Raab and Rapine are different than Broccolini for sure. First it will always be impossible to obtain seeds under the name Broccolini. However, seeds might be obtained under the name aparations. Next it is obvious that sort of anyone can make the hybrid but all hybrids will be different. There is good reason to expect that a similar hybrid to Asparations might be better than asparations or broccolini. After all why should the first hybrid always be the best. with more work a better one can be found. Sakata Seed has put a lot of work into Asparations and Broccolini. I would expect them to continue their work and come out with a better hybrid. Since some of these hybrids are from Sakata that looks like an excellent place to start looking. I am shocked that no one has telephoned Sakata Seed in california and talked to a salesman. Get the story from the boss. Call Sakata and find out some facts and stop speculating. Lastly I like the research done by Johnny's for northern growers. I would be comfortable growing out either the seeds from Osborne or from Johnnys. I like Osborne. they are a good company. Only $5 for seeds and I am pretty sure their shipping costs are very low.

A lot of good, albeit, divergent points, have been made here. I agree with Cmarlin that one can be as smug about being frugal as one can be arrogant about being well-to-do. Either way, the person is forming their self-concept & identity around their spending habits or/and net worth. Billl's point that home sizes have exploded is noteworthy. As someone who was house hunting in 2006 (& purchased when the market was sky high) I was looking around like crazy for a small house in a decent neighborhood. Such a configuration is nearly impossible to find! I bought a house with a little under 2600 sq. ft. Would I have preferred 1700? Yes. I bought a house with a big front lawn. Would I have preferred a smaller lawn? Absolutely. It just didn't work out that way. Billl also notes the "massive home improvement" industry. Yes, & I "need" to update my kitchen & baths to the tune of oh so much money it makes me sick...IF...I ever am to sell this house. Why? Because expectations have been greatly influenced by this reno trend. I was just "out of it" enough not to even realize when I bought the house, that my rooms were dated! (Our seller was really lucky!) I can make peace with my dated rooms, but will suffer at selling time if I don't "keep up with the Joneses!" I have little if any need to impress others, but I need to survive in this world! There are lots of reasons why people do what they do. Many of us are just trying to deal with the unanticipated changes, I guess, brought about by the economic downturn. We feel the need to protect this fragile investment called a "home." It can be scary & depressing, but we've got to hang in there, & have faith & hope that things will "bounce back."

And any politician who tells you that he/she is going to raise the taxes (or remove those 'tax-breaks') on the superrich and give the non-rich that money is just trying to get the vote from the non-rich. You see, there are far more non-rich than super-rich, so they are an easier target by politicians for votes. Those politicians have been playing this game for a long time, yet isn't it interesting that nothing has really changed? That's because, at least in the U.S., we are truly conflicted about what we say we want and what we do. Especially where money is concerned. Ask people -- rich and not-rich -- what's most important to them in their lives, and they'll most likely tell you that they want to be safe against crime and physical danger; they want their kids to get a good education; and they want to know they can get older without worrying about the roof over their heads or whether they can afford to be ill. Folks who really are thinking about it probably will tell you they want to be able to live their lives in peace. But our elected representatives are busy chopping away at all of that. Tax cuts and other budget priorities remove cops from the street; take inspectors out of meat-packing plants and slum housing; keep trimming programs like Head Start and after-school programs for kids with nothing better to do. Politicians refuse to consider a single-payer health plan based on the ideas that it will make them look like a shrill Senator from New York or that it would take away from our "best health care in the world" (which objective measurement will verify is no longer so). Politicians are busy approving reductions of income during wartime; subsidizing huge public corporations, and funding bridges to nowhere instead of supporting education and health initiatives. And, as a public, we have collectively up-ended our priorities and pay people millions of dollars a year to catch a ball or sing a song -- while poorly-paid public-school teachers are digging into their own pockets to fund school supplies. What the he!! is wrong with us? Every rich person has a vested interest in seeing the non-rich do decently -- because, if they don't, there won't be anyone making enough money to pay the rich's Social Security come the time, there will be much more crime on the streets, and this country will be much less attractive to those folks who we wish would move here and add to our culture.

Hey Jen, Happy Birthday to you! As for 'stuff' do I hear ya!! When I moved to Tx 7 years ago, I thought I got rid of all that 'good', but useless, unused stuff, but over the last 4 months, have had a donation pick up by a local charity, and i'm not done! Most were household things which I could probably have sold, but it wasn't worth the effort to me. There were a few bags of clothes, shoes, purses, etc., but most of my 'hoard' were things household related. I've already started a 'pile' for this month, and hopefully it's the last. Now, as for getting control of this 'issue', i've become somewhat of a hermit, only going shopping when it's out of necessity, like groceries, an upcoming vacation, birthday/occasion gift. As my best friend said to me about a year ago, "every time I go out of the house, I spend at least $100!' That was my wake up call! When I do go out, I always keep that in mind, and I gotta tell you, my spending has decreased by quite a bit. There are times I just have to get OUT, but I have the self control to simply look and appreciate w/o coming home with a single bag, and it feels good! I do have to say I always bought quite a bit for my grands, and it appeased my shopping 'habit', but i've even reigned that in, keeping what I may have bought for Christmas or the next birthday.. As for the house. I've been doing a lot of switching things around from room to room, and it doesn't cost a dime. ;)