visiting

The Sightless - A Short Film

The Sightless - an Eerie Film

First Published on May 3, 2014 by 2nd Year Students, University of Bolton, UK

A short film loosely based on Maurice Maeterlinck' play 'Les aveugles'. 

Very atmospheric.

Have a Bit of Fun with a Blue-Flashing Kettle

This kettle is such fun - it lights up and flashes blue lights all the time it's heating up....And it's efficient too.

 See my Squidoo review of a similar kettle:

Ovente Glass Electric Kettle with Flashing Blue Lights

Here's a photo of my own kettle - I just love it: 

 

Women's Rights in Afghanistan

What is it Like to be a Woman in Afghanistan?
                                                                                 

Image: BBC News - South Asia

We all hear snippets of news about how women are treated in Afghanistan, and a little about women's rights in that part of the world, but it was only when I read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini that I really began to realize the full horror of what it was like to be a woman in a culture which values women merely as child-bearing slaves.

 It would not be unreasonable to say that, by Western standards, women's rights in most of Afghanistan are precarious or non-existent.

 Women must obey their husbands, and all the males in their household, including younger brothers.  Even boys treat their mothers in ways which we would consider disrespectful.

Domestic violence (one-way naturally) is normal.  It is not illegal for the men of the household to beat a woman by way of chastisement if she does not do as they wish, and sometimes even the woman's mother-in-law will join in to beat and punish her .  There is no such concept as marital rape, and women do not have any say in the mode or frequency of sex. Basically she is treated as a slave, to do the housework, and to do what her husband and his family tell her to do.  Before marriage, she must obey the males in her household.

In some communities, an Afghan woman must not be seen outside the home without being covered with a burkha from head to toe including her mouth, and nose.  In some cases even her eyes are covered by gauze so that they can't be seen.  Imagine having to walk around in temperatures soaring above 100 degrees muffled up like that so that you don’t attract men's attention and arouse their evil desires. It makes you wonder what sort of animals the men must be if the mere sight of a woman's nose is sufficient to ignite uncontrollable passions. It brings to mind something Golda Meir said many years ago, that if men can't control themselves when they see a woman, it should be the men who are put under curfew, not the women. 

Afghan women must not talk to strange men or any male who is not part of their family, and, of course, must never have physical contact with any man to whom she is not married.

Even if she treads carefully and conducts herself according to the morality of the society in which she lives, the Afghan woman is still likely to be subjected to beatings, but would normally avoid serious injury, such as public stoning, and public whipping, judicially decreed by the local mullah, not to mention  assault by family members such as having boiling water or acid thrown over her. 

Oh, and I almost forgot – if an Afghan woman brings shame on her family, by refusing to marry the man chosen for her or to whom she has been sold or exchanged for land or other favors,  or if she has a relationship with a man, or behaves in any way which could be viewed as unseemly, her own family might feel morally bound to murder her. Quaintly enough, this would be considered to be an honour killing and would be socially acceptable.

Three thought-provoking films from YouTube about what it’s like to be a woman in Afghanistan.