_______________________________________
So, whadda ya want?
I'm afraid I'm not too creative. I need money for debate trips, since they ain't cheap, and some for books, since I've devoured everything I've got at the moment. I also want a copy of the Conservative Soul, by Andrew Sullivan.
What about everybody else?
Uhmm.... Silicon spatulas. Too much teflon in my pot and pan drawers for metal utensils.
HA!! I'm NOT a weirdo!
I've always wanted books and kitchen toys, and people have always told me i'm strange for not wanting jewelry (I don't wear it, so why have it to sit in a box somewhere) or perfume (don't usually wear it, because the ones that don't trigger allergies are too expensive) or expensive clothes and such. (Yeah, I need a cashmere sweater to do laundry and walk the dog...)
Actually, I need bookshelves and kitchen storage. (I have 15 fry pans. FIFTEEN. Four or five are cast iron in various sizes, and the rest are all "good" ones. I gave away another 5 or 6 when we moved.)
Books and kitchen stuff are always good gifts.
Quote from: Sibling Chatty on November 26, 2006, 10:19:00 PMActually, I need bookshelves and kitchen storage. (I have 15 fry pans. FIFTEEN. Four or five are cast iron in various sizes, and the rest are all "good" ones. I gave away another 5 or 6 when we moved.)
That'd work too. I could use another wardrobe like I put in the bedroom just for pot, pan, and dry goods storage.
One of my favorite gifts from last holiday season was a meat grinder.... still love it (good heavy-duty Czech workmanship, too).
Okay. I'd like a coffee grinder. Not one of those miniature whirly-gig blender-types. A real conical-burr hand-cranked fully adjustable coffee grinder - like you'd have seen in the dry goods store at the turn of last century, before vacuum-packing made pre-ground coffee practical.
If we're wishing for things, I wouldn't say no to a coffee roaster, either. A very small one, that would roast a few ounces of beans at a time - basically a single batch, for one pot of coffee. I've already found a nice source of green coffee beans (non-roasted).
I'd also like a source of quality loose teas. Mostly what you find in stores 'round here, is the bagged variety, and it's also so old, that it's barely within the fresh-date (if the packaging even has that). But, I like to brew certain types of tea in boiling water--loose, so as to extract the full body of flavor. I then pour it through a fine mesh screen made of nylon. Mmmmm! nothing quite like FRESH teas, simmered over very low heat for 20 minutes. Brings out all the oils and such-- flavor AND caffeine. :P
Then again, chocolate is ALWAYS welcome at my house - any sort, any flavor. I appreciate all of it, from the very darkest, bitters to French mild to American milk right up through white chocolates. With or without nuts. With or without gooey centers. Plain. Mixed with gormet peanut butter. Mixed with vanilla-bean candies. Mixed with coffee. Mixed with various mint flavors, both real and all natural.
As a candy. As a glaze. As a drink. As cake, pie, cake-pie, ice-cream. I like it all.
Let me put it this way: I never had a chocolate that I didn't find SOMEthing to like about it! ;D
Quote from: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on November 27, 2006, 05:56:44 AM
Okay. I'd like a coffee grinder. Not one of those miniature whirly-gig blender-types. A real conical-burr hand-cranked fully adjustable coffee grinder - like you'd have seen in the dry goods store at the turn of last century, before vacuum-packing made pre-ground coffee practical.
After drinking biryani-spice flavoured coffee this morning, I can firmly say I need
another coffee grinder, and a hand-cranked one would be lovely provided it ground fine enough for turkish coffee. Not this year, though. We've been firmly shifting the emphasis off presents and onto food (more so than usual, but less sweets and overly rich foods) the last few years. Handmade wonton soup is the new traditional Xmas eve fare. ;D
OK, guys, you'll need to get some help from Swatopluk or DeadPoet to find out what's up, but--Zazzenhause has, in the past, made both the mills you've discussed. Their site doesn't show them, however.
http://www.zassenhaus.com/
(See http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.zas.shtml for the kinds I was talkin' about.)
Peugeot has a few styles of hand grinders.
http://cookingnaturals.com/products/products.asp?c=11&cat2id=145
Bob, how are your woodworking skills?
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32867&cat=1,250,43298
Heh...you could just set the thing on top of a can and grind, for that matter!!
I would like medieval II total war for PC and then I promise not to bother anybody till new year. I would also like a bottle of Oban and a pair of slippers
Quote from: Sibling Chatty on November 27, 2006, 07:58:34 AM
OK, guys, you'll need to get some help from Swatopluk or DeadPoet to find out what's up, but--Zazzenhause has, in the past, made both the mills you've discussed. Their site doesn't show them, however.
http://www.zassenhaus.com/
(See http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.zas.shtml for the kinds I was talkin' about.)
Peugeot has a few styles of hand grinders.
http://cookingnaturals.com/products/products.asp?c=11&cat2id=145
Bob, how are your woodworking skills?
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32867&cat=1,250,43298
Heh...you could just set the thing on top of a can and grind, for that matter!!
Cool! Thanks, Sib Chatty!
I had already seen
http://www.zassenhaus.com/ previously, but the last one-- cool.
My woodworking skills are "above average", I suppose. I've built quite a number of kitchen-cabnents (some completely from scratch) over the years. So a simple box should be zero problem. I've read about coffee-boxes, and it's been suggested that food-grade mineral oil makes a very good finish in these cases. But, any polyutherane is good, too, as that cures to a non-toxic hard finish. Obviously, the
inside finish is key, here. ;D If left unfinished, the species of wood would play a part of the flavor-- ha! Beechwood would be my first suggestion. Redwood or pine could give an interesting "flavor" to the coffee, too. <ha>
"Sir! What is that
interesting extra flavor to your coffee? I can't quite place it, it's very subtle."
"Madam, that is a house-secret." ;D
Quote from: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on November 27, 2006, 02:45:33 PMI've read about coffee-boxes, and it's been suggested that food-grade mineral oil makes a very good finish in these cases. But, any polyutherane is good, too, as that cures to a non-toxic hard finish. Obviously, the inside finish is key, here. ;D If left unfinished, the species of wood would play a part of the flavor-- ha! Beechwood would be my first suggestion. Redwood or pine could give an interesting "flavor" to the coffee, too. <ha>
"Sir! What is that interesting extra flavor to your coffee? I can't quite place it, it's very subtle."
"Madam, that is a house-secret." ;D
Oh, now you've got me really interested (as did that Turkish Zassenhaus mill) as I am a lapsed woodworker with a love for the exotic. I wonder if one could get wood from the cinnamon tree, or line the box with ponderosa pine bark? Or use something like rosewood... or recycle a few staves from a whiskey barrel.
Conspicuously absent on my Christmas list this year are several thousand dollars of woodworking equipment. ;D
Dan's doing the same thing you guys are...
He's got family in Kentucky. If we end up buying an aging barrel, i'll let you know. However, since my grandfather was a cooper for over 50 years, if it's one with his mark, it'll stay whole and we'll buy another. He only did whiskey barrels for a few years (Baptist deacon, ya know) but they've been highly prized by the small distiller he made them for. He chose to do some 40 and 50 year aged in wood bourbons in them, so they'd be hitting the market soon.
We have about half the woodworking tools needed, but the only place to set them up is my dining room. ::) ::)
The original question reminds me of an anecdote I heard years ago. A broadcaster asked a group of ambassadors what they wanted for Christmas. The German ambassador said he would like an end to poverty throughout the world. The French ambassador said he wanted world peace. The British ambassador said he would like a small box of crystallised fruit.
I'll settle for the box of fruit too, if it isn't being too optimistic.
I had forgotten about Total War. I want that, too, and Spore.
Shelves... books...(a circular problem there lol)
All of my friends I miss here for a nice long visit! sigh..
A book that costs £80 second hand. <sigh>
EEP! Even on Amazon in the used books section?
yes - exactly on amazon 2nd hand - that was the cheapest copy - the next highest copy 2nd hand was around £140 and it went on up.... it's odd, it's an ordinary book on counselling....
NoName,
What is the name of the textbook and the author?
I'm thinkin' that if it's something available in the US, I know where the 'excess inventory' storage for our regional Half-Price Books is...and someone who works there.
Is world peace an acceptable Christmas present to wish for?
.....................................................
Just kidding, actually (and I even surprise myself) I don't want anything for Christmas, except maybe a little love... :D
Quote from: Kiyoodle the Gambrinous on November 29, 2006, 08:18:57 AM
Is world peace an acceptable Christmas present to wish for?
It's ALWAYS acceptable to wish for, any time any place.
Unfortunately, wishing is not enough. Neither is praying for it, it seems. :P
If either were sufficient to bring it about, it'd happened long, long ago, no? :)
It seems that the task of World Peace won't come about by supernatural means after all - the Powers That Be seemed to have deemed it a HUMAN task. *sigh*
_______________________________________
As a kid, I used to have "evidence" all over the place of supernatural intervention of minor "adjustments" of individual lives every where I looked.
Yet, I could never see any evidence of major "adjustments", no matter how hard I tried.
As a small child, I concluded that the Powers That Be were only capable of affecting lives one life at a time, in very small ways (relatively speaking).
__________________________________
As an adult, I'm not nearly so certain that those "adjustments" were supernatural any more. I have a great deal of faith and awe in the power of the Human Mind to affect what it has direct control over: the Human Body.
I think the brain-body connection is still poorly understood, and there are likely interconnections we are only now beginning to discover hits about.
(I cannot simply dismiss the brain-body connections as demonstrated by mystics like the Buddhist monks' abilities.)
___________________________
Perhaps, there is a Cosmological Lesson in that?
Perhaps it is NOT in our power to affect the World Directly at all-- we must remember we REALLY only have power over a SINGLE person.
Ourselves.
____________________________
So-- if all you REALLY want is Love for Christmas (see? I got around to it :D ) then I humbly suggest that you give LOVE to as many people as you are capable of. (And the little details seem to be inordinately more important than the Grand Gestures.)
I would stake my life, that if you do that, you will reap boundless Love in return.
starting------now .... ! ;D
It's Existential Psychotherapy by Irwin D. Yalom. However, it is now showing at a normal sort of price for hard backs. Bad Amazon. Panic over.
Ah, Yalom's good.
If I still have the stash of Yalom books that were at the Houston house, i'll send them to you...if I ever find them. (Kelly, the person I used to take care of, bought books to try to work through her 'problems', along with a lovely therapist who wouldn't challenge her to stop the Xanax addiction and THEN try to work things out. It was, to say the least, interesting.)
I think once one reads Love's Executioner one is hooked for life....
I'm not sure I'd choose Yalom if I were trying to work through stuff on myself. I find people like Freud who I disagree with more effective, maybe because it's more of a challenge to think about why I disagree.
Quote from: NoName on November 30, 2006, 12:24:35 AM
It's Existential Psychotherapy by Irwin D. Yalom. However, it is now showing at a normal sort of price for hard backs. Bad Amazon. Panic over.
Let me see what I can do, do you mind "gently used"? Or would you prefer new?
Ugh, I am in the camp that DISAGREES (what a polite word) with Freud. ;D
Edit: I found it NoName for an oustandingly excellent price. I would like to try to get it to you for Christmas. PM me if you will.
Dear Santa,
Please may I have a remote controlled Dalek, and Lord Clark's "Civilisation" on DVD. If I've only been good enough for one then we'll skip the dvds.
Thanks
P.S. What happened to the change of Prime Minister I asked for last year?
you got that. he was changed from 'a bit worrying' PM to 'full blown loopy (santa and his elves are coming so lets hide i the bomb shelter) nutter' PM.
It was not an improvement.
Quote from: beagle on November 30, 2006, 08:26:02 PM
Dear Santa,
Please may I have a remote controlled Dalek...
I just love those Daleks.
Way back when, a bunch of us Navy types figured that 'Dalek' must be a real word when it was used in the then current edition (circa 1980) of Jane's Fighting Ships* as a recognition feature of the Kurril class Soviet cruiser, the exact quote as I recall was taht this ship was easy to idenify because of the "two Dalek like structures amidships". Indeed, it really did look like someone had plonked two Bl**dy great Daleks on top of the ship!
Dear Santa,
I want a remote controlled Dalek too...
sibling Bluenose
* Jane's, as it is usually known, is the bible for warhip recognition and every self-respecting Navy ship has a copy of the latest edition. I remember our (Australian) admirals being a bit miffed in an exercise we had with the Malaysians once because the Malasians wanted us to fight the excercise "according to Jane's", rather than assuming that we had just fitted the latest US gadget that our ships were "fitter for but not with" at the time.
I still want a Dalek. A full sized one. Preferably the black one, with the gold bits.
I think I'd like to add a Captian Planet t-shirt to mu list.
OK, you guys, now Dan wants a Dalek, too.
Santa, can I have some warm boots??
And a convection oven would be nice!!
And if we're still able to request personnel changes, Please, Santa, take out Rick Perry (Tx. Gov.) and the President and Board of TXU and put in utility managers that don't want to build 6 new coal fired power plants on a plan that was considered too dirty 15 years ago.
That last one could be a prezzie for the whole planet.
I would like a penguin (the bird not the chocolate bar)
Dare one ask why? Fed up with turkey or goose on Christmas Day are we?
Anyone know any good recipes for penguin?
Yeah, but most of 'em are with lemon and tarter sauce*. Too fishy tasting!
Oi 'eard Bart was cuttin' 'is Fish 'ead Stew with 'em when times were tough last winter....
*and two with wasabi
Quote from: beagle on December 01, 2006, 07:47:01 PM
Dare one ask why? Fed up with turkey or goose on Christmas Day are we?
because they are lovely!
(http://www.emperor-penguin.com/mumchick.jpg)
:mrgreen:
well someone has to poke it with a stick (the dead post that is) and who better than ME
anyway-- it is about 105(give or take-I'm not going to count) days until
"Gimmie Day" also known as Christmas, Boxing Day, Yuletide, Kwanza, The last week before the New Year, Chanukkah, El Posado~ Fiesta Navidad, Etcetera
so my 17 year old (give me a break already) is hinting-- it involves that gadget known as a PlayStation. I am hinting back ---- "Get a job!" Oh- so is my 20 year old--- only she wants rent money all the time so what't new there.
I'm gathering job applications and am going to use them as gift wrapping paper this year-- :mrgreen:
You do know that it would be very easy to find a secondhand Playstation 1 with a whole pile of games for next to nothing, right? :mrgreen:
As long as she's not specifying which Playstation, you're golden. ;)
I really need to track down a living Atari 2600 to put in a box against the day my future children ask for a videogame system. ;D
You are such a mean man... :mrgreen:
Hey, that's what I got.... and they were already well outdated when I was a kid! ;D
Actually, the best part about the Atari is that games only lasted a certain length of time. You could waste an afternoon, but not entire seasons playing the same game.
Maybe your kids will be thankful...
I mean, it will become an antique in the future and maybe very expensive... :mrgreen:
Quote from: Agujjim on August 30, 2007, 08:35:57 PM
I really need to track down a living Atari 2600 to put in a box against the day my future children ask for a videogame system.
For some (not so) strange reason I read XBox, which got me thinking...
1. Get an old working console for next to nothing on ebay.
2. Get a non working XBox/360/Playstation 3 for next to nothing on ebay.
3. Open both boxes.
4. Take the guts of the new damaged console out
5. Put the guts of the old working console in
6. Mod the ports (that is the hard part).
7. Close your *new* old console and make sure that everything will not tumble inside.
8. Wrap.
9. Enjoy (the face of the recipient while (s)he realizes that the brand new console is in reality something veeeeery different).
:devil2: :mrgreen: :devil2: :mrgreen: :devil2: :mrgreen: :devil2: :mrgreen:
The hardest part would probably be "upgrading" the controllers, and figuring out where to jam the cartridge. But I'm sure it would be possible. I like your way of thinking....
Actually she would probably be happy with the "older" version- we haven't had any game systems in the home--- nope never-- Oh they play- alot at other peoples houses. Just never something I could spend money on.
The real issue is the very detailed and specific idea she has for the I-pod stuff. Even down to some sort of engraving she can have done.
I have an old "live" Atari--- including the Robot that came out that one could play against.
Me--- like Dan, Bluenose,etc--- I will be awaiting (still) my Dalek -- their is one now that has a USB hookup for desktop Exterminating!
October 9th's the birthday.
New version of Mac OS X comes out then. That'd be lovely. So would some sort of enormous hard drive to make use of the amazing backup functionality therein.
Depending on what the September 5th press conference yields, maybe an iPod upgrade? That would be pure coolness factor, though - the current one is 2 years old, but working just fine.
After seeing that my list consists solely of computing products, I realize that I need to get a life.
I forgot that you are in the 'October Zone' - can you believe that I still know Omni's b-day?
;) Planning on giving gifts for my b-day again ;)
BTW what was of him? IIRC he disappeared from omnia like 6 months before the rapture ( ;) )
That's about it, I think. He vaguely popped into existence on a couple of occasions to drop a note about something, and sometimes we emailed him pestering questions.
Quote from: Alpaca on September 01, 2007, 04:41:48 AM
October 9th's the birthday.
New version of Mac OS X comes out then. That'd be lovely. So would some sort of enormous hard drive to make use of the amazing backup functionality therein.
Depending on what the September 5th press conference yields, maybe an iPod upgrade? That would be pure coolness factor, though - the current one is 2 years old, but working just fine.
After seeing that my list consists solely of computing products, I realize that I need to get a life.
that's a good one
yep just slip that one in there on the sly
but I'll tell you this and I'm being honest-- if I had it to give you'd get it--- that goes for the rest of you as well.
I can't take anything with me when I die so gotta pass the love around while I'm here.
Quote from: Agujjim on September 01, 2007, 08:43:53 AM
I forgot that you are in the 'October Zone' - can you believe that I still know Omni's b-day?
Funny, so do I... ;)
Omnie got involved in a political race, then in local politics, then in university, and he also got tired of the Bobby-chasing and begging.
I found the answer to all my Festive Shopping Holiday problems.
I'm giving a donation to aid in the purchase of a llama, and printing out the page to give to all the relatives.
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.2664289/
There ya go! We're monetarily challenged, so the Relatives of All Ages can share the 'warm glow' of knowing that someone less fortunate is going to have some help.
My friends are getting a copy of the Sheep page.
Here's the link to all the different critters available.
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/
My son got given a GOAT last year :ROFL:
Someone should buy this:
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/Griffinit/BeagleUSB.gif)
for Beagle. http://www.cdlmicro.co.uk/p_view.aspx/id/8719739
he was very nice to me and all! ;D
all i want for christmas is a dukla prague away kit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAHJN77bqOA)
Dearest Goat, I cannot fail to point out that the Old Grey Whistle Test was a production of that illiberal organisation known to us as the BBC.
However, the New Grey Whistle Test...... (http://www.newgreywhistletest.co.uk/) - now that looks like a truly capitalist venture......
HMHB though are bastions of the working class scouser!
Back in the DHSS
Back again in the DHSS etc
My SO and I contemplating to wish for a couple of these.
http://www.cdlmicro.co.uk/p_view.aspx/id/2610429 (http://www.cdlmicro.co.uk/p_view.aspx/id/2610429)
Thinking that it could be a complement to therapeutic pillow fights... :D
I'd love to be able to get off my butt and get this house done...I think.
When you're through there, we could use some help... ;D
(I have come to accept that this house will NEVER be finished. The renovation would take long enough, but fixing the screw-ups of the former owner doubles the time spent on anything. OH, yeah, a contractor could have it done in about 6 months, and about $150,000--sorta overkilll for a house I bought for $29,000)
At the rate I'm going it will be done when it's time to move .
Heh...we're just gonna get old(er), die off and leave the whole mess to my little brother!!
Revenge is a dish best served cold... :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:
Ha! I was thinking on dumping it all on my sibs (5) as well ! :ROFL:
Actually , I do have one desire that pops up a lot , especially now , I still yearn to see the greatest love I ever knew again , it's been some time since i received an e-mail from her.
I hope she is still alive , I miss her , although the last i saw her she wouldn't even give me a hug , I'm still not certain why she didn't /wouldn't, it would have been so little to give . :'( :-[