30 May, 2011: Death by Cucumber
Mad cow disease, foot and mouth, swine flu and bird fllu... oh how the vegetarians laughed.
Now we have death by cucumber. With 14 dead already and more than 300 seriously ill in Germany alone, and with cases in several other European countries, who's laughing now? Okay, meat eaters who also like cucumbers (like me) are not laughing, but still. Even worse:
Suspicion has fallen on organic cucumbers from Spain imported by Germany but then re-exported to other European countries, or exported directly by Spain.
link and
link and also
Food poisoning reminds us that bacteria do have sex‎
Fortunately, all the cucumbers in our local shops are grown in Australia, so for now we are safe.
P.S. I hope you appreciate that I gave this iotd the date "30 May" even though it is already half way through 31 May here in southern Australia, as I know it focks with the minds of some of youse in the USA when we do that.
Yeah, but ... what a way to go!
What?
I always knew they were teh evil!
Roll on the Great Peanut Butter and Banana Poisoning Epidemics* of 2011 I say.
Then you'll see how right I was.
* Disclaimer: I do not actually want anyone to die from this.
Just have an inconvenient side effect for a while.
Aren't they going to question it first?
Fourteen people have died in Germany and hundreds are ill from infections linked to contaminated vegetables.
"We hope the number of cases will go down but we fear it will worsen," said Oliver Grieve
How would the number go down? Would we get cucumber undead?
Death by cucumber makes me think of that old "death by mau mau" joke.
Death by cucumber makes me think of that old "death by bunga bunga" joke.
This picture makes me feel uneasy. And inadequate.
[YOUTUBE]hpiIWMWWVco[/YOUTUBE]
Death by cucumber makes me think of that old "death by mau mau" joke.
It might be an old joke, but this surely has to be the best version.
The Death by Mau Mau sketch from The League of Gentlemen.
The reason the audience laugh in appreciation (and the reason it's... slightly overacted?) is because this is the live tour of the TV show.
[youtube]UZAgPvEy-pw[/youtube]
The Spanish subtitles are an added pleasure.
why aren't there any aspirins in the jungle..?
The parrots ate 'em all! hahah.
Reminds me of the generic name for Viagra: Micoxafailin. (variation- Midixaflopppin.)
:D
Argh, forgot you call paracetemol "Tylenol"...
Glad it travelled for you at least.
Oh, btw?
The above vid are the people I refer to ALL the time.
Steve & Reece (left and centre) are in the middle of Psychoville on TV and Reece is in Betty Blue Eyes in the West End (musical based on A Private Practice)
Mark (left) has a Doctor Who episode coming up this year.
ETA - Scotchman is a misnomer, being used for comedy purposes. Scotch is a drink. Scotsman, Scot or Scots is better.
I'd never heard of paracetemol until this very moment.
Tylenol is acetaminophen.
So, I'm confused.
So am I.
I thought P = T.
Monster?
MONSTAAAAAAR!?!?!?!?!?!
(usually easier than bothering Wiki)
ETA - you never watched the League DVD I sent you?
Hey, of course it's okay if you didn't like it - it is NOT to everyone's taste. Even in my family!
But if you still have it, do forward it on to another Merkin. They might like it.
Well, PV = nRT, if that's what you mean.
Paracetamol is Tylenol #3 (that's the kind with Codiene. You need a prescription for it here).
Also, over here "Mau-Mau" is "Bunga-Bunga."
Probably creeping PC, as Mau-Mau has a specific, unpleasant meaning.
And "Bunga-Bunga" is a lot funnier.
I'm allergic to codiene.
It gives me headaches and makes me vomit.
I found this out when I was prescribed it for consistent headaches and nausea.
(GERMANY) -- In Germany health officials have reported 365 new cases - 100 of which are serious – of a highly virulent form of an E.coli bacterial outbreak that continues to spread across Europe.
The outbreak, which is linked to contaminated vegetables, has killed 16 people and made more than 1,500 people sick in Germany, Sweden and other countries since it came to light in the middle of May.
Health officials expect many more sick people to flood hospitals and clinics with the bug in the coming days.
http://www.skyvalleychronicle.com/BREAKING-NEWS/IN-GERMANY-365-NEW-CASES-OF-VIRULENT-E-COLI-FOOD-POISONING-677122I thought someone in Spain had a logical response: if Spain were the source of the disease, wouldn't there be outbreaks in Spain instead of just in Germany?
I thought someone in Spain had a logical response: if Spain were the source of the disease, wouldn't there be outbreaks in Spain instead of just in Germany?
Not if the contaminated food came from lots/farms that specifically produce goods for export, not local use... if they even do that.
Paracetamol is the same chemical as acetaminophen. Paracetamol is the name used in Australia, and I guess Britain. Acetominophin is used in the USA and Japan. Took me ages to grasp why I couldn't get parashietamoru, but could get this weird ashietominofuin. Took me even longer to figure out why they always put kaffuiin (caffiene) in with it. Turns out that's a pain killer too.
Cases in Britain too.
But from Brits returning from Germany.
Bless the Spanish - it's not even worth arguing about.
British beef exports were banned for YEARS due to BSE, when it was prevalent in every country we were exporting to. They just hushed it up and blamed it all on us.
Cases in Britain too.
But from Brits returning from Germany.
Indeed. Same with the US. Cases here from Americans returning from Germany.
I thought someone in Spain had a logical response: if Spain were the source of the disease, wouldn't there be outbreaks in Spain instead of just in Germany?
Are you trying to tell me cucumbers migrate? :eek:
I saw that last night - makes logical sense to me as well. I heard this am that women seem to be more susceptible to this strain than children.
One of the mysteries about the outbreak of the particularly vicious strain of E. coli is that most of the victims have been women.
In most outbreaks, the victims are children because they have not developed the immune system to fight off the food poisoning - but in the German case, it is adults and female adults, in particular.
Scientists simply do not know why.
BBC
Interesting stuff
I read that as "women are more susceptible to strain the children."
I need more coffee.
League of Gentlemen is one of my favourite series EVAH! Hard to even choose a favourite character, although Papa Lazarou is a strong contender, along with Tubbs.
I saw that last night - makes logical sense to me as well. I heard this am that women seem to be more susceptible to this strain than children.
BBC
Interesting stuff
Maybe the bacteria is on the outside, and women are using the cucumbers for ... uh... other purposes. ;)
League of Gentlemen is one of my favourite series EVAH! Hard to even choose a favourite character, although Papa Lazarou is a strong contender, along with Tubbs.
Sorry, in my ignorance I assumed it was a random reference, rather than one about the Blessed League.
So nice to meet another fan.
Hello, I'm Sundae, pleased to meet you (handshake/ cheek kiss/ curtsey - whatever you do).
Yes, it is
SO hard to choose a fave League character. I'd probably have to go for Chinnery though. For pathos I can laugh through. I love Les "it's a shit business" McQueen, but he's just too tragic.
Check our the Psychoville thread (has that reached you yet?) for mostly my opinions, lots of spoilers and very little elose. But hey. Go on, stick your hand in there.
Hello, I'm Sundae, pleased to meet you (handshake/ cheek kiss/ curtsey - whatever you do).
Why hello, Sundae! I'm Sandy and hey, in our part of Oz we do full body hugs with a bit of a smooch and a bit of back rubbing (assuming you've washed all the cow poo off first).
We had Psychoville on telly early last year and we bought the DVD, but I see there is a second series now. Is that what you're watching? We haven't had it yet - maybe on pay TV, but we don't do that (struggling with 16 free to air channels as it is). I shall wait with anticipation. I'm afraid to go to the Psychoville thread in case it has spoilers on the second series though!
We already have all three series of LoG on DVD, together with the Xmas special, the Live Show and "League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse". All excellent. Oh, and the BBC Radio "On The Town With The League Of Gentlemen" double CD, which I believe preceded the TV series. There are a few characters which don't appear on TV, such as Mr Ingleby, the teensy weensy shopkeeper.
When I was still living in Europe I once made a pilgrimage to Hadfield (even took some fake blood for my nose, for the photos) and by god it was depressing. Later I stayed in another cute village in Yorkshire - can't remember the name - and it was sooooo Royston Vasey! There was a weird butcher on the main street, an op shop with strange old ladies, etc etc.
Oh hey, another fave character is Herr Lipp (I lived in Germany for 7 years.) Ah, yes, and finally... proof of our devotion to the series, my husband said the words "you're my wife now!" at our wedding ceremony!
proof of our devotion to the series, my husband said the words "you're my wife now!" at our wedding ceremony!
That's very funny, Sandy. Does he also call you "Dave" as a pet name? THAT would be devotion.
Sandy, you beauty!
We have to stick together, even on the other side of the world!
No, don't go into our Psychoville thread just yet. Too spoilery.
I did love the last series, but in the end came away dissatisfied. They're not real sausages. LOTS of questions and loose ends being tied up this time round. It's rilly, rilly good. Oh - did I mention I was in it? Well, I wrote a whole post about it somewhere on here.... some searching shows it to be
here precisely.
BTW the introduction of myself was meant mostly in humour. I am aware of you as a Dwellar. Just not as a fellow fan. Envy you muchly for Hadfield. I have yet to make the pilgrimage. But then I do live in the right country to see them live - I was there for both tours.
Have you ever seen Blood on Satan's Claw?
There's a special Tigon edition with a DVD commentary by Dyson, Shearsmith & Gatiss. It's a five DVD set, but I got my money's worth just watching the one.
I'm allergic to codiene.
It gives me headaches and makes me vomit.
I found this out when I was prescribed it for consistent headaches and nausea.
If you've a headache/vomiting, and they give you codeine after which you still have the headache/vomiting, how do you know if you're allergic to codeine, or it just didn't help? :confused:
I went back to the Doctor because my symptoms were getting worse not better.
She checked my eyes with some sort of Doctor-torch and said immediately, "You have a codeine allergy"
I got something else ? on prescription, but I was basically told to stay away from codeine forever-after and it's on my notes as a trigger.
I have no idea what caused the series of headaches and nausea I was experiencing initially, they went away! All I know is what NOT to take to alleviate them...
Wow, maybe the codeine did cure what was causing them, but the allergy wouldn't reveal it until you stopped taking that?
I don't know - I think the codeine was just supposed to be a pain-killer.
In which case it failed miserably.
I got the result I wanted in the end - no pain no puke.
But it got a WHOLE lot worse before it got better. A week of blinding pain.
As well as horrendous self-pity and hypochondria believing I had a tumour.
Still, fun to have a proper medical allergy at last. Not just the weird food one that gives me hives and I can't tell what it is.
Sandy - check your PMs.
I'm happy.
(The League of Gentlemen - I don't think everyone would be interested in reading).
Seems it isn't the cucumbers after all. Some kind of green salad veggie, most likely from Germany. Well, duh, GERM-any. :facepalm: :right:
The Spanish cucumbers had E-coli, but it was a different strain.
The Spanish cucumbers had the good E-coli.
Well, duh, GERM-any.
Went to Tesco with the 'rents this morning.
Cucumbers 40p (via two for the price of one0. Methinks sales might have dropped off a little recently....?
Yey! Another LoG fan!
My village has a slight touch of the Royston Vaseys about it :p There's one view in particular, coming up the lane from Ma's house, where the road splits and a solid square chapel looms, that just begs for the theme music every time I walk past.
Herr Flick, definately one of my favorite characters. Like the vet he just has such a great sense of pathos. Also, his accent and speech patterns reminded me very strongly of a wonderfully eccentric German teacher from my time at the Goethe Institute in Manchester.
Papa Lazarou. Just so amazingly disturbing.
Oh, and talking about the vet: one of the vets at the surgery Pilau goes to really reminds me of him lol. Not in his work obviously *grins* he;s very competant. But he has a similar look and colouring, and similar mannerisms, tone of voice etc.
an organic farm in northern germany. Bean sprouts have been implicated.
Paracetamol is Tylenol #3 (that's the kind with Codiene. You need a prescription for it here).
Paracetamol is Tylenol. Codoliprane is Tylenol #3.
Went to Tesco with the 'rents this morning.
Cucumbers 40p (via two for the price of one0. Methinks sales might have dropped off a little recently....?
an organic farm in northern germany. Bean sprouts have been implicated.
Quick! Time to stock up Sundae!
It looks like this thread title should be "Death by Organic."
To echo zengummie
ParacetAMOL AND aCETAMENOPHEN ARE THE GENERIC NAMES for the same drug/chemical thingy.
tYLENOL IS A BRAND NAME. LIKE SAYING HOOVER FOR VAC or Kleenex for tissue.
pARACETAMOL DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY HAVE CODEINE IN IT or caffeine. But it can be combined with them. I'm pretty sure it is prescription only in the UK too, when the codeine is added. sORRY, I WAS AWAY.
Oh poop, I hit the caps lock without noticing. oh well, makes it interesting.
and now it's not sprouts. I wonder what produce will be demonized next.
*oooh oooh, pick me, pick me*
Ummmmm, ASPARAGUS!
Squash. please let it be squash
and now it's not sprouts. I wonder what produce will be demonized next.
Hopefully it's Brussel Sprouts. We all know where they come from,
Miserable Fat Belgian Bastards.
It looks like this thread title should be "Death by Orgasm."
Where do I sign up?
*oooh oooh, pick me, pick me*
Ummmmm, SPARE GOOSE!
ftfy[SIZE="1"] (channeling ZippyT)[/SIZE]
Where do I sign up?
Please note, it is only a little death.
Never liked cucumbers. They're a pain in the ass.
:D
Hopefully it's Brussel Sprouts. We all know where they come from, Miserable Fat Belgian Bastards.
Good point, well made, but sadly Sepp Blatter is Swiss.
[COLOR="White"]I did get the Python ref, I was just referring to my current despisal of all things Blatter[/COLOR]
Never liked cucumbers. They're a pain in the ass.
:D
Not as bad as having your cucumber tickled with a
Feather, as in the photo in the OP.
Not as bad as having your cucumber tickled with a Feather, as in the photo in the OP.
Very clever.
Just too specialist.
The first Rule of Comedy is that if you have to educate the audience before they get the punchline, then you are in the wrong venue.
Keep tuned for more priceless Rules of Comedy.