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Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Pimpettes Of The Kitchen, A Giveaway
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know about my obsession with kitchen accoutrements. Well, and, admittedly - my obsessiveness in general, I suppose. Clearly, it seeps through - whether I try to caulk it or not - there IT is. Bah! Who cares, right? I'm here, I'm weird, get used it. Although - speaking of weirdness, I do spend a rather ridiculous amount of time in Sur la Table - so much so - there are times when I almost want to pretend that I'm NOT me - as in "Oh no, I'm Ann's twin's sister! You didn't know she had one? HOW funny! Now, where did you say the cooking tools or whatever they're called were? Over there? Oh, thanks. This is my first time here, so I'll probably be awhile. An espresso? Oh I couldn't, to be sure. Well, if you insist. Yes, I'll give my sister your regards!"
Not to mention the various other cooking stores I must frequent to stock my shelves and stuff my kitchen - I have EYES to feed, don't they understand? At times, I walk in these stores for the gazillionth time, with love in my eyes - the store clerks probably taking bets behind my back over which tartlet pan I'll obsess over today - and I want to proclaim, victoriously, in a stage-whisper - "It's a GIFT". And then nod judgmentally at their prejudgment of me. Spritz myself with some holy-and-some-haughty and proceed. Okay, I don't own that spritz - plus, I'm usually wearing a baseball hat and therefore, could not rock The Haughty and Holy, but it is fun to consider. Carrying on...
Well, this time it was a gift. FOR YOU, dear readers. I was in line, with my GIFTS, having them rung up by the cashier. I'm gazing at the cashier, at those standing in line behind me - and I'm nodding approvingly at myself as I whisper, almost imperceptibly and conspiratorially, to those around me "It's a GIFT!" - and they all look at me like "We don't care anything about it, crazy gift lady! Move along!". Well, they just didn't understand my excitement about these particular accoutrements, now did they? Fork buyers.
You remember the spoons and the mug (celebrities of my accoutrements)? Oh swoon! Well, a few readers have emailed to ask where-oh-where can I obtain those spoons for my very own? Since they are the darlings, the pimpettes of my kitchen, I decided to give them to you. Well, to one of you, that is. I am giving away the measuring cups, the spoons, and the liquid measuring pitcher. [Okay, I confess - when I went to purchase these - there were literally TWO sets of measuring spoons left, PERIOD. Well, damn if I didn't buy that very last set of spoons as a back-up to my set. THAT'S RIGHT. All I need now is a back-up for my back-up and I'm SET.]
How to win these Pimpettes of the kitchen? Just leave a comment -> in the comment, tell me what your favorite kitchen accoutrement is - I would love to hear that I am not alone in my j'adorement of the little things in life. Please enter no later than 5:00 pm MST Saturday, June 7th - I'll announce the winner Saturday evening. I was going to restrict this to U.S. residents only, but because so many of my readers are international - that just didn't sit right with me. SO, if you're an international reader, I'll pay up to $20 in shipping - beyond that - you're on your own, darlin', but we'll figure something out.
One entry per person please.
143 comments:
- Sue Doe-Nim said...
Ooh. I love a contest and I'm so excited that you're going to pick me because I know you like me best (and I've got this friend Vinnie...)
I have a set of bamboo flat spoons and spatulas that my friend picked up for me in a wacky little Japanese shop. For some reason they remain non stick and no amount of abuse leaves a mark.
I love my little bamboo set.
- June 3, 2008 at 5:52 PM
Those look so beautiful!
For some reason, my favorite kitchen tool is a pair of tongs. With tongs in hand, I am totally in control. I can toss, I can flip, I can grab: thus I am invincible!
Thanks so much for offering this wonderful set to a lucky reader :)
- June 3, 2008 at 6:39 PM
- Serena said...
Hi Ann
I love your blog. I know that whenever I am having a bad day or fantasising about something delicious to eat all I need do is visit Velvet Lava and be cheered up by your scathing witticisms or inspired by your divine photos.
Well - enough sucking up....
My favourite kitchen accoutrement is my azure mini whisk. I adore how it sits snugly in my hand and with but a gentle flick of the wrist creates the smoothest of sauces and the most well blended of eggs. I love my mini whisk so much I sometimes find myself quietly sliding it from the kitchen drawer and gently caressing my cheek with it - while my eyes glance furtively at the door to makes sure no family members witness my crazy attachment!
And if my obvious passion for kitchen paraphernalia is not enough - the american measures on these cups and the jug would be so useful as I always need to rejig the measures in recipes to fit my Australian cups!
- June 3, 2008 at 7:14 PM
- All Adither said...
I have this crappy set of ugly red spatulas that my husband had when we moved in together. I use them probably more than anything. But my favorite? I would say they're my porcelain serving ladles. Even though they don't see much action.
- June 3, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Oooooh. Contest! My favorite? The canisters in which I store my sugar, flour, bread flour, brown sugar and powdered sugar. They are purely functional, rubbermaid type, snap on lid. BUT, they are stored on a huge roll out shelf at the height of my knees right below the counter where I do all my baking. Couldn't be more perfectly convenient.
- June 3, 2008 at 8:17 PM
- Shaye said...
Ok, I obviously couldn't tell you that I love any of my babies any more than the others; but I will say that my *newest* acquisition is an ice cream scoop that I bought for the sole purpose of measuring cupcake and muffin batter so they'll all be the same size when they come out of the oven. (Yup, my own little brand of OCD rearing it's head that only a mother could love.) ;)
- June 3, 2008 at 8:48 PM
- Laura @ Hungry and Frozen said...
I'll try and write the most lacklustre answer possible so you don't get stuck sending your lovely trinkets to New Zealand...which is the furtherest away place from ANYWHE
My favourite is this round wooden chopping board from my nana,she used it and decorated it herself with pokerwork in the sixties. It always reminds me of her, and *her* various, and not always long-lasting obsessions (pokerwork?!), probably where I get my own obsessive (for want of a better word) nature from. Even though it gets stained with the smell of garlic, and is charred from when someone accidentally sat it on a hot element, and isn't even that big, I always reach for it first and LOVE IT. Along with all my other favourite things in the kitchen :) I am indecisive as well as obsessive...Sorry for writing a bit of a novel!
- June 3, 2008 at 9:20 PM
- Laura @ Hungry and Frozen said...
oops. New Zealand is the furtherest away place from ANYWHERE. I suspect I was thinking faster than I could type... :)
- June 3, 2008 at 9:21 PM
- NV said...
OOOOOOOOh, I don't need a prize, cool though the ones up for grabs are. This is awesome as it gives me a chance to prove that my only domestic quality isn't that I live indoors! :-)
My absolute favorite kitchen thing is my Pampered Chef slice 'n serve. I love that thing! I am manic about it. It has its own spot in the tool basket and I am forever asking my mother where it is when she dares to use it. I even get the damn thing out for the LAST piece of pie ...
- June 3, 2008 at 9:23 PM
- Jennifer H said...
I love the parmesan cheese grater, with the handle that turns. It's a very satisfying little tool.
What an great giveaway. You have most excellent taste, my friend.
- June 4, 2008 at 12:12 AM
- Pooh! said...
My ancient stone mortar and pestle - a gift from my grandmother is my favorite.. It has some unique hand carvings!
I am a regular lurker at your blog and this giveaway seemed like a good time to de-lurk
- June 4, 2008 at 2:43 AM
- Lori said...
It's not a beautiful tool, though I share your adoration of All Tools Beautiful, but for some weird quirky reason I love my microplane. I love to look at it, hold it, and especially to use it. It's a miracle of perfection at what at does, all those luscious tiny bits of zest, held perfectly underneath the microplane.
Now I want to go zest something.
- June 4, 2008 at 3:27 AM
- TNelson said...
I am relatively new to your blog having found it through another blog (sorry I don't remember which one). My favorite kitchen tool for the past several months has been my KA pro mixer. I am working on learning to bake a consistent loaf of bread - preferably the perfect baguette and this mixer is an amazing work horse for all kinds of dough. Love your blog and have several of your recipes marked to save. Keep up the good work!
- June 4, 2008 at 6:03 AM
- Grace said...
i'd have to say that my most highly-valued utensil is my pastry cutter--i can't make a pie without it! :)
- June 4, 2008 at 6:04 AM
- Laura said...
Oooo, great giveaway!
My favorite tool is my big spatula. I love my big spatula. My husband is a little tired of hearing about my big spatula. But it's awesome.
- June 4, 2008 at 6:57 AM
- Your Just Desserts said...
Hi Ann,
I think its great that you are having this contenst but no matter if I win or lose I have to comment on this. I too share this same crazy obsession. I spend hours in Williams-Sonoma wandering up and down the aisles lusting after gadgets. We also have a store called Great News in San Diego and I spend an equal amount of time in there. Now, we also have Sur La Table so still more for me to crave. On trips to Paris I go to Dehillirin at least 4 times. It is two floors isn't it? Have to explore it all.
- June 4, 2008 at 6:59 AM
- kspin said...
Well who wouldn't want that cute set?
My favorite kitchen gadget? I have to say I love my Victorinox paring knife. Being a butcher's daughter I guess I love my knives! I also love my jelly roll pans. What can I say? I'm a simple girl...
- June 4, 2008 at 8:50 AM
i'm a fairly new reader, but love the way you write and your recipes, of course.
one of my fav kitchen gadgets/accoutrements is my zester. i use it for ginger, garlic, lemons, limes, oranges, whatever...
- June 4, 2008 at 9:01 AM
- Lisa said...
Hi Ann - dang you take a nice picture! Filter? fiddling with the color? lighting? Anyway, who wouldn't want those little cuties?? HOWEVER, I admit to having three full sets of stainless steel measuring cups and four, count em, four sets of spoons. So. Someone in the prior 18 posts, or the ones to follow, must be more worthy. My favorite ktichen thingy has got to be my marble rolling pin - gift from my mother-in-law. unbelievably good for pies and tarts and cookies - it's so heavy it does the work for you and it cleans up in 2 seconds, and it's beautiful white marble with grey veining through it. have a great day! L
- June 4, 2008 at 9:16 AM
- Ann said...
I was going to try not to comment so that when I use the Random Number Generator, I wouldn't have to subtract myself out - but I CAN'T help it!
Zester lovers? My god, love my zester/microplane. Knives? J'adore my Globals - caress them daily. Spatulas? I've lost count of mine. Pastry cutter? Can't live without. KA mixer? In my dreams. Mortar & Pestle? I counter w/ the Molcajete. Cheese graters/slicers? Who can party without one? Wood boards? I've blogged about stroking mine. Batter scoops? I have 3, going on 4. Canisters? Collectible kind. Whisks? My cheapest is my bestest. Tongs? Of course! Bamboo spoons? I have some ladles.
My Gawd, we need a support group!
As for the photos - no filter, my dear! Just me and my Nikon and minor adjustments via Photoshop. :)
- June 4, 2008 at 10:27 AM
- insane mama said...
I love your photos of the measuring set, I don't realy have a favorite kitchen gadgit, however I just love my wok.. It is used daily
- June 4, 2008 at 12:31 PM
- Toystory said...
Honey dipper. Need to find a new metal one ---- I need it to make perfect swirls on my cookies. :)
PS I have too many linens myself.
- June 4, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- Gigi said...
I loved this post! I am in Sur la Table and William Sonoma so much that they know me by name. Once they started saying "...Hello Gigi", I began to bring them baked goodies. Oh, I almost forgot. My favorite kitchen gadget is set of 3 heavy ceramic bowls from Sur la Table. They fit inside each other nicely for storing. The best part is that they are beautiful. They are pink and white striped bowls and they possess magical baking powers. (So, I keep telling myself in order to justify their cost.) Anything mixed in them will turn out stunning!
- June 4, 2008 at 1:16 PM
- marci said...
I can only pick one?
I guess my lime squeezer - nothing is as easy or gets more of the yummy lime juice (or lemon, or orange).
My current want is a really good microplane grater. That would quickly become my new favorite.
- June 4, 2008 at 1:19 PM
- kamewh said...
My favorite kitchen gadget is the Vidalia Onion chopper- it really works!! Thank you for the giveaway!
- June 4, 2008 at 1:47 PM
- ababe28 said...
My favorite was I chopper that is flat with rounded edges to chop inside a bowl.
This was my mothers and I have fond memories of her making corn-beef has with it, chopping in a large wooden bowl...I have since found a plastic one to chop in, but this gadget is great!
- June 4, 2008 at 1:55 PM
- Kari said...
I can't just pick one!! I love my bamboo cutting board and my furi knife!!
- June 4, 2008 at 2:16 PM
- Deborah said...
I just found your blog today, and I am loving it! I had to laugh while reading this - I'm just lucky that the nearest Sur La Table is a good 40 minute drive away! If I had to choose my favorite, I would probably it would have something to do with my assortment of silicone spatulas. All different sizes - I always have fun choosing which one I will use!
- June 4, 2008 at 2:27 PM
My stainless steel heart-shaped measuring spoons with little raised dots on the handles make a lovefest of everyday cooking and baking.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:52 AM
- Kelly said...
Early this spring I cleaned our kitchen from top to bottom - I'd moved into my husband's house in the fall and I swear he hadn't cleaned it in the 5 years he'd lived there. This resulted in throwing out a lot of things, including a wire whisk that was rusty. Unfortunately, I'd left a bunch of my kitchen utensils with my previous roommates who needed them more than I did.
So this resulted in a kitchen that only contained a horrid plastic whisk that was "appropriate" for the oh-so-delicate pots and pans we own (OK, he owns, and I hate them with a passion because I can't put them in the dishwasher and I think that's the stupidest thing ever).
Finally last weekend while at the grocery store we picked up a new wire whisk (for all of 89-cents, I think). I got to use it this week, all smiles. My husband said, can you give me a list of other $1 gifts I can give you that will make you this happy?
Ah, yes, a happy and well-stocked kitchen (food and utensil-wise) is a good thing.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:17 AM
- diva@theSugarBar said...
oh wow. these are pretty!!! I REALLY WANT EM. tough choice though as I love all my kitchen stuff.
i can choose from the fake chicken thingy in my kitchen, or my baby whisk, or my spatula that i use as a weapon.
but i think i'll settle for the humble cookie tray because it was the first kitchen thing I bought for myself. :) and you can take two cookie trays and bang it together to make music. how awesome is that?
- June 5, 2008 at 6:28 AM
- stevieBcanyon said...
Years ago, I found the flex cutting boards at Ikea. What a godsend product!
I visit Ikea only two or three times a year because it is a 35 mile drive each way.
Every time I go there, I pick up a package or two of the boards and upon return home, toss some old battered ones. At less than two bucks per package, they're a bargain.
Of course, on my trip through the "accouterment" section (your word, not mine), I'm sure to find something new to bring home.
BTW, off topic...
If you don't have the Carnival Cruise Line version of the Lava Cake recipe, I can send you a copy. The chef gave it to me on my cruise this past spring.
Very good finished product and a lot less fussy than a lot of recipes.
This is my new "go to" dessert recipe. It replaces Carnival's "Chocolate Decadence" recipe popular 10 years ago.
- June 5, 2008 at 7:00 AM
- Razor Family Farms said...
I have an ancient egg beater with WAY cool little beater thingies. I also have measuring spoons that say "pinch" "dash" and "smidgeon" I love those!
I have fingers and toes crossed, girlie.
Oh and I have a lettuce drainer spinner thing. I love that. It's like a theme park ride for my leafy greens.
But which do I like best? I'm going to go with the ancient egg beater. It is just too cool for school. I love, love, love it.
Now if only I had accurate measuring spoons! (hint, hint)
- June 5, 2008 at 10:12 AM
My hands! Sorry this is not more creative. God blessed us with the best tools ever! They can even be cleaned and sanitized and work good as new even after several decades. Thanks for the nice looking giveaway!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:04 PM
- Kimi said...
Great blog! I found you on tastespotting and will be bookmarking you! Now, for a favorite, hmmm, I have 4 drawers dedicated to my kitchen gadgets. I have to say, it would be my Juice-O-Mat. It is a fruit juicer from the 50's that I picked up at a flea market. There is a picture of it on my blog somewhere. Anyway, I use it all the time, especially now that the weather is warmer and I am using more citrus. Even if I don't win (I hope I do!), stop by and check it out!
Great idea!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:08 PM
- Pammiedoodle said...
I have so many faves but right now I am loving my Silpat. It saves me lots of cleaning
- June 5, 2008 at 2:09 PM
- Katie said...
I have a great old mug I found at Goodwill - it has a cartoon drawing of a cinder-block bus stop and a goofy bus, and says "Souvenir of Maltese Public Transport" in super-70s swirly letters.
It's so awful but so endearing, because somebody on vacation in Malta actually bought a souvenir of taking the bus! I use it for everything - cereal, pudding, drinks, fruit. It's so strange and adorable, it's impossible not to love.
- June 5, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Wow, those are adorable! My favorite utensil has got to be my micro planer. I'm always coming up with excuses to use it...lemon zest, grated ginger, or chocolate to top a latte. It's like planning an outfit starting with your shoes :)
- June 5, 2008 at 2:10 PM
- Christina said...
Hmmm... aside from all of the indispensable items (knives, cutting boards, pots and pans, etc.) I think my favorite kitchen accoutrement is my microplane. It's so fun to use!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:14 PM
- tobdestined said...
hello. i love your blog. my favorite kitchen accoutrement is my circulon saucepan with a straining lid. it was given to me as a gift from my grandma and i cannot live without it. we almost never cook a meal without it. i also love my circulon muffin pan. i love baking cupcakes in this heavy nonstick pan.
- June 5, 2008 at 2:20 PM
- toontz said...
Those are so pretty! I am afraid that all my other kitchen tools would be jealous and there would be a scrap in the utensil drawer. Oh well, they will get over it! I am SO glad that I have to travel to get to any decent kitchen store, or I would be in BIG trouble. My favorite kitchen tool would have to be the small stainless steel scoop that I use to make cookies with. It makes them nice and even, and they bake up almost perfect (unless I burn them, of course)!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:20 PM
- Kate said...
Definately my favorite kitchen utensil is my dutch oven. I want to use it to cook anything and everything, and it makes my cooking taste better! I'm in love! A close second is my grill/griddle pan for it's usefulness, and maybe my olive picker for it's complete lack of usefullness.
- June 5, 2008 at 2:24 PM
- laura said...
My favorite are my prep bowls. Granted, I don't think I have ever used them for prepping anything but they're tiny little bowls that fit a half a grapefruit perfectly or a serving of chocolate chips or pizza goldfish so I do not eat the whole bag!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:25 PM
- Michael said...
The teaspoon. I love its use in measuring small amounts of things.
Also, my birthday is soon. Presents, yeah?
- June 5, 2008 at 2:29 PM
- April in CT said...
How adorably cute are those!?
My favorite has to be my Gripper cutting board made by Architec. I have several sizes and use them constantly!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- emiko said...
Hm, I'd have to say my favorite are my stacking cooling racks <3 I'm not really sure how we lived without them before, but I don't want to think on those dark times! :)
- June 5, 2008 at 2:33 PM
- Rosalyn said...
I want. My favorite gadget is my potato ricer
- June 5, 2008 at 2:35 PM
- Sugar - The Girl Behind the Flash said...
My favorite gadget is actually not mine, but my pastry-chef-to-be daughter's. She has the Pink Ribbon KitchenAid. I miss it so much. And my daughter, of course. Now whenever I want to see the mixer... I mean, my daughter, I have to fly up to San Francisco. Oh Darn. ;)
- June 5, 2008 at 2:46 PM
- gina bina said...
I also love kitchen gadgets etc. I usually spend extra money of things for the kitchen rather than home decor.
My favorite thing to use in the kitchen are microplaner's. I find myself shaving, grating, zesting just about anything!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Found your blog through tastespotting, and that picture you put up of your delicious looking white chocolate cheesecake a while back lured me to your site :)
My favorite kitchen item is my spam musubi maker. I was a little depressed when my cousin dropped it and it broke, but I'm happy now that I've found a new one.
Happy baking!
- June 5, 2008 at 2:53 PM
- Nicole said...
My favorite kitchen gadget is my immersion blender. I use it for everything from sups and sauce to shakes and smoothies.
- June 5, 2008 at 2:57 PM
- Kimi said...
By the way, I think I failed to mention that this set would really go well with my pink Hello Kitty Tv in my kitchen, I'm just sayin :)
- June 5, 2008 at 2:59 PM
- Sara said...
my favorite kitchen tool is a wooden spoon that used to be my mom's
- June 5, 2008 at 3:10 PM
- Danielle said...
These are so super cute and as I'll be moving out on my own next month these would be PERFECT!!!! :)
My favourite kitchen items are my microplanes. I couldn't live without them. They zest, they grate, they shred, they're lovely!
- June 5, 2008 at 3:11 PM
I decided to enter in this contest because in my country (portugal) I can't find them and I just want to see US recipes and don't always have a exact measurement. I think these are so cute, I love be around amazon.com and watch different and different kitchen gadgets. In "real" stores I always go to the kitchen section, staring at the amazing pans and their forms, or those gorgeous tools, omg =O I just feel weird because I could buy a whole shop with cool kitchen accoutrements xD
(I live in Portugal but if it's not enough the $20, if I win I'll pay for the shipment)
- June 5, 2008 at 3:15 PM
- cia007girl said...
those are very cute. i wonder if they would loet me use them at the culinary institute of america :)
- June 5, 2008 at 3:16 PM
My Cast Iron Skillet Lid is amazing. I can even wear it under a poncho to protect my vitals in case I ever find myself in an Old West gun duel.
- June 5, 2008 at 3:20 PM
- Brilynn said...
Ooh fun! My Dad made me a wooden spoon out of cherry wood that I absolutely love, but I couldn't live without my microplane zester or dough scraper either!
- June 5, 2008 at 3:21 PM
definitely my handblender, which is the most amazing thing ever. plus points for it being nice and cheap, which is important since i'm in uni right now! there's just something about wielding that contraption and pulverizing veggies to make soup; it makes a little whirlpool in the pot, and voila! everything goes liquid, no mess, nothing!
- June 5, 2008 at 3:22 PM
- Sharon said...
This isn't the most exciting of answers, but I love my KA stand mixer. There are so many recipes I would never have even tried making without it. It also gives me a nice arm workout since we don't store it on the countertop. That sucker is one heavy mother!
- June 5, 2008 at 3:23 PM
- Ann said...
Well hey Ann, my name is Ann too and I obsess over my moxie kitchen accoutrements way too much!
Well, let's see ... I love my microplane cuz zesting is so fabu ... and I love my sweet little cruset saucieré.... so those 2 could come with me to a deserted island and I'd be just fine. Oh, and I regularly enjoy your blog, good going.
- June 5, 2008 at 3:27 PM
- Marissa said...
I'm a newcomer to your blog, but I'm enjoying it so far. :)
I'm actually a newcomer to the world of cooking in general. As a college student, I hardly ever did more than put a frozen pizza in the oven or pour milk over a bowl of cereal. My last year of college, I began thinking more and more about the "real world" and realized that I was getting tired of frozen dinners with preservatives and sodium and other nonsense. So I took up cooking! And I loved it. Sometimes it was hard with the somewhat bare kitchen my little apartment had (I didn't really have the money for more than a couple pots and pans, some knives, a cutting board, one mixing bowl, and an old set of plastic measuring spoons and cups that my mom was going to throw out), but I managed to start creating some rather tasty dishes, if I do say so myself.
I finally graduated last month, and the first thing I went and bought with my graduation money was a big food processor that was on sale at Target. I love it! Besides the considerably reduced amount of slicing and grating I have to do now, it means a lot to me because it's the first real kitchen appliance I've ever been able to buy for myself, and it kind of symbolizes a new chapter in my life.
Hopefully, I'll continue to improve my cooking skills over the years, and continue to fill my kitchen with other things just as useful and meaningful.
- June 5, 2008 at 3:33 PM
- Caitlin said...
I love my kitchen scissor. I use it almost every day and am super protective of it (as in, it's not for use by a five year old who has a pile of painty glued paper that needs snipping). I also love wooden spatulas, especially the one made of olive wood. Gorgeous.
- June 5, 2008 at 3:48 PM
- Ashe-Villain said...
Hmm...that's a tough one. Although I have high hopes for my new negi cutter, I think the simplest thing is my favorite. It's a small coffee spoon. I probably just like it because it means coffee is coming soon, but that seems as good a reason as any!
- June 5, 2008 at 3:52 PM
- grace said...
i just had to click on that pretty picture at tastespotting, and i'm glad i did, cos now i'm adding yet another blog to my very long list of blogs on bloglines. my fav kitchen tool at the moment is my sillicon cupcake tray :)
i would love to win but, i live all the way in NZ, so its ok if it cost to much to send stuff here. hehe.
- June 5, 2008 at 3:55 PM
- mai said...
i know it's nothing fancy, but i really love my microplane grater. it makes zesting sooo easy and there's something really satisfying about how it feels when you use it. random, i know!
- June 5, 2008 at 4:00 PM
- Death By Soup said...
I would have to say that my favorite kitchen tool is my pair of kitchen shears/scissors. They make using fresh herbs effortless.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:03 PM
- Leslie said...
One? Just one? But all of the others will hear me say it. Let me take my computer out of the kitchen so I dont upset anyone.
My favorite little odd tool is my "Pig Tail Food Flipper" Have you see one? It is too cool. YOu can flip anything. If it needs flipped, my trusty little pal will do the trick! Well I take that back, I hink pancakes might be a little messy! :) One other...my disposable latex gloves..you know the kind like at the hospital. I hate hate hate touching raw meat. So the gloves are the best!!! Love the site!
- June 5, 2008 at 4:23 PM
- Rebecca said...
It may not be my most used item but I LOVE my bright pink Typhoon kitchen scale. I went to a lot of work to find it.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:24 PM
- Dani said...
I've only found this blog recently, but I've enjoyed every moment since! It's so nice of you to give away such deliciousness...LOL
My favorite item(s) in my kitchen are my set of prep bowls. I figured they were foolish and it took me more than a year to open them after I got them as a gift from my sister...now I don't know what I'd do without them...I didn't know how disorganized I was when I was cooking/baking until started using these!
- June 5, 2008 at 4:26 PM
hurrah! food blogs and contests!
i'm a new reader, a humble college student fighting to escape the anarchy of daily life through the simple pleasures of food. i found your site through tastespotting and foodtv.ca. (i'm canadian, though i'm currently going to school in bluesy baltimore.)
i love all kitchen gadgets: rasps, immersion blenders, silicone ANYTHING ......but my all-time favourite? hands down? a good pair of wooden cooking chopsticks, no shizzle. i use these babies for mixing, flipping, sauteeing, skimming...virtually everything. sure, tongs are awesome and whisks are handy-dandy, but nothing beats the precision tips of a pair of lean-mean stick machines.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:27 PM
- MoonlitKnit said...
My fav would have to be the rolling pin and pastry board which were my Grandmother's. There is something special, almost intimate about rolling out a pie crust or kneading out bread on the board and knowing that my Grandma once did the same. I someday hope my daughters' feel the same.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:27 PM
- littlegarden said...
Don't laugh, my favorite tools are my cheap plastic measuring cups that I bought about 30 years ago. They have seen better days and even have some melty spots from being too close to the burners, but it's the first set I grab from the drawer. My old friends.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:33 PM
- Renee said...
What a fun idea!!
Like a couple other people, I too LOVE my KA mixer, although if I picked something smaller (as I probably should!), I'd have to say my oh-so-old wooden spoons - I've had those babies forEVER, and use them for EVERYTHING! They may not be the latest-and-greatest bamboo, but they've been around since I've been cooking, and I swear, they make everything taste better!
Love your blog!
- June 5, 2008 at 4:51 PM
- kelley said...
its very upsetting, bc i dont really have anything exciting in my kitchen gear... for shame!! but i just got a super pretty cake stand from a friend's mom. i am very excited to bake something to put on top of it.
- June 5, 2008 at 4:55 PM
- lily.violet said...
This set is adorable! My favourite kitchen tool is hardly a looker, but I love using it. It's my clunky garlic crusher. Thanks for the giveaway!
- June 5, 2008 at 4:58 PM
My favorite accoutrement would have to be the love of my life, Pookie. I chop while he stirs, I drink wine while he flips the steaks and then we dance. Is there anything like dancing in the kitchen? Now give me those spoons!!
- June 5, 2008 at 5:03 PM
- byh said...
Hi! I'm a newcomer to your blog via tastespotting (my daily bible). I was quite intrigued by the photo and had to look. Glad I did =)
Hard to decide... but I think that my favorite kitchen accoutrement is my silicone spatula. I use it every time I to scrape the bowls and pans clean. I can't stand wasting even a little bit of deliciousness. And in the instances when my spatula can't get into the little corners, my fingers take care of it!
- June 5, 2008 at 5:11 PM
- A life of Assorted Nuts said...
Mine's pretty sad.. it's an old plastic blue spoon from China.. it's got to be at least 15 years old, but man, it's indestructible.
- June 5, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Adorable set! Definitely a show piece ;) My favorite accoutrement is in my goodies drawer, though it should be on display! It's a lemon juicer (or, according to Amazon, a lemon SQUEEZER"). It's uber cute and in my favorite color, too! Though it is more tedious to use, I make fresh lemonade with it instead of my machine juicer. I use it more for one or two lemons in recipes, though. And, no, please don't laugh, but I even brought it into my interior decorating class as my favorite practical tool! The teacher loved it, too, but I just smiled and said, "hands off, lady, it's mine!"
- June 5, 2008 at 5:29 PM
- Janie said...
hello my favorite kitchen tool is my cuisinart hand mixer. i love baking and it cuts my baking time.
- June 5, 2008 at 5:31 PM
- Joseph Tkach said...
I love my stainless steel muddler. I drink so much more because of it.
- June 5, 2008 at 5:59 PM
i am just a lowly college student, so i can't afford too much. but there is this one set of chopsticks that my host family gave to me when i was staying with them in japan. not only are they beautiful, but they help me flip the best gyozas (japanese fried dumplings) of all time.
i found your blog through tastespotting, my new best friend! i cant wait to read about your other kitchen accoutrements.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:03 PM
- tpt said...
i would love this!
my favorite kitchen tool is my oskar food processor -- it was a hand me down from my boyfriend, handed down from his parents. it looks like it was from the 70s! still running!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:06 PM
A fellow nutritionist who adores lava cake? Amen!
My parents have the best salt keeper, but (no surprise) would not let me have it when I moved into my first apartment. I had been searching for years for the perfect "non-generic, everyone has one of these" salt keeper. One day after troving around a small town near home, I came upon a shoebox-sized pottery shop. Inside I found a rough and ragged clay bowl with little hunks of clear amethyst on the outside. Yep - they look like sea salt shards!! Needless to say, I bought it and adore it... as does my flake salt.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:18 PM
- aimi said...
how adorable!
my favorite kitchen accessory is the set of nigella lawson measuring cups that i bought a few weeks ago. they are lavender-colored and look like tea cups. they are also microwave and heat safe, so you can drink tea out of the big one (1 cup) if you'd like, or even the teeny-tiny 1/8 cup one. they nest into each other when stacked up and are totally darling.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:21 PM
- Tatiana said...
OXO Good Grips Mango Splitter
That splitter makes getting at the flesh of the mango SO easy, and you don't get the luscious juice all over the place. It glides down that mango pit like a tushy gliding down a freshly waxed bannister!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:26 PM
I am soooooo in need of new measuring cups and spoons! Mine are stained from KookAid, have melted handles from being placed on a hot burner and 'chewed' up from being dropped doe the Garbage Disposal a few too many times, only to be dug out by my handy kitchen tongs! ha ha.
My favorite gadget has to be my Pampered Chef Medium sized Scooper. I use it daily for portioning cookie dough, filling muffin cups, balling mellons and scooping mini balls of icecream to eat on brownies or sandwiched between two cookies! LOVE it and could NOT live without it!! Well, maybe I could live without it but I would never want to! ha ha.
LOVE your blog and visit daily!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:30 PM
- Karin said...
Measuring spoons~~~ and a mixing bowl that belonged to my grandma..
- June 5, 2008 at 6:33 PM
wooden spoons - I just love them - so simple, but useful.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:49 PM
That's a tall order. Let's see...marble rolling pin, nested Pyrex bowls,oh,oh! cherry/olive pitter, tortilla press. I cherish everyone of them.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:57 PM
- Katie said...
Just one?
Well, this may not count, but I can't live without my aprons! Besides that I'd probably say my trusty 14" Chefs knife or my garlic press. :D
Thanks for hosting this amazing giveaway!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:59 PM
- kelly.dee said...
Ahhh such a tough one! I would have to say my set of vintage Pyrex mixing bowls because they just don't make them like that anymore.
And because they are turquoise!
- June 5, 2008 at 7:38 PM
- Topher said...
I'd have to say my favorite is definitely my ball whisk. Its whimsical and funny to use
- June 5, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Hands down...My wife! If I have to pick something that doesn't wander out of the kitchen - I would have to say it is this really cool set of measuring cups and spoons. I'm told these spoons actually "whisper sweet recipes in your ear while you caress them". I'd also add that I'm jeaolous of a certain cutting board...
P.S. I know... - I'm "disqualified" and you need chat with me right away about "spouse blog rules" :)
- June 5, 2008 at 8:13 PM
- Christine said...
By all means my Mr. Potato Brush
scrubs all my veggies!
- June 5, 2008 at 8:30 PM
- carrie said...
Bowls. I love all kinds of bowls. Little mini bowls, extra large mixing bowls, and everything in between. Can I have too many? Nope.
- June 5, 2008 at 8:41 PM
- Bjam said...
I love my whisks. My flat one, the fold-up one, the huge one, the little one, and all of the others. They're all just wonderful. I love that with them you have to work hard and then you get such lusciously and delicately whipped delights. Hand-whipped cream is the best! And then cleaning them is a blast as you get to poke through all the little slats with your dishcloth and you can blow bubbles through them! Just simply wonderful.
- June 5, 2008 at 8:53 PM
- Tom said...
I love my cast iron skillet (10-in) and lid. You can make just about anything with it. Plus, they can be used to make the BEST reheated pizza in all the world! Just put a slice in your skillet, pop on the iron lid and put it on a low burner for 10 to 15 minutes. It tastes just like it came from a old world pizzaria.
- June 5, 2008 at 8:53 PM
- Jenn @ Juggling Life said...
You are a girl after my mother's own heart. I inherited all her kitchen stuff and I'd have to say my favorite thing was the creme brulee torch--that's something not everybody has!
- June 5, 2008 at 9:28 PM
- My Sweet & Saucy said...
I am obsessed with finding adorable and different looking cake plates! I could buy one everyday of the week!
- June 5, 2008 at 9:36 PM
- virjennifer said...
My favorite are fun chopsticks and a set of Chinese bowls that were passed down from my father's mother. They're gorgeous and so delicate. I love them!
- June 5, 2008 at 10:03 PM
- Simply said...
I do have these beautiful wooden chopsticks that I like to use for just about everything. It's a nice dark red wood and I use it in place of spatulas, forks, whisks...Love it!
- June 5, 2008 at 10:04 PM
- spontaneous_wild_chook said...
How adorable! Mine is our faithful balloon whisk that has a base that you can stand it upright on. We received it as an engagement present & it was wrapped amazingly in bright yellow cellophane. Anyway, just last night a chunk broke off it- I was so sad & I've kept thinking about it all day.
- June 5, 2008 at 10:21 PM
- Jessie said...
as weird as this sounds my favorite kitchen accessory is my steamer. I love to steam up veggies for a quick(ish) snack or steam an artichoke before throwing it on the bbq. :)
- June 5, 2008 at 11:25 PM
- Larissa said...
Definitely my Cutco kitchen shears! They can cut anything - meat, fresh herbs, plastic wrap, etc.
- June 6, 2008 at 12:43 AM
- Sylvie said...
Oddly enough it's my Salter electronic kitchen scale. I couldn't live without it!
- June 6, 2008 at 1:25 AM
i love love love my black kitchen aid spatula! i got it at Ross and it's the best tool i've ever purchased! it bends however way to scoop out everything in my mixing bowl that i try to get out! =P
- June 6, 2008 at 1:30 AM
I was deciding between my hand held sieve or my piping nozzles. I absolutely love both of them and can't live without them in my kitchen. Even though I don't use the nozzles as much as i do the sieve, i'd now have to say the piping nozzles. I'm slowly getting there to having my first box full of different nozzles. I always seem to buy one or two when I find them.
- June 6, 2008 at 1:31 AM
- Chrysalis said...
My Le Creuset Silicone Spatulas. So pretty in their bright colors, so helpful in their scraping and not melting, I am in love.
- June 6, 2008 at 2:14 AM
- Chrysalis said...
My Le Creuset Silicone Spatulas. So pretty in their bright colors, so helpful in their scraping and not melting, I am in love.
- June 6, 2008 at 2:14 AM
- Jayne said...
Hi - new to your blog - but it looks like my timing is good. I've been reading through all the comments and with just about all of them I'm "yep, I love mine (whatever it is), too!" - so hard to pick one favorite!! But I'll go with my Foley food mill - I use it especially when I'm making my oven roasted tomato sauce - it's so satisfying to press every drop of pulp and juice out of those tomatoes!
- June 6, 2008 at 4:11 AM
- Mindy said...
I'm torn between two really... I have this little tiny flipper, It's about three inches long and one inch wide and it fits everywhere. Great for tight brownie corners and then just perfect to lift a single cookie. I suppose if I have to pick just one it would be that one.
- June 6, 2008 at 5:23 AM
- Rachel said...
My favorite? My koziol dog shaped cake slicer.
- June 6, 2008 at 6:04 AM
I can understand your obsession
My obsession are little glasses.
I have run out of space, but I still buy them.
They are great to serve little appetizer portions...
- June 6, 2008 at 6:20 AM
- aspence said...
I like my casserole dishes. They were my moms from the seventies and they have little brown flowers on them. They make me feel like I'm seven again and making dinner with her.
- June 6, 2008 at 6:35 AM
- Beth said...
One? I can only choose ONE? But I love all my little kitchen sweeties....just don't tell my hubby about the ones I have stashed in my sewing room until I can find just the right time to bring them out, proudly claimingm "But honey, I've had these for AGES, haven't you seen them before?"
LOL but I suppose my NEW favorite, if I had to choose is my beautiful olive wood salt cellar. It has such a lovely patina and make a wonderful resting place for my kosher salt. Or my stainless gelato spooins...or my porcelain pinch bowls...or...or...or...
- June 6, 2008 at 6:38 AM
Oh, geez...every other day, every time I cook, I'll end up commenting "That was the best X amount of dollars I've spent!" concerning a certain kitchen gadget or pan.
My current favorites would have to be my Lodge cast iron pans and my 1/2 teaspoon. The Lodge pan was bought at Marshall's on sale after seeing an episode of "Good Eats" featuring it; I figured I would find a couple uses for it but never that I could use it for EVERYTHING.
The 1/2 teaspoon was not a purchase; it somehow found its way with me when I moved out of my mom's house. It is the only single measuring spoon I have but I find I use it more often than my two click-and-measure adjustable measuring spoons. Outside of measurements smaller than a half-teaspoon, you can use it for measuring pretty much everything.
And I'm still on a quest for individual measuring spoons worthy of my kitchen, what can I say?
- June 6, 2008 at 6:53 AM
- LYNN said...
Silverware. The heavier, the better.
- June 6, 2008 at 6:58 AM
- cakewardrobe said...
I"d have to say a rubber spatula, because I love how it transfers every last drop of cake batter like a tongue licking the inside of a bowl. :)
- June 6, 2008 at 7:05 AM
- GreenYogini said...
Oooh! These are beautiful! I just moved and realized that I have somehow lost or misplaced my measuring cups and spoons - these would make me very happy indeed. :)
That said, my favorite cooking acoutrements are my Cutco knives. They make chopping and slicing fun - so much so that my brother, whose idea of "cooking" involves defrosting Hamburger Helper, actually asked me *what else* he could dice in preparation for our last Thanksgiving meal.
I especially love my spatula spreader, as it scoops, spreads, and slices without the need for various different tools. (I'm always on the lookout for multi-purpose tools.)
(And no, I don't work for Cutco.) :)
- June 6, 2008 at 7:18 AM
I would have to say my microplane and my mini food processesor. I bought it for like 7 bucks and I it's the best money I've spent!
- June 6, 2008 at 7:20 AM
- bunny said...
I love Sur La Table too! Very funny post, made me laugh :) I think my favorite kitchen tool would be my good ol' wooden spoon. There's something about cooking with a wooden spoon that turns the process into something very homey and comforting, an just beautiful, as opposed a harsh metal spoon that makes me feel like i'm rushing to get a meal on the table.
- June 6, 2008 at 7:40 AM
- Redox Nodal said...
I'd have to say my Mortis and Pestle. It's marble. A friend gave it to me a few years ago. I use it every few days to grind the flavours out of my home grown herbs and more often than not my dried chillis.
- June 6, 2008 at 7:47 AM
- Hillary said...
I love these - too cute! I think my favorite kitchen item would be my creme brulee ramekins and creme brulee torch.
- June 6, 2008 at 8:20 AM
- lindsay anne said...
My salt & pepper shakers! They are very large, beautiful, vintage pewter pheasants that accent my kitchen so nicely. I especially like them because of their large size (the tails, specifically) - it makes it comical to watch people season their food with these large silver birds! :)
- June 6, 2008 at 9:29 AM
- lindsay anne said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 6, 2008 at 9:29 AM
- Dejah said...
Mine would be my blender, could not live without it!
- June 6, 2008 at 9:41 AM
- Megan said...
I just got a brand new KA so of course thats my favorite. But I couldn't line without my rubber spatula(scraper)
- June 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM
FAVORITE: Tongs! ;)
- June 6, 2008 at 10:29 AM
- Elizabeth said...
I'd have to say my favorite kitchen tool is my mortar and pestle. There's nothing quite so lovely as hand grinding spices. The aroma of freshly ground cumin and cardamom reminds me just how lively such ingredients can be.
- June 6, 2008 at 11:10 AM
- bbElf (a.k.a. panda) said...
My favorite kitchen tool has to be my pink Kitchen Aid peeler. It's such a humble little thing, but anybody who has ever tried to function with a dull peeler knows they are worth their weight in gold!
- June 6, 2008 at 12:04 PM
A brand new ridiculously pink kitchen scale. Old fashion looking but a lovely shade of hot pink!! It makes me smile very time I see it. And a rainbow of different colored spatulas!
- June 6, 2008 at 1:34 PM
- Mihae Y said...
Can I predict what my future favorite kitchen accoutrement will be? The digital scale I am getting for my BF's b-day so he can dabble in molecular gastronomy and spherify some fruit juices!
- June 6, 2008 at 3:43 PM
- Kimberly said...
I've been staring intently at my kitchen for 4 days thinking about this and it finally hit me this morning as I was taking a drink out of my Rosie the Riveter (the original Normal Rockwell painting from 1943) coffee mug, that I drink out of this mug at least 8 times a day. This mug is the tool that gets the caffeine into my system each and every morning without fail, all while reminding me of strong women.
I can't think of a better tool than this. Plus, it keeps me conscious :)
- June 6, 2008 at 5:38 PM
- GoldTeeth said...
ohhh cute, i have a pink kitchen aid mixer and a pink salt pig, i love my salt pig soooo much, holy moly, except when people come over they mistake it for a sugar bowl and almost put salt in their tea. blehh.
- June 7, 2008 at 1:09 AM
- FranMag said...
Yay, a contest! I have to say my favorite kitchen tool is my chef's knife. I love my knives.
- June 7, 2008 at 2:12 AM
- Michaela said...
Hello! I am new here, I've found this blog thanks to a link from tastespotting.com =3
I don't have many kitchen tools, as I don't have my own kitchen yet. But I love to cook. My probably favorite tools will be my knives - I have one big and one small. We live with my boyfriend's mother and she is using everything like 30 years old and her knives are completely blunt. I had to buy new ones, because I was unable to cut anything with hers. And I love them =3 Then I love my pots and pan, but I am not sure if they would qualify as tools =X
- June 7, 2008 at 4:03 AM
- marissa said...
My favorite accoutrement is my beautiful yet functional robin's egg blue ceramic citrus juicer.
- June 7, 2008 at 6:34 AM
- Shannon said...
My favorite has to be a spatula, it's so satisfying the way it cleanly scrapes bowls and pans, etc. Awesome contest, thanks!
- June 7, 2008 at 8:44 AM
My set of wooden spoons and spatulas. I have 24 in all. This is the one item I could not live without in the kitchen. They are light-weight, yet durable and they don't scratch your pots and pans. Plus they develop a lovely rustic, burnt patina over time. A wooden spoon is all I need.
- June 7, 2008 at 9:21 AM
- Sugar said...
Right then... who's it gonna be? I'm dying to get this cute little set into my new little condo! All of my pre-divorce stuff has to go...
- June 10, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Incredible points. Solid arguments. Keep up the amazing work.
- August 17, 2017 at 5:45 PM


text:
For investors, the second half of the year won't exactly be coasting.
Subprime mortgage concerns, speculation about interest rates and the early maneuverings of presidential campaigns will influence stock market psychology.
There is optimism about the economy and company profits. But it is tempered by the reality that a rambunctious stock market's stellar days are just as capable of sliding into the negative.
Mention the possibility of hurricanes affecting the energy pipeline or Asian markets experiencing a sharp correction, for example, and the mood immediately turns somber.
A cautious strategy for the remainder of 2007 hopes for the best but doesn't rule out any potential turn of events. Larger companies in reliable fields are on the front burner.
"Not long ago, the stock market was reflecting on the chance of a Federal Reserve rate cut, and now there are expectations of a rate hike, but I personally don't think the Fed is going to do anything between now and year-end," said Alan F. Skrainka, chief market strategist with Edward Jones in St. Louis. "Inflation is a little bit up, but not so much that the Fed has to take action."
Subprime mortgage and housing market woes are "playing into the Fed's hand" by slowing the economy and relieving some of the inflationary pressures, Skrainka said. The economy will continue to grow and recession isn't looming, he added, though investors must remain on guard for a market correction.
"Heading into fall we'll have the full force of the early political campaign speeches and talks, with the stock market reacting to anything that sounds extreme," said Frederic H. Dickson, chief market strategist with D.A. Davidson & Co. in Great Falls, Mont. "This can range from very populist rhetoric of wealth distribution and higher taxes all the way to ultraconservative talk, but will add up to market turbulence."
Subprime mortgages will remain in headlines as a negative economic driver, weakening housing, construction and employment at least through year's end, Dickson expects.
The subprime crunch is slowing the economy by 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent on an annualized basis, he estimates. His prediction is that the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P; 500 index will move modestly higher.
The poster company for the second half of 2007 is Schering-Plough Corp., a turnaround situation with recent good fortune.
Its stock is recommended by Sam Stovall, senior investment strategist with Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services in New York, and Paul J. Nolte, investment director with Hinsdale Associates in Hinsdale, Ill.
While known for allergy and hepatitis-C products, Schering-Plough is enjoying a powerful income stream from the popular cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin, developed in a joint venture with Merck & Co. Its stock is up 25 percent this year, after last year's 14 percent gain.
The maker of a variety of health care products isn't overly dependent on just a few drugs and doesn't face many near-term patent expirations. It has been working to improve efficiency and revive its lagging internally generated drug lines in a revitalization program put into place after some difficult years.
"My advice to investors is that the second half of the year will be good, but not great, with equities a better opportunity than bonds," said Stovall, who expects a fractional increase in the 10-year Treasury note yield and slight decline in the S&P; 500 by year's end. "The stock market will be vulnerable for a pullback, so if you're adding to positions, do so in a cautious manner."
Because higher overall interest rates and a delay in the Federal Reserve's rate cut will pressure stock prices, he would buy only stocks with a record of raising earnings and dividends.
Among the companies Stovall recommends that fit that description are consumer staple firms Colgate-Palmolive Co., CVS Caremark and Altria Group Inc., and the health care firms Cephalon Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings and Zimmer Holdings.
"We are going to see a very choppy stock market in the second half of the year, with the potential for a sharp sell-off with high volume," Nolte said. "The best plays in the U.S. are in health care and some of the consumer stocks, while the REIT [real estate investment trust] market is going to have some trouble for obvious reasons."
Because of strong run-ups, utilities and telecommunications stocks are unlikely to continue their winning ways, Nolte said. Overall, higher energy prices and a struggling housing market will take a toll on the stock market in the second half of the year, he said.
Pharmaceutical firms Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., pacemaker manufacturer Medtronic Inc., brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. and food company Kellogg Co. are stocks held in Nolte's client portfolios that he recommends for purchase.
Control what you can and avoid worrying about the rest, experts say.
"Investors can't control oil prices or Fed policy," Skrainka said. "My advice for the rest of this year is that investors can control the quality of investments owned, the diversification of their portfolios and their own emotions by maintaining a long-term view."
To Skrainka, industrial firms 3M and United Technologies Corp., financials Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. and energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp. are well-positioned for the second half of an uncertain 2007.
Andrew Leckey writes for Tribune Media Services.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
R C Willey
About Us
If you're looking for kitchen appliances with the highest standards of performance, beauty and design, visit an RC Willey Home Furnishings Showroom. This leading appliance specialist carries a great selection of product and boasts knowledgeable sales associates to aid you in designing your new kitchen. Stop by and see for yourself why professional designers and contractors are choosing RC Willey.


text:
Here's the latest of our news bulletins from the ongoing crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
State of Nuclear Politics in Japan
A government panel assigned with analyzing data from a series of 11 town hall meetings, thousands of online responses, and deliberative polling has determined that a majority of the Japanese public wants to abandon nuclear power. Their report states, "We can say with certainty that a majority of citizens want to achieve a society that does not rely on nuclear power generation." Accordingly, it is advising the government to prepare a concrete plan to eliminate nuclear energy and ensure safety at power plants as reactors are decommissioned. Economic Minister Motohisa Furukawa announced, "A majority of people are eager to get rid of nuclear power. That is our conclusion after we discussed a variety of public opinions submitted to the government at this time." The panelists say that the public's response is a direct result of distrust in the government's ability to manage the nation's energy policy and the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Japan has been trying to decide whether it should depend on 0%, 15%, or 20-25% nuclear power by 2030.
In the face of such strong public opposition, including massive anti-nuclear protests that have been held every Friday since March, the government is reportedly now seriously considering abandoning nuclear energy. Previous reports said that officials who were once strongly wedded to the 15% option are now afraid of significant losses in the upcoming autumn elections if they do so. Indeed, one Lower House member of the Diet admitted, "We cannot win the upcoming election unless we put up a zero-percent policy." Another noted, "I think the 'zero by 2030' scenario is becoming mainstream in the government. I think it is because of the election." But some experts warn that unless the government plan contains a specific target date for eradication of nuclear power, the move could be virtually meaningless.
A new poll of 2,249 voters conducted by the Asahi Shimbun shows that 47% consider "nuclear power generation" an issue of "great importance" in upcoming parliamentary elections, expected to be held near the end of next month. In addition, 80% of respondents said they support phasing out the use of nuclear power.
Reports by nine power companies across Japan show that power outages are "avoidable" and none is expected through September 7, in spite of the fact that only two of the country's 54 nuclear reactors are operating. The announcement highlights the effectiveness of power saving efforts and contradicts dire warnings issued by the utilities earlier this year, which said that widespread blackouts would occur without the benefit of nuclear power. In fact, there were no blackouts. Analysts say that customers within the utilities' service areas (both residential and commercial) used between 8% and 16% less power than in 2010.
After recent revelations that fault lines below several of Japan's nuclear plants might be active, possibly forcing their closure in keeping with a law that prevents operation under such circumstances, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said this week that it plans to change the law in order to keep the plants open. Experts have expressed concern. NISA officials said that they will draft the amendment to the legislation and then pass it along to the newly-formed Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), expected to begin operations in September. NISA operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), which is charged with promoting nuclear power in Japan. The arrangement has long been criticized for its conflicts of interest.
Meanwhile, Shikoku Electric Company and Hokuriku Electric said that their Ikata and Shika power plants, respectively, are both capable of withstanding earthquakes triggered by multiple faults and would encounter "no problems" in the case of such an event. In spite of having vested interests in the outcome, the utilities' operators conducted the studies themselves. NISA officials are expected to approve the test results. TEPCO is in the process of conducting similar studies at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
Status of the Fukushima Reactors
TEPCO admitted this week that water being injected into reactors #1, #2, and #3 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant dropped below the amount required to keep damaged fuel from overheating and potentially melting down further. Officials said that the issue was discovered before the temperature of the water began to rise, but added that they did not know what caused the problem and said they are looking into it. Utility officials said that the water injection system is the "most important" part of maintaining the reactors' safety.
Officials from TEPCO said this week that two unused fuel rods removed from the spent fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi's reactor #4 were undamaged, but admitted that they did discover rust and concrete debris measuring up to 2 cm in diameter within the rods. Experts surmise that the rubble was lodged in the rods as a result of the hydrogen explosions last March. Workers have yet to examine fuel pellets within the rods. The spent fuel pool at #4 holds 1,535 fuel assemblies, and experts have repeatedly warned that the structure, which was heavily damaged in last year's explosion and whose walls are now bulging, is in a precarious state. It would pose a tremendous risk if an earthquake caused additional damage, particularly if it collapsed.
TEPCO has announced plans to build holding tanks with an additional capacity of 170,000 tons to store highly radioactive water, which continues to build up at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant at a rate of 400 tons per day. Currently, tanks at the Fukushima compound, which are capable of holding 220,000 tons, are 85% full. They are expected to reach capacity within the next three months. The utility said that the new tanks will become full within just over a year—November 2013—at which point officials will need to start destroying nearby forests to make room for more storage. The radioactive water is a by-product of efforts to keep the crippled reactors cool, a process that's expected to go on for decades, as well as continuous seeping of groundwater into the reactors through cracks in damaged container vessels. (Source: NHK)
Contamination, Including Human Exposure
Government officials have ordered the halt of cod shipments from Aomori Prefecture, after high levels of cesium were discovered in two sample fish tested there. Contamination levels measured 133 Bq/kg; the government limit is 100 Bq/kg. The cod in question were caught in Hachinohe, almost 400 km from the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but experts say that they are known to travel long distances. "Some fish that ate highly radioactive offerings off Fukushima Prefecture probably traveled north and produced the high cesium readings in Aomori," said an official from Japan's Fisheries Research Agency (FRA). Some of the contaminated fish had already been sold to consumers. Other fish caught in the same area tested below allowable limits, leading TEPCO to say that there may be so-called radioactive hotspots in the ocean. But others surmise that leaks of radioactive substances from the plant may be ongoing. The nuclear disaster has had a devastating effect on the fishing industry in Fukushima Prefecture. Last year in Aomori Prefecture, Pacific cod sales brought in 1.4 billion yen ($18 million), and fishermen are now worried about protecting their livelihoods.
The esteemed International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, is urging the Japanese government to lower annual radiation exposure limits to less than one millisievert, in the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The organization will submit a formal written request to government officials. In addition, they urged them to provide adequate and timely information to residents about the amount of radiation exposure they've received.
Farmers in Fukushima Prefecture began the season's first rice sales to the public this week, after officials announced earlier this month that every bag of rice shipped would be tested to ensure none exceeds the government's radiation standard of 100 Bq/kg. Last year, a scandal erupted when prefectural officials declared all rice safe, but were forced to admit that some rice that went to market was in fact contaminated with radioactive cesium. (Source: NHK)
Decontamination and Waste Disposal
Farmers in Fukushima Prefecture are trying to decontaminate pastures in Samegawa Village, in an attempt to be able to feed cattle pasture grass next year, by removing the top layers of soil and adding zeolite, a compound that absorbs radiation. They hope to sow seeds for new grass next spring. Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, farmers have voluntarily refrained from feeding their livestock grass at the advice of the government, but a scandal erupted last year when contaminated rice straw, harvested before the disaster but stored outdoors, was fed to cattle. The move resulted in vast amounts of contaminated beef being sent to market.
(Unregistered) Boris324
The Nuclear and Industrial safety agency is a big joke. Are they paid by the power companies? To change the laws to keep reactors operating is nothing...
The Nuclear and Industrial safety agency is a big joke. Are they paid by the power companies? To change the laws to keep reactors operating is nothing short of criminal. Thank you Greenpeace and Ms. McCann for for all your very informative articles.
2 September, 2012 at 3:32
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(Unregistered) Fritzepaule
Thank you for your continuous coverage of this ongoing disaster.
4 September, 2012 at 16:20
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(Unregistered) JAYT
I used to be utterly opposed to nuclear fission power. Do you know how many people died, or are likely to die, because of Fukushima Daiichi? Do you k...
I used to be utterly opposed to nuclear fission power. Do you know how many people died, or are likely to die, because of Fukushima Daiichi? Do you know how many were killed by the tsunami? The answer to the second question is no-one knows but the number is around 20,000.
A UN-approved science report on the Fukushima incident says it will not be possible to detect additional deaths from radiation released by the disaster. The total figure is ... zero!
The IPCC conservatively estimates deaths directly attributable to man-made climate change will be in the hundreds of millions by 2050.
Greenpeace should seriously reconsider the evidence of James Lovelock (FRS), James Hansen (NASA Goddard), Prof David Mackay (Camb) and other serious contributors. Even 18GW of wind turbines produces negligible output at times, sometimes for a long time. The only way to back this up and keep the lights on is fossil-fuelled stations. Grid-scale storage is just not available except in very limited pumped-storage installations.
New nuclear can be fail-safe - at least at much lower risk than the best outcomes of continued fossil CO2 emissions. New reactor designs can eat waste from older reactors, making available fuel reserves last for thousands of years.
Greenpeace needs to seriously look again at what's important in energy supplies. People will not accept frequent recurrent outages, but running fossil-fuelled stations to back wind turbines means the fossil stations will be running two-thirds to three-quarters of the time, while the turbines deny enjoyment of wilderness spaces and kill birds.
5 September, 2012 at 2:39
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Jan Haverkamp - Greenpeace
@JAYT - Maybe you should take a careful look at the Greenpeace / EREC energy [r]evolution scenario, which you can download (in different global, regio...
@JAYT - Maybe you should take a careful look at the Greenpeace / EREC energy [r]evolution scenario, which you can download (in different global, regional and national versions) from http://www.energyblueprint.info. The developments in the energy industry we are currently facing are not a choice between fossil or nuclear, but between dirty business as usual or clean and innovative. In fact, nuclear can - according to NEA figures - only contribute marginally to fighting climate change, and that only under the the most optimistic (or pessimistic from my side) scenarios in which the equivalent of 1400 new nuclear power stations would be constructed before 2050. This is clearly a lot more irrealistic than the growth predictions in the energy [r]evolution scenario - and more expensive as well as increasing the chances for a next Fukushima, the amount of unsolvable radioactive waste and the chance on proliferation.
Concerning victims from Fukushima: We hope sincerely it has been possible to keep exposures of workers and population to a minimum, but there has been exposure. Current figures give the hope we will not have to see people with direct radiation sickness as a result of Fukushima and it would be wonderful if that stays that way. The crisis is far from over, however, so let's keep our fingers crossed. The impact of lower doses of radiation are a lot more uncertain. The study you refer to does not really say much about that and unfortunately the media have turned it into claims that are not backed up by facts. It merely says that exposure levels so far appear to have remained under the levels above which cancer incidents would rise with full certainty. We will have to wait for more detailed information on doses, plus a lot of more detailed information about the health situation of those exposed before any more precise conclusions can be drawn.
Next to that, radiation exposure leads to more effects than only cancers. Anecdotal information already gives indication that we might see some of the effects also seen after the Chernobyl catastrophe - but again, more information is needed.
And then there are the people that died directly as consequence of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, but not related to radiation. I refer to workers that died at the plant during work, and for example to cases like the hospital where not all intensive care patients could be evacuated, or the old-age pensioners house, where staff but not inhabitants could be evacuated. In total, the Fukushima prefecture certified around 600 deaths as directly attributable to the nuclear catastrophe so far. Not radiation related, but devastating for the families involved nevertheless. I would plead for a bit more care in claims about victims of Fukushima. Apart from the tens of thousands of lives that were disrupted because of the very necessary evacuations.
Of course, we as humanity could live with more of these kind of catastrophes, but we don't have to. There are cleaner and cheaper alternatives with less risk - why follow the defaitist opinions if there are ways out?
6 September, 2012 at 15:04
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@JAYT 2 - Oh yes, and nuclear power stations canNOT be made fail-safe. Risks can be reduced, but there always will be rest risks for operations where ...
@JAYT 2 - Oh yes, and nuclear power stations canNOT be made fail-safe. Risks can be reduced, but there always will be rest risks for operations where so much radiation is concentrated. The claim that "the waste can be eaten in new designs" is a hoax. So far untested designs could on the drawing table reduce volume of high level waste and part of the total radiation of the waste, but never can eliminate the problem. Don't be fooled by industry propaganda...
6 September, 2012 at 15:08
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(Unregistered) Beppe
Hitachi Zosen Corp. said that it will enter the offshore wind power generation business. Source: Jiji Press. (http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=...
Hitachi Zosen Corp. said that it will enter the offshore wind power generation business. Source: Jiji Press. (http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012090400804).
As far as I know, some of the people who were exposed in the early days of Fukushima nuclear catastrophe already started losing hair.
Furthermore I believe Tokyo Electric itself admitted that Fukushima Daiichi is still leaking radioactive material in the environment.
9 September, 2012 at 21:20
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(Unregistered) Marc
Nuclear power is the way to go. It's the ONLY carbon-free source that's economical (even wind and solar require huge amounts of carbon energy ...
Nuclear power is the way to go. It's the ONLY carbon-free source that's economical (even wind and solar require huge amounts of carbon energy during manufacturing).
Newer plant designs are uber-safe; most of the plants operating today are at least one generation and sometime two generations behind the current "engineering standard".
People need to do their researching and recognize that it's safe and non-polluting. Yuka Mountain was shuttered only because of political pressure that was baseless.
I wish people would stop the reflex reactions, do some honest personal research and come to their own conclusion... vs. being led around blindly by organizations that are unbalanced.
19 September, 2012 at 19:43
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@Marc - I agree with you completely that people should do honest personal research. They would find out that newer plant designs are only ueber-safe o...
@Marc - I agree with you completely that people should do honest personal research. They would find out that newer plant designs are only ueber-safe on the drawing table, but that while implementing these designs, human failure, costs and time play their nasty roles - with over 6000 breaches of prescriptions in the Olkiluoto 3 EPR in Finland to date and still two or more years of construction to go. The problem is not as much in the dreams of designers - it is in the real life every day complexity of dealing with concentrated highly radioactive content. The German Ethics Committee on a Safe Energy Future last year rightly concluded that no power station could completely exclude the risk of release of some of that content into the environment. If only because of the potential damage through terrorist attack, sabotage or acts of war.
What you imply is that most of the plants operating today should be shut down immediately because they do not fulfill the stand of technology any longer. Something to indeed think about when technical life-times are running at an end.
Concerning Yucca Mountain... Maybe do a bit more research yourself in the open questions around the project. Also look into the current open questions around the Swedish and Finnish projects for deep geological disposal of high-level waste. Maybe watch the documentary "Into Eternity" by Christian Madsen... Political pressure sometimes (and in this case) is well rooted in evidence.
24 October, 2012 at 14:16
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text:
Once upon a time, these preserved human and animal brains were once lovingly studied by Soviet-era neuroscientists. But when the lab was abandoned — perhaps in a hurry — these lonely brains were left behind.
There are few details on this abandoned neuroscience lab, so we'll have to take the photographer's word that it's the real deal. Supposedly, this former Soviet laboratory sits in Moscow, where it was operated by the army. Some time after the lab was hastily abandoned, it was sealed off. But civilians who venture inside will see skinned animal heads, slides depicting brain cross-sections, and lots and lots of actual brains amidst the more mundane dirty dishes and glassware. Head over to the Russian blog brusnichka for more macabre photos from the lab.
Photos by Alex Klochkov.
Abandoned laboratory of studying a human brain [brusnichka via Radiolab]


text:
stevejebson needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 47 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
Guideline Lift Services Ltd
Guideline are an elevator company specialising in the installation
,modernisation, testing, repair and maintenance of all types and makes of lifts for clients ranging from major corporations to private individuals.
Buildings management, Corporations and individuals
Utilising our new corporate logo, we would like a sharp, fresh web page that incorporates a stylish and modern appearance.
The primary colours should be reflex blue, silver and black.
The emphasis should be on:
• Nearly 40 years established
• Building client trust and developing relationships
• Guideline are an innovative and forward thinking company
Communication, experience and client satisfaction are our main objectives.
The homepage should incorporate links to:
• Client area
• Recent projects
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Contact
Main activities of the company are - Installation & Modernisation, Test, Repair and Maintenance
Examples of the new letterhead can be found here
and here
only need layout comps, preferred format would be fireworks png or alternatively layered photoshop psd


text:
In 2047 : You are an amnesiac detective trying to uncover your past and the mystery behind the robotic killing machines who steal their victims identities know as Snatchers. The goal is to faithfully re-create Hideo Kojima's cyberpunk classic in an explorable 3D environment.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


text:
Chemistry and Pharmacology (The Alkaloids Book 48) (English Edition)Internationally acclaimed for more than forty years, this Series, founded by the late Professor R.H.F. Manske, continues to provide outstanding coverage of the rapidly expanding field of the chemotaxonomy, structureelucidation, synthesis, biosynthesis, and biology of all classes of alkaloids from higher and lower plants, marine organisms, or various terrestrial animals. Each volume provides, through its distinguished authors, up-to-date and detailed coverage of particular classes or sources of alkaloids. Over the years, this Series has become the standard in natural product chemistry to which all other book series aspire. The Alkaloids: Chemistry and Pharmacology endures as an essential reference for all natural product chemists and biologists who have an interest in alkaloids, their diversity, and their unique biological profile.
- Indispensible reference work written by leading experts in the field
- Provides up-to-date, timely reviews on compounds and classes of great interest
- Covers synthesis, biosynthesis, biology, as well as isolation and structure elucidation
- An essential research tool for anyone working with alkaloids from a chemical or biological perspective


text:
Music People
The Art of Sound
Music People is a musical venture comprising a group of professional session musicians ready to take on any musical challenge. All the presented music is composed and mixed by us, therefore may be altered in any possible way. Feel free to ask if you need any version of the tracks – will gladly mix or change them to suit your individual needs.
To all the VideoHive users!
You are more than welcome to use my music in your projects.


text:
2013-04-10 • DNA Wassup?
Start: 12:03:58
Seventies: Hi daviss!
daviss: hi there Seventies!
Seventies: What's going on with you?
daviss: not to much, what about you?
Seventies: Nothing just on my lunch break.
daviss: lunch hmmmm
Seventies: I have a 'white' relative who comes in pretty close to the top matches on my DNA on 23and me for my grandfather. Maybe like 4th down on my list of 3rd cousins. Hi alt and Selma!
Selma: Afternoon alt, daviss and seventies
daviss: hello alt and Selma!
alt: Hey ladies,,,,,what's up? daviss, Selma, Seventies
Seventies: Girls run the world... that's what's up... LOL
daviss: you alt!
Seventies: Ok anyways daviss, I didn't realize this until I looked up the haplogroups because we didn't have any haplogroup matches.
alt: How many segments shared & how long cM? Seventies
Seventies: Let me look. This guy had a segment with the * on the end. while I look, how do you all like the new 23andme interface?
daviss: no comment
alt: I don't, but I'm an old grumpy dude LOL
Seventies: lol Ok I hope I did this right. Genome-Wide Comparison (896507 SNPs) 75.68% similar
alt: are you looking at the RF matches using the "Chrome" browser?
Seventies: Crazy thing is that his surname is Wade, which is the surname of my grandfather's gr grandmother's maiden name.
daviss: brb
Seventies: No using Firefox alt.
Selma: I have Wade's in Grenada, BWI
Seventies: Oh really??
alt: Seventies, the chrome browser shows the matching list with % DNa shared, # of segments & length in cM over the # of segments for each individual.
Seventies: oh wait, they changed that holdon We have a half match on seg 3, and segment 6
alt: Selma, did you ever find a connection to the young man from Grenada that won the 400 meter run in the 2012 Olympics?
daviss: ok back pho call
vkn: Howdy all y'all
Seventies: Slipping in here like a thief in the night... lol
vkn: daviss !
alt: howdy vkn,,,, thanks for the information from Proquest of the 27th USCT.
Selma: Forgot all about it alt
alt: okay Selma
vkn: thiefing be best at night seventies
alt: I was "under the weather" yesterday vkn, feeling tolerably well today. LOL
Seventies: I hadn't even been on proquest this month.
daviss: Seventies are you in the tools section
Selma: Glad you are feeling better alt
alt: ty Selma
vkn: me too glad 'bout alt being better selma
Seventies: Nope, Friends and Family. I found the info. We share on Segments 3 and 6 .53% over 3 segments. two of which are on 6. I wish I knew what that meant. DNA is not my strong point. At least not the way they present it.
vkn: speak english seventies
Seventies: If I could.. I would! lol daviss, you should be able to look at my genomes.
vkn: lol
Selma: Does this give you an idea when your ancestors might have "crossed paths"...at some point
Seventies: I am still waiting, over a month now, for this male who shares .66% over 4 segments to accept my introduction.
daviss: Theodore can
Seventies: daviss...
alt: how many ancestors/relatives do you think we have at the 3rd=4th cousin range? 100K, 500K, 1 Million.???
daviss: yes.....:o
vkn: smilies not working again today
daviss: I don't see your grand Seventies
alt: when I think of just one 3rd great-grandmother that had 15 siblings, the number of possible ancestors across 8 sets of great-great-great parents is mind boggling.
Seventies: I have no idea alt, wish I had a clue. But I suspect that its a whole lot smaller than 100k....
daviss: is that 3rd great your most amount of children you have found alt so far I think mine is 8
alt: yes daviss, but I have found other ancestors with 8 or more.... my mother's father was one of 10 children. and he had a sister that had 11 children.
Seventies: My father was one of 14 of which 12 lived to adulthood His mother was one of 12
alt: so those #'s for possible relatives can be tremendous.
Seventies: Yep... I'm still looking for Joseph Callins... no one in the family even remembers him... which I find weird. My grandmother told me about him. He was her oldest brother. born 1888. Which is absolutely freaky to me to be so young and have a great grandmother who was born during slavery well just after slavery.
daviss: on my Ware side I am told there were 8 girls but of course I can only find one and that is my 3rd great grandmother. I guess they are all married and no way to know who they are
alt: Seventies, my father's father, my grandfather was born in 1852 .. in slavery.. his mother was born abt 1856 also in slavery.. so my grandparents were slaves ..... it's all relative to our age LOL
Seventies: I guess. 1852 was the birth year of my gg grandmother, Celie Smith-Williams.
alt: so slavery, for some of us, isn't too far removed in our ancestral lines.
Seventies: Not at all.
daviss: yep alt
Seventies: Does anyone have any 'brickwalls' they are looking to knock down soon??
daviss: all my great grands that was comment to slavery and far removed
alt: plenty of brick walls, not sure about how soon they may be knocked down.
Seventies: My great-great grands were all born during slavery So I'm looking for this Joe Callins grand uncle in Alabama. Sort of... lol But in that part of AL the surname Callins may as well be Smith.
Selma: If he was born in 1888..when was your grandmother born..would they have been in the same home in 1900
Seventies: They were Selma.
alt: and as Denise used to say "can't tell real kin from plantation kin" just going by surnames.
Seventies: I'm looking for he and his wife and children after that time. I see he has a WW I draft card, but it doesn't name the wife like some cards do. exactly alt.
Selma: Did he leave the area..which is why no one else remembers him?
Seventies: I do not know. No one else ever talked about him. But me being the nosy grandchild... lol
alt: born 1888 .. check to see if he is on the Old Man's WW II draft registration Seventies, he may be there with his wife named.
Seventies: I hadn't checked that yet. I was doing this before the 1940 census came out. I am a little reluctant in looking up Alabama records, if y'all hadn't noticed.
alt: I think the birth year for that WW II draft registration was like 1879.
Selma: Why?
alt: hadn't noticed, why reluctant???
Seventies: Funny thing is too, I've been able to find other gr uncles and aunts even outside of AL... I don't know. Just am. There are some places in AL that are EXTREMELY rural. Like the counties where my dad and his family grew up.
alt: daviss, what is Cynthia in a "snit" about with the MS Facebook page?
Seventies: oh Mary mother of Jesus!
daviss: :o
Seventies: Isn't she related to 3rd THawkins??? I believe so.
daviss: you say me say "huh" didn't you alt?
alt: yep daviss
Seventies: remove my comment please. Thank you.
daviss: I have no clue And could not decifer her comment back
Seventies: I don't think any of us speaks crazy. BUT....
daviss: I am gonna hold your comment for ransome Seventies lol lol
alt: I was going to send a cousin to the MS page for help on his mother's family who was from MS.....
Seventies: OMG... with her as an Administrator, I just don't know if you should do it.
daviss: pray cousin is searching Adams and Wilkerson alt lol
alt: daviss, the name is Lovett and they are from Hinds Co., MS.
Seventies: She should e-mail Willie Robinson.
daviss: lol I wish someone would get a AA Texas page ok alt U2
Seventies: You should do it daviss
alt: yeah that's my impression too Seventies
daviss: I only know 2 counties & and cant get those right


text:
As I write, another federal court has ruled the wicked, perverted Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. While I have not seen the opinion, just out now, I can raise at least five good arguments why it could not pass Constitutional muster. Take for example the Due Process and Equal Protection guarantees. What is good for some is good for all, and if some want to define marriage as "between one man and one woman," they demand strict scrutiny in their claims. It is akin to claims about the existence of God: fantastic claims demand extraordinary proof. Now that we know that we have a presidential candidate whose grandpa had more than one wife, we learn how glibly Mitt Romney can go along with DOMA-pushers, although the law should be called the Offense to Marriage Equality Act (OTOME). His support of heterosexuals-only marriage is mostly to curry the favor his base -- and I do mean base. Stick around, Mitt may etch another sketch.
Want to bet Justice Scalia is salivating to slather DOMA with dogmatic sanctity, just as he has with many other social issues, perhaps betraying in his nastiness and tight-assed opinions his conservative brand of Catholicism. The New Majority will do precisely what was done in Bush v. Gore: Sweep aside a century of precedent and a hands-off policy toward the States in election conducting, thereby annointing GWB as Pope of the U.S.A. (And yes, I know that Bush was an evangelical, nominally, but the new coalition of evangelicals, whether you call them "evangeliCatholics" or "Cathevangelicals," these two extremist religions fit hand and glove when the chips are down in social issues.) SCOTUS probably won't get the issue soon, but we can easily predict the yea's and nay's. Scalito will go along with fellow Catholic Scalia; Roberts will pull back from his Obamacare centrist position to reassure Big Business he is still a conservative, and Clarence, if he can take enough time off from his porno collection, will follow Scalito in following Scalia.
That leaves the other Catholic on the fence. If anyone can figure Kennedy out, please email me privately. I have wondered for years. Oh, and Scalia in an interview said that several states had anti-sodomy laws for years before the Court struck them down. As far as he is concerned having anti-sodomy [read: anti-gay] laws in place and fully sanctioned by the Constitution is a "no brainer." That would come easy for Scalia, who lets the Vatican do his thinking for him, and who never fails to eschew self-recusal even when a corporation having business before the court goes to lunch with this ideologue.
Views: 568
I prefer to go with the label "religiofascists" or "Christian Taliban" myself. Protestant or Catholic, there's an mean-spirited, totalitarian mean streak in these people, who want to force their beliefs and their will on the rest of the world, believing that they are doing "God's work."
What's particularly baffling is how Scalia has cited pro-slavery laws as defense for his anti-gay position. How he can blatantly ignore the civil rights violation being done here is beyond me.
I wonder how the Supreme Court became so catholic. There are non-catholic judges in this country....
Scalia has revealed himself to be especially bigoted.
I look forward to the Supreme Court addressing Measure 8 and DOMA like a child watches a scary movie, hand over the eyes with fingers divided to look through them. Which is how I viewed the recent election, which came out pretty good, I'd say.
Post mortems on the elections gives nothing but hope. Unmarried women gave their votes to Obama. This is part of the same social group that is young and most likely to live alone. "Traditional marriage" is beginning to look ridiculous since the majority don't bother to marry anymore. Those that do find their way to the divorce courts in large numbers. It is a myth that women need men. Not anymore. It's time we started paying women an equal wage as well.
It amazes me that we still take the Vatican seriously. For some reason we still place a high value of authority on the sayings of a man who sits on a throne, wearing a dress, a pointy hat and bling, and who hangs around with only (and supposedly celibate) men who also wear dresses and bling, and love incense. That we consider this body an authority on marriage (or anything moral, considering the Church's failure on so many human rights issues) borders on hysterical.
Oh, but I'm not being respectful...
Go, guy! Makes you think one of the Pops got it into his head that if you impose celibacy on the priesthood you'll end up with a bunch of masturbators and, as it turns out, child molesters. If you know the history of the Church as well as its dogma, you know that it is not just the Nones who are "married to Christ"; so are the clergy. That is what the bling symbolizes (that is, the ring bling). That is what the celibacy is all about. But guess what? An apostate None a few years ago revealed that a significant percentage of European priests were secretly married, and then there is that wonderful Gael Garcia Bernal movie, Padre Amaro, telling of a priest who gets a congregant pregnant, then becomes the agent of her death when she bleeds out after an illegal abortion gone tragically wrong. Is THIS the blood of "our savior" "Jesus Christ"?
The blood of Christ is the blood of the millions of innocent men, women and children whose lives have been stolen or destroyed in the pursuit of saving their immortal souls. It wasn't until 306 C.E. that clergy were forbidden from marrying, a fact which didn't prevent them from screwing around, prompting Pope Benedict VIII to forbid descendents of priests from inheriting property in 1018 C.E. There's the real reason priests are required to remain celibate -- so that the Church can horde money, land and treasure.
The fact that the RCC exists today, is a sign that history is not taught and not considered important. Anyone who knows even part of the history of the RCC, even if they believe in the christian god, cannot believe that the catholic hierarchy in any way represents their god or carries his message. I have no doubt that, if they could get away with it, the RCC would call for a counter reformation again. Their lies continue, their attempts to increase power continue, and their hold on ignorant and hateful minds continue.
At the risk of raising the specter of Rush Limbaugh, I must say ditto! The blood began to run even before the RCC was born, in pre-Nicean times, when Constantine got rid of the bishops who were followers of Arius. That is, they accepted his "heresy" of believing (and preaching) that if Jesus was divine, He could never have "become flesh," not by Mary, not by anyone. I think their number was in the 70s. The other bishops agreed with Constantine and signed the Nicean Creed. The blood was let during the Crusades, during the Witch Hunts, during the Inquisition, during the decimation of the Cathari and the Knights Templar. During the Nazi holocaust, by which time they learned to let blood by proxy.
No argument from me! By the way, strong work on the Minnesota vote! Next referendum: To start a state sponsored dating / matchmaker site for LGBT Minnesotans. To encourage the best of the best to marry and settle down in their home state, avoiding a brain drain to friendlier places.
And congrats to you, Daniel, on passing the referendum in Washington! Nine states (plus D.C.) down, forty-nine to go! I'm a tad disappointed that the DFL isn't making marriage equality in Minnesota a priority this term, but considering the state of our economy, it's not too surprising. However, I do think that everyone is going to be looking to SCOTUS in a couple of weeks to see what they decide to do with DOMA and Proposition 8. We may not even need to bother overturning those laws banning same-sex marriage once they declare such laws unconstitutional! A better course of action might be convincing Scalia to retire early...
Can youn please obtain a video of Scalia romping naked with 5 nubile young men? And publish it on youtube, NOW!
Or even better, a video of Scalia romping naked with Thomas.
Perish the thought! What group would want to claim Scalia, particularly one of the sexual minorities?
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A 'Priest'-ly visit to Dick's Sporting Goods in Fort Smith
Last Saturday and Sunday, I went to the new Dick's Sporting Goods store's grand opening in Fort Smith, Ark. It's big! The whole right side of the store is nothing by golf stuff. All you golf nuts will be happy.I met professional fishermen Zell Rolland and Bobby Murray. The fishing tackle section was small, but they did have "flying squirrels" and "electric chickens" — two baits that I love to fish with during the winter.On Sunday, we went back to the new store to meet former Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes. he was really nice, and we talked a little about barbecue and football.We also went to their fish tank in the parking lot, and we watched some angling techniques. I'm ready to go fishing, eat some barbecue and watch football now!


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It's easy to select the current range in Excel – just press Ctrl + A. That shortcut selects all the cells in the block that surround the active cell. The selection stops at the first blank row and blank column. But how can you select actual used range in Excel sheet?
Select Current Range
In this example, cell A1 was active, and range A1:A2 was selected with the keyboard shortcut.
Select All Cells
If you use the Ctrl + A shortcut while an isolated or empty cell is selected, then the entire worksheet is selected. In the screen shot below, cell E2 was active when the shortcut was used. The entire sheet was selected.
If the Ctrl + A shortcut selects a range, you can press Ctrl + A again, to select the entire sheet. In the screen shot below, cell A1 was active, and by pressing Ctrl + A twice, the entire worksheet is selected.
Select Filled Cells Only
To select only the filled cells on a worksheet, you can use the Find dialog box.
- On the Excel Ribbon's Home tab, click Find & Select, then click Find (or use the keyboard shortcut -- Ctrl+F)
- Type an asterisk (*) in the "Find what" field
- Click the "Find All" button
- Press Ctrl+A to select all the ranges in the list
- Click Close
Only the filled cells on the worksheet are selected.
Select the Used Range
To select all the cells in the used range on a worksheet, you can use the following shortcut sequence:
- Press Ctrl + Home, to select cell A1
- Press Ctrl + Shift + End, to select all cells from A1 to the last used cell.
Select the Actual Used Range
As you can see in the screen shot above, there is nothing visible in cell D8, but it is included in the selected used range. Perhaps there was a value in that cell, and it was deleted, or the cell is formatted.
If you want to select only the cells in the actual used range, you can use this macro instead. The macro was written by Rick Rothstein, and looks for the last cell with a value, and ends the selection there.
Note: This code ignores cells with formulas that are displaying the empty string. If you need to identify formula cells that might be displaying the empty string, then change the xlValues argument to xlFormulas.
Sub PickedActualUsedRange() Range("A1").Resize(Cells.Find(What:="*", SearchOrder:=xlRows, _ SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, LookIn:=xlValues).Row, _ Cells.Find(What:="*", SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, _ SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, LookIn:=xlValues).Column).Select End Sub
After running the PickedActualUsedRange macro, the selection ends at cell D7, instead of D8.
Select from First Cell With Data
[Thanks to Jelle-Jeroen Lamkamp for his comment that the first used cell might not be A1. Here is Rick's code to deal with that situation.]
Usually, selecting from cell A1 won't hurt anything, but if you really want the actual used range on the worksheet, then you would need to use a macro like this one...
Sub SelectActualUsedRange() Dim FirstCell As Range, LastCell As Range Set LastCell = Cells(Cells.Find(What:="*", SearchOrder:=xlRows, _ SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, LookIn:=xlValues).Row, _ Cells.Find(What:="*", SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, _ SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, LookIn:=xlValues).Column) Set FirstCell = Cells(Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=LastCell, SearchOrder:=xlRows, _ SearchDirection:=xlNext, LookIn:=xlValues).Row, _ Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=LastCell, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, _ SearchDirection:=xlNext, LookIn:=xlValues).Column) Range(FirstCell, LastCell).Select End Sub
More Worksheet Code Examples
You can find this sample code, and a other examples, on Rick Rothstein's Excel VBA – Worksheet page, on the Contextures website.