Fred

For example, I'm looking at recipes on cooking rice, and I keep on finding the directions calling for using a Dutch Oven . . not a typical 5 or 8 qt pot w/lid. I understand the sheer thickness of the Cast Oven/pot has certain characteristics that may be favorable for stews and such . . . Does anyone have any good advice as to whether a gawd-awful heavy piece of cookware is really better than todays pots and pans for cooking?

I have been finding long bags of something squishy at the bottom of the styrofoam trays of chicken I purchase at the market. It appears to be gelatinous pellets that have absorbed moisture . .

Does anyone know what it is? . . it's not gelatin as it doesn't bind . . it's more like some moisture absorbing polymer.

This will be a challenge . . . Do any of you remember this foreign flick . . it takes place in the South of france . . it's about a middle-aged man who takes ill and is forced to set aside his produce route while he gets treatment and convalesces . . his son . . who lives in the city and is pretty much just a disaffected young man with little going on and no prospects . . is needed back in the country to take over his Papa's route and keep the family business going . . Driving a produce and sundry van from community to community selling produce and wares to the customers . .elderly, British ex-pats and the lot . . long story short . . he does a typical crappy job at first, but gets into the swing of things and starts trying to do a good job . . there's a love interest of course . . he gets things back on track . . Pop recuperates and his relationship with his wife is strengthened and the son makes amends with his family and is in a good relationship himself . . it's a lovely little romantic story. .

Anyone remember this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohOtDA3dTAA

For so many who were coming of age in 1989, this song captures the hope of youth, who were witnessing the Iron Curtain coming down. The story of one who has grown up throwing rocks against the Iron Curtain awaking one night while "Following the Moskva Down to Gorky Park" to realize that even the "Soldiers passing by" are just like him. "Like brothers." It was before the Russian Mafia, before the collapse of the Union and Chechnya, before September 11, when it seemed like maybe, just maybe, all the big troubles were about to be solved. The magic of change and people coming together peacefully and the promise of a brighter future. It takes one to the magic of the moment, but it seems there is still a lot of strife for many people and more curtains need to come down, so to speak.

Music holds so much promise for the young . . . do you think it delivers?

I saw a commercial on TV the other night that Cougar Town was coming back.

I thought it was a cute and clever sitcom . . does anyone else look forward to it's return?

My wife has been on anti-depressant/anxiety medication for years now. We've been together for 13 years, married 10. She originally started taking anxiety medication when she was going through divorce and bankruptcy with her previous husband. When I came on the scene, she had been divorced for at least a couple of years and was on track rebuilding her credit.

We've had it pretty easy, as I'm OK financially, and have been able to make it easy for her. She really only works part time now, mainly to keep up her health insurance and stuff of hers . . Pretty much everything else is covered and we have a pretty good life.

My wife didn't take anxiety medication prior to her divorce. Yet she has failed to give it up in at least 15 years now. It has affected her mentally and physically as she has dwindled from a size 4 down to a 00 and routinely looks pretty drawn and misses the obvious in conversations and is a couple of steps behind, occasionally slurring, and repeating herself. She looks good, as she maintains herself cosmetically, and goes to the gym . . but she's well under 100lbs now. The beauty treatments (injections) are pretty much plumping up the sunken lines in her face.

I worked with her over the years regarding getting off the drugs, as she's never been diagnosed with any true mental disorder, and it appears to be mostly a dependency and the withdrawals or depression from trying to get off that have caused her continued use (imo). This has gone on continually since I 1st found out she was taking meds for this. And it appears she now has 4 different types of anti-depressant and anxiety pills she is taking. I've noted the stuff she's currently taking, by monitoring what goes out in her weekly trash from her office upstairs, as well as having done a physical inventory of stuff in her bathroom and prescriptions stuffed in drawers.

It appears she's taking three things concurrently and a fourth appears to be untouched . . 4 different doctors prescribing anxiety/antidepressants, all current prescriptions.

Believe me when I say, the subject is not up for discussion any longer . . it is met with avoidance, dishonesty, dismissiveness, or hostility.

Lorazepam, Trazodone, and Venlafaxine are currently being taken and clonazepam (3 mo supply) appears to be languishing in a drawer. Along with this, there are occasional pain medications used up, refills and all . . hydrocodne . . pretty heady stuff for sure.

I have thought of notifying the doctors she sees in these regards, as I'd be surprised if they all knew what she takes, or what's going on . . but I'm not sure if that is a prudent route. Any suggestions?

She's a functioning adult in her 50's, but has become dull-witted over the years and I know it's from this constant soup of crap she keeps taking. I'd work with her in the past to give up stuff, but I knew she wasn't doing it . . she'd try . . and then go to something else. Now it's no longer something to discuss or work on.

Again . .any suggestions.

I'm looking for direction here from either doctors, or medical professionals. I am not looking for the general public to weigh in. Thank you, I hope you understand.

OK . . I have a Whirlpool, Ultimate Care II, Quiet Wash, Washer, Model# LSQ8543JQ0

The Agitator Cams are worn out and Auger is no longer turning.

Parts or replacement kit are dirt cheap . .good thing

Seems like an easy enough fix . . however . . cam assembly doesn't seem to want to come out of the auger, and the auger is still attached to the agitator, although it spins freely. So there appears to be something pressed in place there,

Does anyone know how to remove that Cam assembly . . every thing I am reading about it, is that it should just come apart. But That's not happening here.

Thanks in Advance

OK . . I have a Whirlpool, Ultimate Care II, Quite Wash, Washer. . . .

the agitator's not moving back and forth . . .trying to . . but not doing the job.

I'm a typical guy . . I can turn a wrench and fix things . . Just thought I'd weigh in here first before I went down that path.

Any techs out here who know what part has worn out? or suggestions on how to fix it?

Worth it to order the part? . . or just buy a new one?

Thanks in Advance

I presently have a Life policy with Northwestern, $1,250,000 death benefit, $215k net cash value

policy date April 1996 . . (16 years)

I'm 60 and retired . . .want to bring policy to a paid up status, retaining as much life insurance as possible, and have no future premium outlay.

One synopsis they have shown me is:

I'd have $835k approx of life ins, and my cash value would continue to grow . .

at age 80, cash value would be $500k and death benefit would still be at $835k

Now I realize it's nice to have a growing nest egg . . and I'm pretty sure it's based on best case scenario and existing rate of return on investment. . . .

My thoughts are this: . . I am thinking more along the lines of going for straight death benefit to my family as I never wanted to think of it as a personal investment, but a gift to family. . I'm sure Northwestern would love to use my money for the next 20 years and essentially pocket the $500k which is a great offset to the pay out . .

I'm conflicted between Northwestern maximizing their stake while minimizing my death benefit.

But also like the idea of cash value maintained or growing in case of emergency

Is it customary to use this as a tool for additional money in old age ?

Do you think I'd be better served to look at it in another way ?

Does it make sense to shop around with other companies ?

What are some pitfalls I need to watch out for ?

John Hancock is offering me well over a $1 million in death benefit & $30k a year Long Term Care. The cash value of course erodes as a result of this, and I know they will burn through a $38k premium

to convert this policy

Any thoughts?

there are two new videos from a person showing clearly that the white House' birth certificate has been created. Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s9StxsFllY

http://www.youtube.com/user/orangegold1#p/a/u/0/nW...

I saw a show about the Tango in Buenos Aires recently . . and what I loved was what a jewel of a city it appeared to be, what with some beautiful neighborhoods that remind one of Parisian charm and all. Upon reading a little more about the city there are 9 slum neighborhoods in the surrounding suburbs. Pictures of them look like most S.American slums where the impoverished live without amenities. Can anyone here speak about this and enlighten me as to the conditions in and around the city. . . is there a culture of the impoverished walking around the streets like you see in some S.American cities? Or has the government made any real strides in cleaning up this problem and providing better housing? Any information about the overall culture of the people?

Specifically . . . . does anyone here understand how it works? I don't cook a lot of steak, as I'm usually not happy with it when I'm done. I have good success with Tri-Tip though. I rarely buy expensive cuts either . . so that reality is on the table so you know up front. But I hear the typical stuff . . . Marinate it first, . . do a Rub . . etc etc . . But what is the actual act of tenderizing a cut of meat or assisting in it's flavor and texture enhancement? . For you culinary folks in the know . . could you impart a few pearls of wisdom here? . . I'm looking for a better understanding . . and if you have personal recipes you'd like to share, that would be fine too.

For you in the Medical Profession. I have lung problems . . let's leave it at that . . and as a result I have some problems associated with that, in that I can catch colds easily and cannot shake them and they go right into my chest . . . As a result, it is not uncommon that I have to get on an antibiotics to clear it up and something to break up the mucous and help the coughing. When I see my doctor when I am crashing badly and obviously not on the mend . . I ask for Tussionex Pennkinetic Susp . . .as it really helps. I know it is categorized as"addictive" . . I'm not talking about using it as a lifestyle . .I'm addressing illness. When I get a prescription . . I invariably get a little bottle and it is about qtr full. maybe 50ml if I'm a good boy. (I'll be 60 in April by the way and have no history of addictions or abuse)

I know the stuff can be dispensed in larger qtys . . as the first time it was prescribed to me . . It was a large 300 dose prescription. Well . . I never abused it and used it only when it was needed . . . When I need it now, it's doaled out in such meager portions . . I find it most irritating to be treated this way . . . I get severe respiratory infections only occasionally . . .but the dose of cough medicine I'm prescribed is so small that I must call and beg a refill or come back in and do an eye to eye so the doc can charge additional office visit (imo) . . it's not like I'm remiss in going to him in the first place.

So . . without further ado . . has something changed in the profession with prescribing "addictive" remedies . . or should I just look for a new doctor? I haven't actually taken him to task regarding this, but I have been very clear that I wanted a reasonably dosed prescription instead of a tiny bottle good for 3 or 4 days on more than one occasion over the last few years. . . . to no avail.

Suggestions or enlightenment please.

I have used non-stick pans primarily over the years. My last set I bought was Kirkland brand some years ago. They have served me well . .but you know . . the finish doesn't last forever. . . But they were thick, dense hardened aluminum . . not the cheap crap . . you know what I mean. More than anything else . . I need some good skillets as these get the most use.

I've noticed the quality very lacking in the stores, thin bottoms that will warp easily, lighter weight, softer in some cases IMO . . .and the day is over where one can buy a reasonably decent set of pots and pans for around $100 . . . So now it's an investment.

So now it appears my next set of pans may cost me considerably more. The last thing I want is to spend high $$$ on something that is poorly made, with planned obsolescence, andI will regret or hate later.

Do any of you seasoned and professional cooks,chefs, and hospitality professionals have any suggestions or particular likes on good cooking pans that will hold up and earn their keep?

I'm looking for practicality . . ease of cleaning, and of course quality . . I want them to be old friends eventually. I am not set on non-stick surfaces either . . I know where the limitations are there.

Feel free to elaborate

I'm presently looking to switch my internet provider, as the monthly cost of service is much higher than the competition, and the TV package is high as well. ATT has some very inexpensive internet pricing. Of course they call it all "High Speed" internet. . . but what mb do I need to run in order to have good fast speed, download videos, and run multiple screens effectively?

My wife is sick and tired of trying to get me to do drywall repairs in our home. She suggested i check and get her enrolled in a Home Depot class, as she figured that she could learn and it couldn't possibly be that hard. My question is, do you think strategically that would be a good move for me, or would i likely piss her off further /:-)

My doctor thinks I may have sleep apnea and wants me to be evaluated through a sleep test. Well, my insurance won't pick that cost up, and it's an expensive evaluation. Looking at the machines available, it seems a much more cost effective route to pick up a machine, and if there are no perceived benefits, then just put it away. There are several machines that are much more affordable, compared to the cost of the test.

That issue aside . . . I am in fact overweight. And my neck is thick (always has been, even when I was slender and in great physical shape). So taking into consideration the neck thickness issue. I think my most important hurdle is to get my weight down and manage it, along with a healthy diet, and an exercise regimen.

I realize sleep apnea has a detrimental effect on one's health, and is said to lead to obesity. But from my understanding most people with sleep apnea are in fact overweight. So is weight a larger contributor to sleep apnea . . or is sleep apnea a larger contributor to being overweight?

I just feel that correcting my unhealthy life choices would be much more beneficial, reduce my chances for heart attack, and other related problems, and the lack of excess weight should relieve a lot of burden on my body including help my sleep.

I realize that it isn't necessarily one or the other . . that a better lifestyle is what one should always shoot for. I just feel the sleep test is an unnecessary cost as I can buy the machine cheaple in comparison to the cost of the test, and also, if i were to consider taking the test . . wouldn't it make far better sense to get my weight down to a healthy level before shelling out the $$ for a test that will be swayed by my weight in the first place.

Any flaws in my thoughts on this subject?

I have a spot on my back where there are a couple of exposed nerve endings. They itch like fire and are quite annoying. I have had them for decades. The last couple of years it has become very irritating to live with. Is there a treatment or procedure to alleviate this condition or remove them altogether?

I installed an after-market exhaust can and pipe on my 1200 Bandit. Now I am told I need to report the 4 carbs in order for it to run properly(which it isn't doing since the installation). What I don't understand is why I would need to do this as opposed to re-adjusting the carbs instead. I was not looking for an increase in horsepower . . .I wanted a more streamlined exhaust and a little sound, as my exhaust can was very large and almost silent prior to that.

Since Yahoo moving from it's "Yellow Pages" to "Yahoo Local" . . I find it increasingly difficult to locate business via this vehicle. In other words . . If I type in Auto Parts in the window along with the city . . I get almost no representation from that category, but I get all kinds of unrelated businesses to sift through. It's to the point where I must know the very business name I'm looking for, type it in my browser and go on their website or pick it up through a different party review board. Why did Yahoo move away from the Yellow Page service? Yahoo Local is really not a particularly good service, especially when you can't find what you're looking for, and also because Yahoo has permitted unbridled spam on the User's Review boards. Is Yahoo ever going to get back to Yellow Pages, or do I just need to dismiss this feature and move on to something that works?

Like keeping a phone book at my side