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I took my 90 year old grandmother out shopping last weekend, and she mentioned that there was a book she wanted to pick up, but she couldn't remember the name of the book or the author. She did, however, remember several details about the book:

• it was the author's second book
  
• it was related to cooking somehow
  
• it involved a Mennonite-style religious group
  
  So, we asked the clerk at the lovely little independent bookstore if she knew any books like that, and after some thought, she produced a copy of Secrets of a Hutterite Kitchen. Perfect! But... my grandmother looked at it, then shook her head and said no, that wasn't it. She then asked if I would drive her around to a couple of other bookstores to look for it, but I ruthlessly suppressed my beta instincts and said "Grandma, if you ask one of your friends to find out the name of the author or the title of the book, I'll be happy to go pick it up with you, but I don't think it would do any good to just wander around looking for it if you don't actually know what you're looking for."
  
  I stopped in to visit my grandmother again on Tuesday, and she proudly pointed to a new book on her coffee table. "That's the book I was telling you about," she exclaimed, "the one you couldn't find!"
  
  What the hell, Grandma.

Essentially anything. But in that price range, for real quality, Victorinox, Wusthof, some Kershaw, perhaps Shun fora little bit more money, Henckels.
And, if it comes down to it, you're better off with a smaller knife set of quality knives than you are with a bigger set of junk.

I get that you dropped a lot of money and probably really don't want to hear thus, but Cutco is basically as bad as it gets. Really bottom of the barrel for quality.

Just for the sake of comparison, here are some sets around $1000, and which are really good quality.
Shun: http://shun.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/premier-7-piece-essential-block-set
Also Shun: http://shun.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/Classic-8-piece-epicurean-block-set
Victorinox: http://www.victorinox.com/ca/product/Cutlery/Category/Block-Sets/10-Piece-Forged-Block-Set/7.7243.10
Wusthof: http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-20-Piece-Knife-Block/dp/B003MU9F60/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1404785003&sr=1-4&keywords=wusthof+knife+set

Like I said, I don't want to be 'that guy', because I know you spent a bunch of money, and nobody wants to think they messed up something like that.
If it's not too late, I would 100% say try to return those knives. Those ones I listed are really great quality, and I could probably come up with another half dozen links like that, at least.
Source, if you're interested: I work at a knife store.

I love to see service stories like this. It's about doing what's right, not what's policy, and you definitely did that. If you have't read it yet, try picking up the Zappos book and giving it a read (or even passing it along to the boss folk). Has some great info on things like this.

I think you know next to nothing about "the system" nor the people who are part of it. Who, exactly, do you think of as "the poor"? It's not just lazy trailer-park dwellers or single parents anymore. Being poor can mean being a full-time student working multiple part-time jobs. Or not being able to work due to mental or physical health issues. Or even having a job and making so little that you can't make ends meet. It's nice you and your wife have fairly good jobs but I bet you couldn't begin to identify the actual poor among you. This is a good look into how one can work and still be destitute: [Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America] (http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376894758&sr=8-1&keywords=nickel+and+dimed+on+not+getting+by+in+america)

When I was working full-time making what I considered to be a quite good salary, I still qualified for yearly fuel assistance and I was damn thankful it existed. Now I'm thankful that I qualify for EBT. They know all the details of my situation and they made the decision to give me assistance. I don't get unemployment and I don't get disability...not that it's really any of your business.

I have the internet because I pay for it.

You don't know me, my life or my situation, and I honestly couldn't care less what you think about me.

Prove it. Don't just rely on "common knowledge" here. Prove it. Show me the studies.

Let me try to pre-empt a bit...

>Red meat raises cholesterol.

Besides the fact that a majority of cholesterol in food cannot be absorbed by your body and the fact that the human body itself produces a vast majority of the cholesterol it uses? Cholesterol is necessary for basic bodily functions.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol/high-cholesterol-myths.aspx

http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i

"About 25% of our daily “intake” of cholesterol – roughly 300 to 500 mg — comes from what we eat (called exogenous cholesterol), and the remaining 75% of our “intake” of cholesterol — roughly 800 to 1,200 mg – is made by our body (called endogenous production). To put these amounts in context, consider that total body stores of cholesterol are about 30 to 40 gm (i.e., 30,000 to 40,000 mg) and most of this resides within our cell membranes. "

"One of the unfortunate results of the eternal need to simplify everything is that we (i.e., the medical establishment) have done the public a disservice by failing to communicate that there is no such thing as “bad” cholesterol or “good” cholesterol. All cholesterol is good!"

>Red meat contains carcinogens.

Not quite correct. The browning process when meat is cooked does create some. However, you would need to be eating hundreds of pounds of meat a day in order to see any noticeable increase in risk from that.

http://voices.yahoo.com/facts-carcinogens-well-done-meat-1899348.html

"However, this is not the actual complete case of these studies. After a five-year study from scientists from the University of Utah, they found these carcinogen mutagens could cause colon cancer but it wasn't just because the people they studied ate red meat or any other meat. After studying more than 1,200 participants from Utah and California, they found there wasn't any significant increase of chances in these participants getting colon or rectal cancer."

>Red meat contains fat and that makes you fat.

Well, let's ignore the 75 pounds and 2 shirt sizes I've lost this year on a high fat diet and... wait, let's not. I've done an amazing thing precisely because I decided to go and research how the body works.

http://eatingacademy.com/why-i-decided-to-lose-weight

" Despite exercising 3-4 hours per day, I had morphed from a lean person into a sort of chubby guy over the preceding several years. In high school I weighed 160 pounds and carried about 5-6% body fat (9 pounds of fat on my body). I had ballooned to as high as 200 pounds with 25% body fat (50 pounds of fat on my body). On that particular day, I weighed 195 pounds and carried 20% body fat (about 40 pounds of fat on my body). I was “fit” but “fat.” "

http://eatingacademy.com/how-i-lost-weight

" eliminated most sources of sugar in my diet (for a definition of “sugar” click here) six days per week. One day per week I let myself eat whatever I wanted. ... I switched all white sources of carbohydrates to brown sources whenever possible (e.g., brown rice over white rice, brown pasta over white pasta), switched over to carbs that were higher in insoluble fiber, and eliminated sugar altogether. ... I reduced starch intake to one serving per day, but continued to eat fruits and vegetables in an unrestricted manner. ... Reduced carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day and reduced protein intake to approximately 120 grams per day, entering a state of nutritional ketosis. ... Essentially, I gradually went on a super low carb diet."

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20031111/low-carb-high-fat-diet-drops-weight

"The high-saturated fat and no-starch diet was developed eight years ago by endocrinologist James Hays, MD, in an effort to help his diabetic patients.

On average, those following his low-carb, high-fat diet lost 5% of their body weight after only six weeks. For example, a 200-pound person would have lost 10 pounds.

Importantly, the high-fat diet did not have harmful effects on cholesterol levels. In fact, the participants saw a lowering of the blood fat called triglycerides. "Bad" LDL and "good" HDL cholesterol levels didn't change, but the size of the HDL and LDL molecules increased. "

Or, hey, how about this book about how low carb (<50 daily, meaning nutritional ketosis) high fat diets are being used to cure diabetes?

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-ebook/dp/B004QZ9PC4/

"Bernstein has had type I (juvenile or insulin-dependent) diabetes for 50 years and has become well known for his unconventional approach to treating both types of the disease. His emphases on almost hour-by-hour normalization of blood sugar and a diet consisting of nearly no carbohydrates and high levels of fat and protein"

Hey, now let's ignore all of that and, for one second, let's just address sugar. And, by sugar, I mean all carbohydrates save fiber. Why, you ask? Simple, because the research being done now clearly shows how carbohydrates are actually what triggers the body to store fat. Quite simply, bread makes you fat.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/fat-cell2.htm

"The activity of lipoprotein lipases depends upon the levels of insulin in the body. If insulin is high, then the lipases are highly active; if insulin is low, the lipases are inactive.

The fatty acids are then absorbed from the blood into fat cells, muscle cells and liver cells. In these cells, under stimulation by insulin, fatty acids are made into fat molecules and stored as fat droplets.

It is also possible for fat cells to take up glucose and amino acids, which have been absorbed into the bloodstream after a meal, and convert those into fat molecules"

http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/sugar-101-how-harmful-is-sugar-part-i

"Even in the absence of fructose, a diet high in glucose, beyond everything I’ve stated above, still stimulates insulin release from the pancreas. Elevated levels of insulin “turn off” our ability to burn fat and increase our capacity to store fat (see figure below – you’re probably getting used to seeing this figure by now)."

Snazzy image!

Morning all!

I'm glad to announce the first ebook has been completed and released on the Amazon Kindle store! You can find it here. The book contains 29 stories, a couple of which never made it to Reddit.

Thank you all again for your support and for reading my stories, hope you enjoy!

I have a friend whose family owns a dollar store. Nothing in there loses them money, there are no loss-leaders at a dollar store. Heck, most of the items have at least a 250% markup. They make money on quantity sold throughout the store. Each item is super cheap to purchase but has a great markup and sells through quickly to get new product in.

They do carry a few non-dollar items like flowers and some basic convenience store things like milk and such for the neighborhood that don't follow that markup. Everything else though has insane markups. It's cheap, usually chinese-made stuff that works well enough.

Amazon has 100-sheet engineering paper for $6.14, and it has Prime shipping. That 100-sheet pad costs them way less than $1 to purchase in bulk wholesale.

Heck, even Follett sells 500-sheet packages for only $15.49.

Thank you :) I love my reusable bags as well! The grocery store that I shop at (just in case we can't name them - I'm in the south, their colors are blue & white and the name starts with a K) has just started carrying a reusable, fold-down box with handles for heavier stuff. They look like these but my store has the cheaper. I bought two this week so I can pack up my sodas and my hubby's Zero drinks without them breaking the bottoms of my regular bags! YAY!!

Edit: had to switch to markdown mode for my hyperlink to show the way I wanted

Nah, I built a thermoelectric generator/charger from a Peltier module, a buck/boost charging power supply and a used power amp radiator. It sits on one side of the fire pit and the electronics charge my phone. (And others too.) It's not very efficient, but who cares when a campfire lasts for hours?

I also have a solar charger if I'm not planning on a big firepit. Although I guess I could use a rocket stove thermoelectric generator, but I enjoy making things like this myself.

And if I'm car-camping (I have a 4WD pickup) I would just use the lighter socket to charge it. Frankly, that's the easiest way. The other methods are what I would use if I were boating / hiking into a campsite.

Hah! This happened to me too! I had just been paid $10 for babysitting a kid down the street. I wanted to spend it on a Sailor Moon VHS, but my Dad kept trying to get me to save it for some reason. He got mad and yelled at me that I wouldn't even like Sailor Moon in 10 years. That was 20 years ago, just this weekend I put up a shelf to display the Moon Chalice and the Spiral Heart Moon Rod. I would say I still really love Sailor Moon!

Their isn't a central registry for DXM purchases in TX, as far as I can tell, states even like CA that require an age to purchase (TX isn't actually one, it's just this guy's store policy) still don't have a central registry for one.

Anonymity helps this lady not one little bit, as it isn't illegal to purchase huge amounts of DXM.

Here's a helpful amazon link to buy it at $21 per 1.8g of DXM

My company gives out face masks once we are CPR trained. I recommend either asking your company to buy these or get some yourself. Would have saved his mouth washing haha.

Seriously, good for him though. Scary thing to do but he knew his job and was very honorable and admirable in his duties. Hats off.

Edit: heres an amazon link to those masks. 10pcs CPR Face Shield Mask Keychain Ring Emergency Kit CPR Face Shields for First Aid or AED Training https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QMV8QTX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_moFADbMX2JR6J

Some eyeliner pencils are weirdly soft and hard to sharpen to a fine point. The wood it comes in doesn't flake or break off and you have to use a certain sharpener that was made just for that liner. Maybe she was trying to say she doesn't want one like that and instead wants an old school one that's more like a normal pencil. Easy to sharpen to a fine point with most sharpeners and usually cheaper to buy. I'm pretty sure I know what this lady wanted and I can't describe it well, either.

More like this
Not so much like this

From one new aunt to another, get her this: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000GZGE3Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

Crocodiles are awesome, and I pride myself on finding the most irritating presents that my nibling will love so much that my sister won't be able to get rid of them. This one makes so much clacking noise, it's perfect

I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but AT&T's goPhones would in fact work on T-Mobile accounts. They use the same frequency. And goPhones are cheap, even without a contract. Though if you're looking for a good, inexpensive phone, I would suggest one made by Google. The Nexus 4, Nexus 5, or Moto X. None of them are ridiculously fast, but they have good cameras, decent battery life, and they're cheap. Moto X has a better antenna than the Nexus though.

You should get yourself some UV lamps like these for your cash registers.

http://www.amazon.com/Cassida-Conterfeit-Money-Dectector-M-18/dp/B007LI26FG/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1383178333&sr=1-4

They are much more reliable than the pens. Each bill denomination has a different color UV reflective thread to allow for quick identification under UV light.

As an added bonus credit cards have uv reflective counterfeit counter-indications as well.

When the Borders near me was going out of business, in the first round of store closings before the entire company went bankrupt, they had some (apparently) deep discounts. 30% off the list price on some books I was looking for! That's pretty good.

I guess I'll just check Amazon to see what they have it for... oh, 31% off the list price. And that was the normal price, not some crazy special going out of business stuff.

And at this point I don't even buy physical books any more, unless I have a really good reason to (like say delicious illustrations or it's a reference book of some sort). There's no point when the ebook reader experience is basically as good, and I can fit a thousand books in something that's only a bit bigger than my phone - and I don't buy my ebooks from a physical store.

It's an old one -- not in a lot of the modern collections. I actually just dug out the book that I had growing up, which definitely features a lot of older (and therefore darker/weirder) versions of the nursery rhymes. For instance: "There was an old woman / who lived in a shoe / she had so many children / she didn't know what to do. / She gave them some broth / without any bread / and whipped them all soundly / and put them to bed." (As opposed to "and kissed them all fondly / and put them to bed" or variations on that theme!)

Anyway, here is a shot of the illustration in question (although I swear it was more bosom-y when I was little, or else maybe I just thought Grandma was fat?): http://i.imgur.com/XMuXDnh.jpg?1

I got some Cutco knives from a friend and they are better than some of the junk that you pick up in the grocery store or Wal-Mart, sure. You can get low end Wusthof knives that have plastic handles but they are riveted to the full tang tempered blade and run hundreds of dollars less than Cutco. I have some that are a little higher end and I love them.

To say nothing of the great deal on this Henckel set of forged knives.