paanta's Profile

I've got the base model and the thing is maybe my most beloved possession. Not such a fan of glass bottles for traveling (I carry one to and from work) but the penguin sure is nice looking. I probably drink 3 liters of soda water a day now.

100x better than the old school soda makers.

Even your tiny local farm will kill the males. What do you think they do with them? Provide them with free room and board for their entire lives? They're useless except as food. You're completely out of touch with how farming works if you think otherwise.

Again, if you find this video objectionable, you'd best be a vegan. I applaud him for pushing this in people's faces.

I have nothing against eating meat as long as it's done as responsibly as possible. I _DO_ have something against people who are so out of touch with reality that they think their food materializes out of thin air. Even vegan food is grown in a way that results in the deaths of bazillions of voles and shrews and mice and gophers.

People should have at least enough respect for animals to be willing to acknowledge how they live and die.

A nicely lit aquarium? Oh right, baby proof. :)

I guess I'd ask what you're worried is going to happen, other than pulling the current screen down on top of him- or herself? Is it heavy enough to crack a head open or sharp enough to cut? I might get rid of the old fire grate since those tend to be exceptionally pokey, but otherwise, put a non-poisonous plant there and a grow light up the chimney and leave it open?

Ours 1-yo pulled the lightweight screen down on himself one time, surprised himself and wailed for two minutes over the loud noise and sudden loss of stability, but didn't do it again...maybe that's bad advice. My parenting MO is basically to let him figure out on his own anything that won't involve an ER trip...

No question: Spyderco Sharpmaker. End of discussion, unless you want to pony up $200 for an EdgePro. I'd never in a million years trust an electric sharpener to take care of my chef's knife, which is the most heavilty used tool in the house.

You'll get a much better 'feel' for what sharp is and isn't when you use a manual sharpener. As for in-between sharpening honing, the Sharpmaker pretty much lives on the counter in my kitchen and I give my knives a quick pass or two down its ceramic stones, which takes off a negligible amount of metal and keeps the edge hair shaving sharp.

Anything that doesn't give you at least the option of 20 degree and 15 degree edges is a waste of time. High tech steel japanese knives love that 15 degree (or less!) edge, while something like a carbon steel knife should be at 20 or you'll be sharpening it twice a day.

Like any tool, you need to spend a little time learning to use it, but it's really worth the effort.

I certainly wouldn't bother with a $150 electric sharpener when an EdgePro doesn't cost much more and can put an INSANELY good edge on a blade.

I wouldn't worry about silicone. They make, uh, "personal lubricant" that is silicone based, and it's non-toxic.

It's good because it's slippery. It's bad because it's floppy and insulating. Personally, I don't use it (but I LOOOOOVE silicone spatulas).

They suck. Where do I put the spoon when I need to put the lid back on the pot?