The First World Problem Thread

[3Wishes]

	Quote:	greenmount
	I couldn't find ammonium bicarbonate anywhere here and I hate making a shopping trip to Germany only for that, basically...long gone are the days when I thought we're saving lots if we do our weekly shopping over the border. Any idea where I can find this stuff? Until it becomes a FWP. :-)

I learn something almost every day thanks to EF.

	Quote:
	[Ammonium bicarbonate is]A leavening agent, and the forerunner of today's baking powder and baking soda. Originally made from the ground antlers of reindeer...

This site says you can find it in German or Scandinavian markets and drug stores, so maybe try a pharmacy? Or you can substitute a mix of baking powder and baking soda (sodium bicarb) with similar results.

[meloncollie]

	Quote:	ZuriRollt
	Yes, beautiful areas. Where would you have planned on retiring before (am also in that planning phase...)

Vermont and Michigan are on the top of my rural and lakefront list, and my hometown of Chicago of course tops the cultural/sensible list.

Had I another passport, splitting the time between Switzerland (or elsewhere in Europe) would be the best of both worlds. But I don't, so realistically I am concentrating on the US.


But winter in the desert, the vibrant arts scene, the easy going lifestyle... mighty tempting.

[3Wishes]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	...Had I another passport, splitting the time between Switzerland (or elsewhere in Europe) would be the best of both worlds...

Then apply for the Swiss passport. I know, you think your little village will not give you a snowball's chance but you might be surprised. You do speak the lingo, you are well-integrated, you could pass any test they throw at you, and I think you'd be an asset to the ranks of Swiss citizens.

[marton]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	I'm finally, at my advanced age, getting to see more of my home country, thanks to the family young'uns having the good sense to start of on this 'adulting' thing in interesting places. This last trip was to Scottsdale and Sedona - and I have utterly fallen in love with the desert landscape. As in, completely blown away by the beauty and wonder of it all. FWP: This seriously complicates retirement planning.

Beautiful places, I used to visit Phoenix a lot on business trips.

Snowing at the moment, quite unusual!!

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	marton
	Problem is they can only guess which flu strains will be prevalent in Winter so if they guess wrong then the vaccination does not help you.

They don’t ‘guess’ as such. They choose the strains to include in the vaccine based of which ones have been prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere that winter since they are generally the ones that come here for our winter.
Sometimes they get it wrong and there is a strain which makes its way here that was not included in the vaccine.

[Mélusine]

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	They don’t ‘guess’ as such. They choose the strains to include in the vaccine based of which ones have been prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere that winter since they are generally the ones that come here for our winter. Sometimes they get it wrong and there is a strain which makes its way here that was not included in the vaccine.

Anyway, even of it’s the correct strain the protection is not 100%.

My kids seem to have a somewhat attenuated version: my eldest spent 4 days in bed with fever, which is not as severe as a full blast flu.

It would however help if all my kids could have it at the same time instead of one after the other... I had some other plans for our school holidays

[JagWaugh]

	Quote:	Mélusine
	It would however help if all my kids could have it at the same time instead of one after the other... I had some other plans for our school holidays

This wouldn't happen if you made them share one plate, knife, fork, and spoon.

[curley]

	Quote:	greenmount
	I couldn't find ammonium bicarbonate anywhere here and I hate making a shopping trip to Germany only for that, basically...long gone are the days when I thought we're saving lots if we do our weekly shopping over the border. Any idea where I can find this stuff? Until it becomes a FWP. :-)

Here.

Or ask for "Hirschhornsalz". Pharmacies should have it but you might find a cheaper place.

[marton]

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	They don’t ‘guess’ as such. They choose the strains to include in the vaccine based of which ones have been prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere that winter since they are generally the ones that come here for our winter. Sometimes they get it wrong and there is a strain which makes its way here that was not included in the vaccine.

And the vaccines prepared for the Southern Hemisphere are based on which ones have been prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere that winter.

It is like doing weather forecasting by saying the weather tomorrow will be the same as today; actually this non scientific guess method is usually more than 50% correct for weather forecasting.
Whereas flu vaccines rarely reach 50% effectiveness and in the last 14 years has been as low as 10% effective.
Of course it is complicated by the fact that flu viruses can mutate and so then the vaccine is no longer effective.

Source

[curley]

In times of replay, why do tv-stations repeat the same sh*t over and over again?

[MusicChick]

Confetti.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	marton
	And the vaccines prepared for the Southern Hemisphere are based on which ones have been prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere that winter. It is like doing weather forecasting by saying the weather tomorrow will be the same as today; actually this non scientific guess method is usually more than 50% correct for weather forecasting. Whereas flu vaccines rarely reach 50% effectiveness and in the last 14 years has been as low as 10% effective. Of course it is complicated by the fact that flu viruses can mutate and so then the vaccine is no longer effective. Source

Any effectiveness is better than none.

[Medea Fleecestealer]

I've just seen Meghan Markle in an old Without a Trace episode.

[MusicChick]

I cannot sing without a vibrato and I don't like it.

[st2lemans]

	Quote:	MusicChick
	I cannot sing without a vibrator.

FTFY!

Tom

[MusicChick]

I know it's Friday, Tom...

Sigh.

[curley]

	Quote:	MusicChick
	I cannot sing without a vibrato and I don't like it.

	Quote:	st2lemans
	Quote: MusicChick I cannot sing without a vibrator. FTFY! Tom

While Tom ftfy you for all the wrong reasons .... try turning it off?

[greenmount]

	Quote:	3Wishes
	I learn something almost every day thanks to EF. .

I know, it isn't that often when you hear of this thing. TBH I only use it in a couple of recipes - one of which I have from my s-i-l and she specifically said that for the best outcome I should not replace it with baking powder or such. We have an anniversary in ten days (we ordered it online btw), rented a nice place and was planning to bake a few types of cakes among other things, so that's why I try to stick to the recipe(s). If it was only for us I wouldn't care that much, I usually cook and sometimes even bake with whatever ingredients I have at home if they can match the recipes.

[st2lemans]

	Quote:	3Wishes
	Then apply for the Swiss passport. I know, you think your little village will not give you a snowball's chance but you might be surprised. You do speak the lingo, you are well-integrated, you could pass any test they throw at you, and I think you'd be an asset to the ranks of Swiss citizens.

If I could do it, ANYBODY could!

Tom

[robBob]

I need a new T-Shirt and Switcher is history!