samiracat

Weird....I LIKE awful things (for example, Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is one of my favorite movies).

So here's your chance to make my day.... what are the absolutely truly worst, God-awful, horrible FICTION books/stories you've ever read? (OK to make up 2 lists---"modern fiction" and "classic or school req'd readings". JUST fiction; non-fiction is a little too likely to be rated "bad" because of a disagreement concerning a philosophy/belief.)

Not just "boring", or "loaded with Mary Sue characters" or "lacks a plot". I want horrible books with ALL of those---and even more! Bring on the endless cliches, jarring anachronisms, hilariously earnest bad dialogue, seventeen-page-long descriptions that were all-too-obviously obviously cribbed from travel books/psych texts/technical manuals....

Let's hear about books that are SOOOOO awful that you'd rather drill holes in your own skull, rather than read them again. Or books that could be the core of a good party game: "Let's see who can read this stuff out loud the longest, without breaking into giggles or changing facial expression!"

Sharpen your claws, dig back into memory, and have at it!

HELP!!!

Am ordering some home-made gingerbread, banana bread from a local Amish baker for a conference at end of this month. I need to post the ingredients because ppl have so many allergies. Baker was able to give me the basic listing, but did not have info immediately available concerning what was in Capital Pride margarine, other than "no cholesterol, I think".

Have been trying Google searches, minus specific terms to throw out GLBT activities (don't need parade info!), and still not able to find info on what company makes this "Capital Pride" brand of margarine. (FWIW, we're in Southern MD, and the product seems to have been in existence for a while, as evidenced by a 1950s ad for 2 pounds for something like 45 cents.)

Does anyone out there use this product and can give me a list of label ingredients? Or give me any info on who MAKES the darned stuff? Thanks!

HELP!!!

Am ordering some home-made gingerbread, banana bread from a local Amish baker for a conference at end of this month. I need to post the ingredients because ppl have so many allergies. Baker was able to give me the basic listing, but did not have info immediately available concerning what was in Capital Pride margarine, other than "no cholesterol, I think".

Have been trying Google searches, minus specific terms to throw out GLBT activities (don't need parade info!), and still not able to find info on what company makes this "Capital Pride" brand of margarine. (FWIW, we're in Southern MD, and the product seems to have been in existence for a while, as evidenced by a 1950s ad for 2 pounds for something like 45 cents.)

Does anyone out there use this product and can give me a list of label ingredients? Or give me any info on who MAKES the darned stuff? Thanks!

HELP!!!

Am ordering some home-made gingerbread, banana bread from a local Amish baker for a conference at end of this month. I need to post the ingredients because ppl have so many allergies. Baker was able to give me the basic listing, but did not have info immediately available concerning what was in Capital Pride margarine, other than "no cholesterol, I think".

Have been trying Google searches, minus specific terms to throw out GLBT activities (don't need parade info!), and still not able to find info on what company makes this "Capital Pride" brand of margarine. (FWIW, we're in Southern MD, and the product seems to have been in existence for a while, as evidenced by a 1950s ad for 2 pounds for something like 45 cents.)

Does anyone out there use this product and can give me a list of label ingredients? Or give me any info on who MAKES the darned stuff? Thanks!

My Gargoyle-cat has recently decided that sleeping on the pillow (next to me at night!) is THE best thing. Boy, cats are WARM when they're pressed up against your face or head.....

When no one's in bed, he'll use either pillow. Our other kitty likes the foot of the bed by us, or in the overhang of the waterbed, hiding under the bedspread overlap.

Where do your furbabies like to curl up? (Wondering how many people have to share bedspace with them!)

Have three 30-cup electric percolators & want to do a really good heavy-duty cleaning to remove any residual coffee oils. (Yes, have already been over them with soap & water.) I'm talking about the oily filmy "grundge" that can build up inside---ppl who work in restaurants know the type I mean. The problem is NOT in removing any hard water scales/buildup....that's minimal.

Anybody got a good and easy way to do this, especially using cleaners I may have at home (rather than buying some commercial chemical stuff)? Remember, these are PERCOLATORS, not the Mr. Coffee-type pour-throughs. Thanks a million!

Have three 30-cup electric percolators & want to do a really good heavy-duty cleaning to remove any residual coffee oils. (Yes, have already been over them with soap & water.) I'm talking about the oily filmy "grundge" that can build up inside---ppl who work in restaurants know the type I mean. The problem is NOT in removing any hard water scales/buildup....that's minimal.

Anybody got a good and easy way to do this, especially using cleaners I may have at home (rather than buying some commercial chemical stuff)? Remember, these are PERCOLATORS, not the Mr. Coffee-type pour-throughs. Thanks a million!

Susan & John are married, with no children. Susan is an only child; her mom, Beth, is a widow. Beth & her daughter get along pretty well & Susan will inherit, but Beth is not on the greatest terms with son-in-law John.

If daughter Susan would die (heaven forbid!), and mom Beth revised her will to leave the estate to charity, WOULD son-in-law John be likely to have much of a case for overturning the will and inheriting? (Could he argue that he's GOT any sort of family interest left?)

No, I'm not a law student trying to avoid some homework. No, this hasn't actually happened, but could see a possibility of a huge dust-up....Yes, I'm being nosy, but at a LONG, LONG distance.

Am fully aware that precedents and circumstances will vary & advice here on Y/A! is NOT a substitute for competent local counsel; your mileage and jurisdictions may vary and blahblahblah.

Any legal eagles want to play?

Springtime conference w/lots of hungry ppl to feed; figured on split pea soup & a vegan (lentil) sloppy joe bowl. Cornbread sounded like good side dish; need to pre-bake about 6-8 13x9 pans on Wed for Fri & Sat use. Mixes will be prohibitively costly---need scratch recipes. Prefer slightly sweet bread, not too crumbly. Please, no food processor recipes, but mixer is OK! Anybody have great recipes to share?

HELP!!!!!! I'm handling hospitality for a nonprofit interfaith conference next spring; some folks begged for chai. We've PREVIOUSLY done instant coffee/tea with hot water pots---but want to shift towards serving brewed Fair Trade Certified coffee, per-bag FTC teas, and Fair Trade Certified cocoa.

(BTW, anybody got a good recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix? The kind that uses BAKING cocoa (not Nestle's Quik or similar product), and where you add your own dry milk & maybe nondairy creamer to the mix?

I can get a FTC cocoa mix with the milk already in it, but can undoubtedly make homemade stuff cheaper & better,,,,especially in the quantities this bunch will probably go through. The food & beverages are free to attendees (donations JOYOUSLY accepted), so cutting costs (and staying as Green as doable!) are important for us.

For the chai, well, some people want honey and others do different sweeteners (some are diabetic, some are health nuts or dieting, some want sugar) .....and don't even ASK about the creamer/alternative choice problems, when you're dealing with such a diverse bunch!! (Moan and grin.)

So was hoping someone who knows about chai (absolute rookie here) could provide a good recipe. Want to brew/simmer quite a lot of FTC loose-leaf tea and spices in advance at home and pour it into a really big thermos, label the contents, then let people add their own per-cup sweetener and milk/creamer as desired (and re-nuke as necessary).

Have sources for FTC chai teabags and such, but they're expensive!!! My guess is that this group will probably go through 50-60 servings of chai in the course of a weekend conference. But looseleaf FTC tea is not that costly, and good spices are cheap.

Our capacity to "cook" onsite is severely limited, so pre-making the chai is important. We figure that adding the "brewing" capacity of the 30-cup percolator for the real coffee is about as high as we can go, and that'll have to be in sequence after heating tea/cocoa water. (The other power in the room is tied up with the soup crockpots and microwaves; we're already using powerstrips and stretching cords.)

Can't see any "instant" teas working here....unless you can provide me with a link to a source for FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED instant tea. (And would LOVE a source for FTC instant decaf coffee, which looks to be a nightmare to find! We may be **stuck** having to serve general market decaf instant this year----sadface.)

HELP!!!!!! I'm handling hospitality for a nonprofit interfaith conference next spring; some folks begged for chai. We've PREVIOUSLY done instant coffee/tea with hot water pots---but want to shift towards serving brewed Fair Trade Certified coffee, per-bag FTC teas, and Fair Trade Certified cocoa.

(BTW, anybody got a good recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix? The kind that uses BAKING cocoa (not Nestle's Quik or similar product), and where you add your own dry milk & maybe nondairy creamer to the mix?

I can get a FTC cocoa mix with the milk already in it, but can undoubtedly make homemade stuff cheaper & better,,,,especially in the quantities this bunch will probably go through. The food & beverages are free to attendees (donations JOYOUSLY accepted), so cutting costs (and staying as Green as doable!) are important for us.

For the chai, well, some people want honey and others do different sweeteners (some are diabetic, some are health nuts or dieting, some want sugar) .....and don't even ASK about the creamer/alternative choice problems, when you're dealing with such a diverse bunch!! (Moan and grin.)

So was hoping someone who knows about chai (absolute rookie here) could provide a good recipe. Want to brew/simmer quite a lot of FTC loose-leaf tea and spices in advance at home and pour it into a really big thermos, label the contents, then let people add their own per-cup sweetener and milk/creamer as desired (and re-nuke as necessary).

Have sources for FTC chai teabags and such, but they're expensive!!! My guess is that this group will probably go through 50-60 servings of chai in the course of a weekend conference. But looseleaf FTC tea is not that costly, and good spices are cheap.

Our capacity to "cook" onsite is severely limited, so pre-making the chai is important. We figure that adding the "brewing" capacity of the 30-cup percolator for the real coffee is about as high as we can go, and that'll have to be in sequence after heating tea/cocoa water. (The other power in the room is tied up with the soup crockpots and microwaves; we're already using powerstrips and stretching cords.)

Can't see any "instant" teas working here....unless you can provide me with a link to a source for FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED instant tea. (And would LOVE a source for FTC instant decaf coffee, which looks to be a nightmare to find! We may be **stuck** having to serve general market decaf instant this year----sadface.)

Thanks lots, people!

HELP!!!!!! I'm handling hospitality for an interfaith conference next spring; some folks asked about chai. We've PREVIOUSLY done instant coffee/tea with hot water pots---but want to shift towards serving brewed Fair Trade Certified coffee, per-bag FTC teas, and Fair Trade Certified cocoa.

(BTW, anybody got a good recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix, using baking cocoa, where you add your own dry milk and maybe some nondairy creamer? Can get a FTC cocoa mix with milk already in it, but can make homemade version cheaper & better,,,,especially in quantities this voracious bunch will probably go through.)

For the chai, well, some people want honey and others do different sweeteners (some are diabetic, some are health nuts or dieting, some want sugar) .....and don't even ASK about the creamer/alternative choice problems, when you're dealing with such a diverse bunch!! (Moan and grin.)

So was hoping someone who knows about chai (absolute rookie here) could provide a good recipe. Want to brew/simmer quite a lot of FTC loose-leaf tea and spices in advance at home and pour it into a really big thermos, label the contents, then let people add their own per-cup sweetener and milk/creamer as desired (and re-nuke as necessary).

Our capacity to "cook" onsite is severely limited, so pre-making the chai is important. We figure that adding the "brewing" capacity of the 30-cup percolator for the real coffee is about as high as we can go, and that'll have to be in sequence after heating tea/cocoa water. (The other power in the room is tied up with the soup crockpots and microwaves; we're already using powerstrips and stretching cords.)

Can't see any "instant" teas working here....unless you can provide me with a link to a source for FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED instant tea. (And would LOVE a source for FTC instant decaf coffee, which looks to be a nightmare to find! We may be **stuck** having to serve general market decaf instant this year----sadface.)

This bunch is pretty open to trying "new, exotic, and different" stuff, as long as ingredients are listed (for allergy, health, and/or religious reasons). Matter of fact, starting to think there isn't a food that they WON'T try, and wipe out very quickly also...

Thanks a million, folks!.

Already downloading from Gutenberg on regular basis---man, I LOVE that site! (And am glad they take Paypal---it's a great investment!)

Want English-language texts, esp history, religions/anti-religion, household arts/technology, social science, medicine, temperance/prohibition. Pictures NOT essential; just text is fine.

Anybody have any sites to share?

Already downloading from Gutenberg on regular basis---man, I LOVE that site! (And am glad they take Paypal---it's a great investment!)

Want English-language texts, esp history, religions/anti-religion, household arts/technology, social science, medicine, temperance/prohibition. Pictures NOT essential; just text is fine.

Anybody have any sites to share?

(Not an immediate problem--my kittybabies are INSIDE beasts.)

I know deer actually eat the stuff (and wish the Evil Bambis would munch on THAT, instead of my apple trees). And suspect fur would protect skin pretty well....

But I've also heard humans can pick up a nice rash from indirect contact: e.g., petting an animal that's been running in the woods, from the oils on the outer coat.

Does anyone KNOW if domestic pets can develop any sort of reaction from grooming after exposure? I could see it going either way---repeated small oral exposures sensitizing and causing reaction. OR, conversely, "animals that DIDN'T adapt to poison ivy exposure generally don't last too long in the course of evolution."

They're nice and thick over the center of eye, sparse near the nose, with WIDELY scattered hairs in wide line heading towards hairline. (Brow color is dark brown; hair color is reddish brown---with some grey.)

I've had them shaped at a salon, which helps neaten things up. But it leaves me with about two hairs at the ends of my brows, which just doesn't look right on a BBW who's 50. (I also wear glasses all the time.)

Have no real idea of how to "draw in" nice looking replacements (or how to use brow shadow powder stuff effectively). Am a nitwit on putting on makeup, but am trying to learn (which is a lot of fun).

Can anybody point me towards some sites or references? Please keep in mind that I want low-key stuff---I'm a little old to do the Goth, emo, or really high-fashion sorts of looks! (s)

Went to a nursing open house; spoke with asst manager (at length) and unit manager (briefly). The thank-you notes are the problem!

Snail mail: Always safe, but may be stuffy (i.e.., not giving out the "fast-action-do-it-NOW" image); may stick out better mentally

E-mail: Incredibly timely; allows them to save MY e-mail immediately for future communications (could be a plus).

The interviews were done on a walk-in basis (resume was NOT pre-submitted).

Also, would it be a good idea (or overkill?) to drop a note of some sort to the recruiter? The hospital is really pushing the idea of "customer service", and keeping people/staff happy by finding out what they need and providing it

Went to a nursing open house; spoke with asst manager (at length) and unit manager (briefly). The thank-you notes are the problem!

Snail mail: Always safe, but may be stuffy (i.e.., not giving out the "fast-action-do-it-NOW" image); may stick out better mentally

E-mail: Incredibly timely; allows them to save MY e-mail immediately for future communications (could be a plus).

The interviews were done on a walk-in basis (resume was NOT pre-submitted).

Also, would it be a good idea (or overkill?) to drop a note of some sort to the recruiter? The hospital is really pushing the idea of "customer service", and keeping people/staff happy by finding out what they need and providing it.

Thanks!

Used Littman lightweight model, with tubing cut down to increase sound sensitivity. But I've been out of the workforce for a few years, and can use a "better" scope to help out these middle-aged rock-and-roll ears.....Assessing bowel, breath, and routine run-of-the-mill heart sounds; nothing extraordinary (med-surg RN).

Am not a candidate for a hearing aid (YET--smile) and hadn't PLANNED on a cardiology-class or battery-amplified 'scope.

What experiences have y'all had with things like the Ultrascope (not a Littman) or other "noisy environment"/"good through clothing" scopes? (They seem to typically be single-headed and pressure-sensitive.)

Figuring on spending something like $100 USD (or less) for an upgrade, but didn't want to get some trendy toy that didn't work.

OTOH, figured paramedics/EMTs/similar probably had plenty to say about good, economical scopes that worked under horribly adverse conditions....

Feedback from all levels of users appreciated!

Used Littman lightweight model, with tubing cut down to increase sound sensitivity. But I've been out of the workforce for a few years, and can use a "better" scope to help out these middle-aged rock-and-roll ears.....Assessing bowel, breath, and routine run-of-the-mill heart sounds; nothing extraordinary.

Am not a candidate for a hearing aid (YET--smile) and hadn't PLANNED on a cardiology-class or battery-amplified 'scope.

What experiences have y'all had with things like the Ultrascope or other "noisy environment"/"good through clothing" scopes? (They seem to typically be single-headed and pressure-sensitive.)

Price is not big issue---just want to get the "best value" for $100 USD or so. Any EMTs, paramedics out there?