Here's some positive things that we can do: Stop flying off on overseas holidays, stop buying airfreighted goods (including books and stuff bought online), start supporting reforestation projects in NZ, support native wildlife, euthenase feline and canine pets.

Wear hair shirts, fast, pray...

(Come on, books shipped from overseas? That's…

euthenase feline and canine pets

Yeah, good luck with that. (I'm not saying all the other things I'm thinking here.)

Also: a well-looked-after family dog in a fenced garden is really unlikely to kill a native bird. Mine spends most of her time snoring on the foot of my bed,…

Your pets are even so important to you that you would ignore my other suggestions. Even though they are all positive in their own right.

And yet we criticise the Indonesians for placing their…

Here's some positive things that we can do: Stop flying off on overseas holidays, stop buying airfreighted goods (including books and stuff bought online), start supporting reforestation projects in NZ, support native wildlife, euthenase feline and canine pets.

If you could not suggest I get rid of members of my…

Compared with other things (like cattle) palms seems a pretty efficient…

I wonder if that milk tastes soapy?

Heh! Check out the record of the sandalwood industry.
Like Isabel said...

I guess it is good we don't have many guests.I'll inform the Bush Fairy Dairy next time I am up that way because they like to support the friendly stuffs.:)

I guess the palm oil is the only contentious ingredient ?

Heh! Check out the record of the sandalwood industry.
Like Isabel said...

It shouldn't be this hard to be green and vegetarian and non-stinky.

What you want to track down is a pure Castile or Marseille soap. These are green coloured soaps sometimes sold in large cubes and are made from 100% olive oil. More likely to be found in a fancy-pants…

Do you happen to know which suppliers of soap use beef fat?

There are a few which are primarily beef tallow based such as the "Simple" brand of soap, but even this still puts in a good slug of palm oil – just not as much.
There are others -…

You want chocolate snobbery? Course you do. Now you can buy Schoc on-line.

I'll see your chocolate snobbery and raise you: I don't especially care for Schoc. Their shells are too thick for flavor balance, the chocolate is nothing amazing, and they don't seem to pay all that much attention…

I was also shocked to learn recently there's a feedlot or two around the place.

Me too. Appalling and unnecessary. A dreadful shame, and hopefully – given that it's so alien to most of us – something that can be quickly done away with.

Back to my steak/roast/cheese/vino/choc covered wafers. Yum.

fight club soap

Sustainable and renewable. W00t!

Does beef-based soap represent the Tallow Peril?

No, that's Indonesian and Malaysian soaps, ( sinetron ). They're perilous. But also quite clean.

Oh sheez. Soap? Washing my nether regions is now fraught with guilt? Is there not one single thing I can buy at the local supermarket which doesn't exploit…

A question perhaps best answered by potty-mouthed readers: does the beef-based soap taste any better than the palm-based?

Clearly it needs a warning on it "not for washing out the mouths of vegetarians".

Is there not one single thing I can buy at the local supermarket which doesn't exploit someone vulnerable or deforest something or exterminate an endangered species?

Wehn in doubt Danielle, always consult the Great wisdom of punk...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLbF1V4OkBA

beef-based soap

Gosh, that sounds *amazingly* wrong. :) It reminds me of 'nuts and gum: together at last!'

Long-time readers may recall the visit to these forums of Palm Oil Guy ...

During the recent earthquake, my thoughts were with one of his friends, a South Islander who lived in the bustling metropolis that is Homer Tunnel.

Long-time readers may recall the visit to these forums of Palm Oil Guy ...

Oh, happy happy days.

If you want to avoid it, the main alternative is beef fat (which will be listed as Sodium Tallowate). Ironically, palm based soap makers will often proudly state "contains no animal products"…

...just returned from protesting about Cadbury's use of palm oil at the annual Jaffa Race. (Not using the palm oil at the Jaffa race – you know what I mean).

I was away last week so a bit late to join the thread, but I wonder if those protesting about…

Logan, I believe we can actually tackle more than one issue at a time. I agree that those who eat industrially-farmed steaks and lamb roasts every day who point fingers at palm oil producers are suffering from a huge outbreak of hypocrisy.

As meat production goes, ours is less bad…

I agree about the far from benign impact of our own farming industries. Idiot/Savant has recently graphed their carbon impacts.

Folks look around you. We live in a country kept afloat by our own environmental devastation.

We, who produce meat, dairy and wine, are so sanctimonious about a product that happens to be one of the most productive plantation crops on the planet.

We…

Nine months into this government's first term we…

Sometimes it’s like Tze Ming never happened

Hey, doing my best to keep the spirit alive. Or is that what prompted your comment? I do miss her myself.

Thanks for the lecture.

Yeah, sorry. Not sure what brought that on – maybe a combination of reading too much Ralston in the Listener, plus the mental picture of all those PAS readers sitting around with their single malts and Fair Trade chocolates... Sometimes it’s like Tze Ming never happened*……

. . . the EU had a discussion 9 years ago about pretend chocolate such as what Cadbury sprews out.

I remember that, largely because of the angry Belgian who suggested that the Brits would be better off making suppositories from their dubious compound chocolate.

RIP Walter Cronkite.

Imagine today a television newsreader saying this?

"And that's the way it is"

Imagine today a television newsreader saying this?

Sooo Kyle .Does that mean your dad is Barry?

Yup.

IOW it makes you susceptible and there are good biological reasons why.

Step away from the chocolate bar.

I rather like the endorphin release that chocolate delivers to the brain.Not a huge fan but occasionally with a glass of red is what hits the spot.Chocolate in the right dosage is…

Baling

Frau Freud, please come and collect your slip... Balling is fun, and chocolate has its place in adult fun-time. But I meant "baking".

I know. I'm just sitting back to watch what Craig's going to say. Cos, Peter, he is not going to be happy. You know that. Right?

No I'm not, Jackie, but sanctimonious scolds (I'm not going to Godwin my pants by using the phrase 'Health Nazis') never get it. Do…

aerosol chocolate mousse crossed with pepper spray

you're still not going to get away with claiming that's a good as a great mexican chilli-chocolate ....

Are you really sure of what you're saying?

I propose that this be made into the tagline of The Internet. With scare quotes, thusly:

The Internet
"Are you really sure of what you're saying?"

On a completely different note, last night's Media7 programme is up for viewing online.

The episode numbering on this page is wonky Russell:

http://tvnz.co.nz/media7/s2009-e25-video-2848051

Two episode 24s.

I watched the 60 minutes interview as background to watching the media 7 show. I hope her new husband is the sort of…

Also, Peter, I'm not entirely sure if you realise how annoyingly rude you're being to Craig. If he jokingly notes his waistline on a public forum, that is absolutely…

. . . a can of special Craig whup arse.

There's an image to conjure with – aerosol chocolate mousse crossed with pepper spray, with maybe a touch of Liquid Wrench™.

The only chocolate-related problems I've got at the moment are a waistline spreading faster than coughing pig death,

according to an article in today's New Scientist out of those who have died from Swine 'flu in the US there are twice as many obese people who have died than…

all us girls in the village would spend months practising maypole dances

Aspects of Te Gathering suddenly make more sense. :)

Ah Sacha, now I see you know too much, I shall have to hunt you down and silence you – and I was leader of the outer strings two…

I'm afraid if you're eating any kind of chocolate more than at Christmas and on your birthday, then you're the problem, not the solution.

Cheers, mate. The only chocolate-related problems I've got at the moment are a waistline spreading faster than coughing pig death, and the kind of teeth that…

Well, it's about as sustainable as the glass-and-a-half of full cream milk. Production of both has involved the mass clearance of rainforest (with resultant extinctions), additions of artificial fertilisers (mined or petrochemicals), further degradation of the environment etc.

I'm afraid if you're eating any kind of chocolate more than at…

...the guy from Cadbury's was claiming their Palm Oil is "sustainably sourced". Is that possible ?

Well, it's about as sustainable as the glass-and-a-half of full cream milk. Production of both has involved the mass clearance of rainforest (with resultant extinctions), additions of artificial fertilisers (mined or petrochemicals), further degradation…

Having witnessed the activities…

all us girls in the village would spend months practising maypole dances

Aspects of Te Gathering suddenly make more sense. :)

About the palm oil – it's a real irony that Cadbury have succumbed, as they were supposedly the first to produce a an additive-free chocolate bar back in the 1860s with the slogan “Absolutely Pure: Therefore Best.”

The quaker connection is interesting. The original John…

Last night I watched that Macca concert that was linked to earlier. So good, but it also made me sad at the same time for the loss…

I was born and brought up in the UK in Bournville, Birmingham – the original home of Cadbury's. The factory is still there, and still makes chocolate.

I went to George Cadbury Infant and Junior Schools; every…

As one heterosexual man to another, thanks honey.

:)

I've come to terms with the fact…

Pure conjecture on my part.

That leaves me eating the limited range of Fair Trade certified products, but thinking many of these small and tasty-looking brands are probably safe. How can I know?

Fear not Martin – in the not too distant future you will be able to purchase a locally (Grey Lynn) produced bar…

I've just returned from protesting about Cadbury's use of palm oil at the annual Jaffa Race.

Hey good job Katie.

Oh my stars, you'll eat it with your eyes closed and won't want to open them again, it's that good.

So not to be eaten before appearing on TV then?

Regarding the Palm Oil thing, the guy from Cadbury's was claiming their Palm Oil is "sustainably sourced". Is that possible ? Bit like the Kwila decking issue ? How would the consumer "really" know.

I did a bit of googling on this the other day.

Cadbury get their oil via…

Friday link for all those folks loving their big gay weekend house anthems:
Calvin Harris – "Ready for the Weekend (High Contrast Remix)" available on Hype Machine

As one heterosexual man to another, thanks honey.

Also, if you want a mouth orgasm, get yourself some Clearview Sea Red dessert wine (it's a tiny bit salty from the grapes being grown so close to the sea) and…

Regarding the Palm Oil thing, the guy from Cadbury's was claiming their Palm Oil is "sustainably sourced". Is that possible ? Bit like the Kwila decking issue ? How would the consumer "really" know.

That's an important question for me; about child slavery even more than rainforests.

Wandered into Philippe's…

But otherwise, Whittakers over Cadburys any day.

putting it well on the road to wtf-is-this Hershey Hell anyway.

That road is more usually referred to as the Hershey Highway (just Google it).

So much for the glass and a half of full cream milk.

If every bar has a glass and half of full cream milk, and the size of the bars has dropped from about 250 grams to 200 grams, does that mean there is proportionally more milk in the chocolate?

Unless the buggers shrunk the glass size too...*g*

If every bar has a glass and half of full cream milk, and the size of the bars has dropped from about 250 grams to 200 grams, does that mean there is proportionally more milk in the chocolate?

That's why they couldn't fit so much chocolate in, and had to…

Calvin Harris – "Ready for the Weekend (High Contrast Remix)" available on Hype Machine

I think it is time there were some controls put on what can and can't be called Chocolate

I recall that under the current rules, if Cadbury's put 1+ per cent less cocoa mass in their dairy milk, it would not be chocolate.

It is important to the look and mouth-feel…

And stop closing your eyes on television

I think you might be being a little harsh there Russell, he did seem to have some sort of medical condition thing going on wih that left eyelid.

No worse than the way Miriama Smith talks out the side of her mouth either…

I will drop some round for you to compare

I am available if a third opinion would be useful. :)

Goes amazingly well with Tuatara Porter

Forgot that dark chocolate also likes black beer. Especially Miners or Monteiths. Mmmm.

Do they do their own conching? Would that make a difference?

No they do not Tom – conching has already been performed on the base that Callebaut supplies. I find that the roast imparts more flavour than the conch.

And you are right, there is nothing wrong with flavoured chocolate…

You want chocolate snobbery? Course you do. Now you can buy Schoc on-line. The strawberry and black pepper is awesome.

That is a nice flavour but you need the lime chilli for the win! :-D

Oh, and on the subject of chocolate. Green & Black's 70% cocoa dark chocolate is the…

Russell – next time I fire up the roaster (and associated equipment) to make some chocolate I will drop some round for you to compare.

That would be great!

Oh, and on the subject of chocolate. Green & Black's 70% cocoa dark chocolate is the perfect addition to a well made short black.

That'd be the Green & Black's owned by Cadbury I take it?

http://www.cadbury.com/ourbrands/featurebrands/Pages/GreenandBlacks2.aspx

Closed eyes is quite a good look.

Can't help but be reminded of this (from 00:40):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcGpVK0YKbA

All of this, of course, is making the siren song of the office vending machine…

I suppose it had to happen, given that Cadbury's has been doing their Old Gold brand for some time, and needed a point of difference between that and its other brands. You'd think they'd make the OG better rather than the DM worse, though.

So the Old Gold range hasn't…

Closed eyes is quite a good look.

My dad does it when interviewed on TV. It's always eyes closed – camera cuts to him – eyes open and come up and begin answer all at once. I don't think it looks great, but it must annoy the hell out of…

We need more of those old fellas on the box. Closed eyes is quite a good look.

Thank you, Andrew. I am told it shows thoughtfulness. :)

Nothing wrong with Grouse, James, but darker choc does work rather well. And better with the red wines too.

Don't…

actually it was the Lindt's that I was referring to as being excessively wimpy ....

I prefer to think of it as subtle ;-)

I really miss Mexican chocolate – the stuff with the evil chillis in it

May I recommend Lindt's chilli chocolate? It is dangerously easily available – our local dairy has it.

If I had a dollar for everyone of the beasties I have eaten...I would wander out and buy some more!

Also interesting to note that Whittakers is the only brand of NZ made chocolate that guarantees…

OMG. I have some 15 year old Glenfiddich at home.

sighs I guess it's Whittakers and Famous Grouse for me.

. . . sometimes chocolate is chocolate.

And then there's choc, as found in (usually) cheap confectionery and baked goods. I suspect that describing a product as "choc" whatever is a legal nicety which can be taken to mean that it contains no cocoa products, just solidified grease, sugar and…

Couldn't agree more about the training. But I wouldn't automatically assume that the complaint was generated…

I like Cadburys. Yes, Lindt etc is better, but sometimes chocolate is chocolate. Of course, I have no real taste for many other Finer Things either (see also:…

OMG. I have some 15 year old Glenfiddich at home. I shall test your theory tonight and report back.

That's the, er, spirit.

I thought of you in pretty much real time when she said that.

Well, I just don't believe that there was any ethical imperative or human empathy involved in the decision not to run that photo. I know Media7 could never do it, but it would be delicious to have…

It rather likes a single malt in the evenings as well.

OMG. I have some 15 year old Glenfiddich at home. I shall test your theory tonight and report back.

Oh, and on the subject of chocolate. Green & Black's 70% cocoa dark chocolate is the perfect addition to a well made short black.

It rather likes a single malt in the evenings as well.

Russell, last link on the page (on their home page) doesn't work for me.

Thanks, fixed now. Was suffering HTML blindness.

Put some Lily Allen on the stereo — you know the track.

I thought of you in pretty much real time when she said that.

I also feel I need to address comments I've heard from a couple of other journalists: to the effect that it was a bit rich for her to complain about media intrusion if she was going to give interviews.

Would these be the same people who were quite happy to…