> > family invested heavily, both emotionally and
> > financially, in Bridgeport. Mistake.
> Sank money in the bottomless Bridgepit, as some locals call it?  Too 
> bad.

There was this guy who had a spare half mil and had me wander
the country with him to look at Stradivariuses, which was one
of the factors in my being able to claim that I've played as
many of them as anyone alive, and there was a nice one that
came in at 480K; there was a pretty nice one, I believe it
was the Irish University Strad, which was going for almost
half that, but it had a crack in the back, which automatically
halves the value, so that was out. At the last minute he got
cold feet on the whole project and decided to put his money to 
work, as he said, and bought a strip mall in Fall River, to 
which I demurred, but I didn't have any say in the final say. 
A year later he was having to hide his assets in Europe while 
the creditors came for him. Meanwhile, a Strad would have 
given him close to 10%, compounded, anually.

> > > > I've seen him in only one movie too.
> > > Robin was great. I've never quite gotten Depp's appeal either. 
> > De silly goostibus non est disputandum, something
> > like that.
> Or other.  I never really got Brando either, so ....

I watched most of Mutiny on the Bounty once. I never saw the 
appeal, either, as his voice was reminiscent of that of my 
10th-grade math teacher.
 
> > > It's OK once in a while, but they turn to sandpaper with repeated 
> > > usage.
> > But they wash.
> Paper towels?  Not well.

They do quite well when shielded in a pocket, coming back to
the initial topic.

> > > > > That would be unfortunate.  Baked goods require butter.
> > > > Lard works sometimes.
> > > Good old saturated fat. 
> > Saturated fat is as good for you as unsaturated fat,
> Tastier though.

That's the point, though Weller has noted that lard 
contains more good fat than bad fat, in the current 
assessment of good vs. evil.

> > > > That's a lame explanation.
> > > It is however the explanation I get.  It's Tradition.
> > Well, that's silly too.
> Early and often. 

> > > > uninsurable. You can't borrow a 20-karat diamond
> > > > from the library either.
> > > True, but a girl can dream. 
> > I pulled that number out of the air but looked it up
> > today and found that Kim Kardashian's engagement ring 
> > from somebody named Kris Humphries was 20 karats and
> > cost somewhat less than your standard Stradivarius.
> Whoever and whoever with more money than sense. 

And see above, my eyewitness report. Speaking of more
money than sense, when he was 66, he married a 33-year-old
Russian. I played for their wedding, which was full of the
local luminaries of the musical (he was an amateur violin
player) and construction (he was a professional builder,
does that sound familiar) communities. She had convinced
him that she loved him for him (?!), whereas she really
wanted to find a nice parking place for her teenaged son.

> > > and buy some from Stop&Plop, it hasn't been stored at the proper 
> > > temperature.
> > Stalactite ice cream, one presumes.
> Rock solid as often as not.  It could also be their checkout times.

Speaking of rock solid, what does anyone know about
cornstarch chunk eating? I looked on the Internet, and all
of the Google links looked dubious (don't expose yourself
on my account).

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

      Title: Rhubarb Sorbet
 Categories: Desserts, Fruits
      Yield: 8 servings

      1 lb Rhubarb (trimmed weight)            1    Orange (zest only)
      4 tb Honey                               2    Egg whites

  Prepare and cook the rhubarb at least a day ahead of serving the sorbet.
  Wipe and trim the fruit, then slice it quite thinly into a flameproof
  casserole.  Sprinke the finely grated orange zest over it and drizzle on
2
  tablespoons of the honey.  Cover and leave in a cool place for 2 hours or
  more until the sweetener has drawn out some of the rhubarb juices; this
  liquid will prevent sticking during cooking.

      Cook the rhubarb in the covered dish until perfectly tender - I think
  this is best done in a low oven but you can use a very gentle flame on
top
  of the stove if you prefer.  Let the cooked rhubarb cool slightly, then
add
  the remaining 2 tablespoons honey and whizz to a very smooth puree in a
  food-processor.

      When the puree is quite cold, freeze it in a chilled loaf tin, or
other
  suitable container, until firm round the edges.  Beat the half-frozen
  sorbet until slushly.  Whisk the egg whites and fold them in so the
mixture
  looks like a pale pink snow.  Cover and freeze until solid. Beat to break
  up ice crystals and to increase bulk, then freeze the sorbet again until
  you are ready to serve it.  Shortbread fingers make a good crunchy
  accompaniment.

  Source: Philippa Davenport in "Country Living" (British), May 1987. Typed
  for you by Karen Mintzias

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