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    Gaol stories

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    Last night we were in Crumlin Gaol listening to horror stories. The ancient building has been beautifully converted into McConnell’s Distillery with a bar and event space on the upper level. The stories were written by up and coming authors who delivered tales of ghostly apparitions, murder and mystery. There…

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  • Beauty… enough said

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    My distance learning course is proving irksome. The philosophers sharing their thoughts on aesthetics, Walton, Sibley, Mothersill and Carlson, are annoyingly long-winded. Can we make aesthetic judgements about nature in the same way we judge works of art? Thousands of words later it would seem not. Do we need different…

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  • Vichyssoise?

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    I went looking for a recipe for leek and potato soup in Mary Berry’s book ‘Soups, Starters and Salads’. The basic ingredients of leeks, onions and potatoes just need softening in chicken stock. The addition of chives, salt and pepper will improve the flavour. I have blitzed it in a…

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  • Vox pop

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    I get annoyed when reporters collar some random person  on the street to get their opinion on a topic of national interest. Why should we care what Joe Bloggs thinks about immigration? Do we know if he has reached a conclusion about the debate by informing himself of the relevant…

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    Mounjaro month two

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    I was encouraged to try the appetite suppressant drug designed for Type 2 diabetes sufferers. It is not currently available on the National Health Service unless you have a BMI of 40+. Fortunately, there is an initiative run by pharmacists that have less strict qualifying criteria. Unfortunately, you have to…

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    Beauty

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    Week two of my distance learning course in philosophy and I’m already playing catch up. The topic under discussion is Beauty and it is not as easy as it might sound. Platitudes like ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ don’t cut it with most philosophers. Do we need…

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  • Stout at Bullhouse East

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    My usual tipple at Bullhouse East is Rolling Papers, a quaffable beer. For a change today I sampled their two stouts, one a malty 7.5 %, El Capitan, the other a happier 4.2%. Needless to say I opted for Big Fish, the hoppy stout. The music is chilled out, the stout…

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  • Rugby…but not as we know it

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    Last season Ulster couldn’t win a game. Handling errors, poor tackling and missed kicks put them near the bottom of the URC league. Their opponents this evening finished top of the league and deserved their standing. Expectations for this year’s encounter weren’t high, so when Ulster fronted up and challenged…

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  • Ulster Museum art

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    I like to go to the 5th floor of the Ulster Museum. Not only do you get a great view of wicker dragons hanging high above the atrium, but that’s where you will find the art exhibitions. There is an exhibition of Japanese war photographer, Akihiko Okamura’s photos of the…

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  • Kale soup recipe

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    If you were wondering how to make kale interesting without smothering it in a vinaigrette dressing, kale soup is one option that I would recommend… This recipe is easy to follow. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-kale-soup I improvised with half the quantity of kale, substituting broccoli and corn. It turned out very tasty.

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