The 9pm Bad Nasi Goreng Makes the Merlion Sad with Snarky Platypus

Photo of a faded booklet page, "Rice cookery is space -age. Now this classic rice dish can be your speciality," and a photo of a Sunbeam electric frypan containing alleged nasa goring as discussed in the podcast. Also, a photo of the booklet cover and a platypus.
Alleged nasi goreng in a Sunbeam frypan, and (inset) the cover of “1966 Rice Recipes from the Rice Marketing Board Cookery Bureau. (Photo: Stilgherrian) Also, a profile pic of Snarky Platypus. (Photo: Supplied)

Stilgherrian is joined by Snarky Platypus, who’s recently returned to the socials after a two-year break, for a long conversation about everything from food to conspiracy theories to stupid names for Sydney suburbs. Quite a lot about food, actually.

In this episode we talk about Singapore’s famous Merlion, airline food and other airline opinions, Sydney nightlife, dodgy Australian rice recipes from 1966, “Blacktown: The Gathering”, bürek, the 15-minute city conspiracy, Coldplay, AI, and women’s basketball.

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Sample recipes from “1966 Rice Recipes from the Rice Marketing Board Cookery Bureau. (Photo: Stilgherrian)
  • A platypus of many talents.
  • The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during postwar and postcolonial Indonesia. It took place between Indonesia's declaration of independence in 1945 and the Netherlands' transfer of sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia at the end of 1949.
  • We follow the Indonesian War of Independence (1945-1949) year by year, step-by-step.
  • Joko Widodo (Indonesian: [d??k? wid?d?] né Mulyono; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the seventh and current president of Indonesia. A member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he was the country's first president to not have emerged from the country's political or military elite. He previously served as governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 2014 and mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012.
  • John Inglis Young, OAM (born 21 June 1950), known professionally as John Paul Young, is a Scottish-born Australian pop singer who had his 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air". His career was boosted by regular appearances as a performer and guest host on national broadcaster, ABC's 1974–1987 TV series, Countdown. Besides "Love Is in the Air", Young had top ten chart success in Germany and the Netherlands with "Standing in the Rain" and four other top ten hits in South Africa, including No. 1 hits with "I Hate the Music" in 1976 and "Yesterday's Hero" in 1975.
  • The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists (Yìhéquán). The rebels were known as the "Boxers" in English because many of its members had practiced Chinese martial arts, which at the time were referred to as "Chinese boxing". NOTE: In the podcast we refer to 21 June 1900. That was the day that China formally declared war. Up until then it was an "uprising" by the Boxers.
  • [19 June 2023] Live Nation/Ticketmaster sold 200,000 tickets already for Coldplay’s four shows in Singapore, and the band is ADDING A FIFTH performance at the National Stadium on Jan 30.
  • Merlion Park (Malay: Taman Merlion, Chinese: ?????, Tamil: ???????? ??????) is a famous Singapore landmark and a major tourist attraction, located at One Fullerton, Singapore, near the Central Business District (CBD). The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is widely used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. Two Merlion statues are located at the park. The original Merlion structure measures 8.6 meters tall and spouts water from its mouth. It has subsequently been joined by a Merlion cub, which is located near the original statue and measures just 2 metres tall.
  • [24 September 2019] SINGAPORE - The tallest Merlion statue in Singapore will make way for a themed linkway between the north and south shores of Sentosa, as part of plans to give the resort island and its adjacent Pulau Brani a facelift.
  • On 20 September 2019, it was announced that the Merlion statue in Sentosa would be demolished to make way for a themed linkway between the north and south shores of Sentosa island. This linkway is a part of a revitalisation plan for Sentosa and Pulau Brani under the upcoming development of a Greater Southern Waterfront district.
  • Library index information.
  • [Stilgherrian's scan and OCR of the book.]
  • [8 July 2020] A fan shared this video with Uncle Roger and Uncle Roger had to comment on this madness...
  • Keen's is a brand of seasoning products produced by McCormick Foods Australia, the Australian branch of the American food company McCormick & Company, and by McCormick Canada in Canada. The Keen's brand has a long history and remains a common item in kitchens throughout Australia. The brand is particularly well known for its distinctive yellow and orange tins.
  • [17 September 2022] Used for everything from pikelets to chow mein to Sunday roasts, electric frying pans were once ubiquitous in Australian kitchens.
  • Mixed spice, also called pudding spice, is a British[1] blend of sweet spices, similar to the pumpkin pie spice used in the United States. Cinnamon is the dominant flavour, with nutmeg and allspice. It is often used in baking, or to complement fruits or other sweet foods.
  • This famous British spice blend has been enjoyed in Christmas baking and beyond for several centuries.  With both sweet and savory applications, you will love this deliciously versatile Mixed Spice blend!
  • Japanese origins. Authentic Japanese Heritage. J? Takasuka, accompanied by his wife, Ichi, arrived in Melbourne in 1905 from Japan.
  • J? Takasuka (1865-1940), farmer, was born on 13 February 1865 at Matsuyama, Japan, only son of Kahei Takasuka and his wife Katsu, née Tamura. He enrolled in the economics faculty of Kei? University, Tokyo, in 1892, but shortly afterwards went to study in the United States of America where he gained his B.A. at Westminster College, Pennsylvania, in 1896.
  • Takasuka rice was the first rice ever to be grown in Australia, by a Japanese man of the name, Jo (Isaburo) Takasuka.
  • Börek or burek is a family of pastries or pies found in the Balkans, Middle East and Central Asia. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. Boreks are mainly associated with the Middle East, Armenia, and also with the former Ottoman Empire, including the Balkans and the South Caucasus, Eastern European and Central European countries, Northern Africa and Central Asia. A borek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. They are usually baked but some varieties can be fried. Borek is sometimes sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds, and it can be served hot or cold.
  • Motabbaq (Arabic: ????) is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and Bangladesh (Mughlai paratha). Depending on the location, the name and ingredients can significantly vary. The name mutabbaq in Arabic means "folded". It is a popular street food in Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
  • [2 November 2020] Because being a duck-billed, egg-laying, venomous weirdo wasn't strange enough.
  • [19 June 2023] His name is now Charlie and he is an idiot. Also his ears are weird and he prefers to have one of them folded inward over the top of his head.
  • Generative AI is becoming an integral part of many people’s personal and working lives for activities traditionally thought exclusive to the human mind, such as generating content and brainstorming. In our latest Capgemini Research Institute report, Why consumers love generative AI, we explore the potential of generative AI as well as its reception by consumers and their hopes around it.
  • [17 April 2023] Last year, when the 75-year-old saw an international bank offering a good return on deposits, she decided to transfer her life's savings of $260,000 across to help secure her retirement.
  • [23 October 2022] Australian Netball players and executives have responded to the news its $15 million lifeline from mining magnate Gina Rinehart has been scrapped.
  • [19 June 2023] A car-free lifestyle is only possible for those whose profession and income permit it.
  • [11 June 2023] US malls are more dead than the Metaverse.
  • [19 June 2023] Car ownership is, as you would expect for something which is very expensive to own and buy, strongly correlated with wealth, irrespective of what contrarian writers would have you believe.
  • [20 March 2023] Far-right protesters in the UK claim that Oxford’s traffic-control plan is a part of a global authoritarian plot. What the heck is going on? 
  • [19 June 2023] A diverse range of going-out districts are set to emerge across Greater Sydney with the NSW Government announcing the first successful recipients of the Uptown Grant Program.
  • Liquor accords are partnerships among licensed venues, community members, local businesses, local councils, police and government departments that work together to develop practical solutions to address alcohol-related issues, anti-social behaviour and violence in local areas.
  • Prompt: What would be some good nicknames for major Sydney suburbs which would make them ore [sic] attractive as nightlife destinations? Please suggest five.
  • Alphabetical list of Sydney (and environs) nicknames.

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