UK-ECJ Hoohah, Trump Tirade and the Nuclear Button, Peppermint Chocolate

Successful 50% Rye Bread made with Ulli's Flour

"May's U-Turn", "UK leaving ECJ" shouted the newspapers and media today as the snappily named Enforcement and dispute resolution: a future partnership paper was released today around lunchtime. Leaving the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), abbreviated to ECJ for most of us, was a key plank of Brexit, so the content of this document was scrutinised by Brexiteers and Remainers alike with a fine toothed comb.

I was pleasantly surprised that this was the first substantive position paper, and that it actually spoke common sense.

• If the UK is going to leave the EU (and remember, I don't think it should), it will be governed by its own laws. 
• If the UK wants to retain a close relationship with the EU afterwards, it has the choice of agreeing to follow some of the EU rules and regulations. 
• Depending on the situation, the UK can decide to adopt particular ECJ decisions nationally, to mirror those decisions, or go it alone. 
• When it comes to arbitration, the same holds. 
• Because there may be situations where the EU and UK disagree and neither the ECJ or UK decision can be agreed on, it would be sensible to have an arbitration body. 

Yes, the ECJ may still have an influence - but there will be a deliberate national choice to either allow this or not in particular instances.

Simples! A good negotiating position. What's all the fuss about?

Grim news re the Pound Euro exchange rate as the pound hits a new low and approaches 1:1 parity with the Euro.

Across the Pond, President Trump revels in his Janus faced public comment's keeping him as the centre of attention. Last night saw a rally in Phoenix (apparently against the wishes of the local mayor) at which he launched into a rambling, rousing speech, including a tirade against the 'lying, fake media'. Strewn with misquotes (of himself), self referential in terms of his greatness and that of the crowds he draws, denigrating opponents by inference or directly, it drew critical responses from the BBC and Der Spiegel alike.  There were acerbic comments from the former US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper - on the Presidents favourite Bogeyman newsagency, CNN.  Clapper denounced Trump's "behavior and divisiveness and complete intellectual, moral and ethical void." and asked "How much longer does the country have to, to borrow a phrase, endure this nightmare?"

For those of us who have been worried about temporary madness resulting in a premature nuclear strike by the President on whosoever he chooses, rest assured. President Nixon was apparently prone to being  prey to drink, prescription drugs and fits of rage. When the North Korean's shot down a US spy plane in 1969, Nixon allegedly became so incensed, he ordered a tactical nuclear strike. Henry Kissinger intervened and persuaded the Joint Chiefs of Staff to wait until the president was sober the next morning. Section 4 of the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution allows for intervention when the president is ill, incapacitated - or presumably temporarily insane.

On the baking/cooking front, I've been quite pleased with a 50% rye flour loaf baked on Monday, using flour sent by Ulli in Germany. Today, I had a go at making some chocolate and flavouring it with peppermint oil which Jane had kindly purchased. I used 60 g cocoa butter, 80 g cocoa nibs, 15 g maple syrup, and 15g caster sugar finely ground with 30g of dried milk powder. i started of adding just a few drops of peppermint oil, tasting at regular intervals. Eventually I added about 1/4 of a teaspoon of the peppermint. The final set chocolate had a delicate peppermint flavour.