I don't think anyone wants any type of industrial plant in a residential neighborhood, but there's also a point where people have to be reasonable. Right now all over the country you have many people moving out to the country, and then they gripe -- and in some cases even file lawsuits -- about smelling manure from farm fields and livestock operations. People move near airports and then they want the airport shut down because they hear airplanes. It's ridiculous. You're right, the EPA is the least of the problems. They have specific regulations, and anyone who wants to build something can look up the relevant rules and decide whether it is or isn't possible to meet them. But the lawsuits filed by people to hamstring almost every proposed project are a much bigger problem. Even in places such as Indiana which are economically depressed and literally crying for more economic activity, as soon as anyone proposes anything, there are two or three pressure groups quickly organized to fight it. People do not even take time to gather information and make an informed decision; they read a newspaper article saying this or that is proposed, and instantly they're opposed to it. Personally, I'd rather live next to a factory or a power plant than to people who are closed minded and opposed to everything.

I don't have a recipe, but what I did was: - 1 lb of a 50/50 mix of wild rice and brown rice (I just happened across this in the grocery store.) - In 12'' saute pan, saute the rice, 1/2 onion diced, couple cloves of garlic, in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 min. - Add 1 cup of liquid (big cloud of steam here) and a pat of butter, stir a couple times. Reduce heat to low. Pan is not covered. - When liquid is almost gone, add another cup of liquid (and, every other time, another pat of butter), and stir a couple times. - What ''liquid''? I used about 2/3rds wine (went though about 3/4 bottle of cheap chardonnay, drank the rest) and about 1/3rds chicken stock. Just switch back and forth capriciously. - Start this about 3 hours before mealtime, after the initial saute it only requires 15 seconds of attention every 15 minutes or so. The dish doesn't show any signs of becoming creamy until about 1.5 hours in. At that point start tasting before each cup of liquid. In my case, after 2.5 hours it was as creamy as I wanted, so I just turned off the heat and covered it. Shortly before serving, give it a splash of chicken stock, a blast of heat, salt to taste. - Compared to risotto from short-grain white rice, the wild rice risotto tends to be a little less creamy, the grains are more distinct. Its a more interesting texture, to me. But I suspect that you can get it as creamy as you like, simply with more time and more liquid. - Sliced shiitake mushrooms are nice. But daughter loathes mushrooms, picks every piece out of her food, gagging and moaning, grossed-out face and accusing looks. We were having company, so I decide to skip the show. Instead, I added crumbled crispy bacon. Everything's Better With Bacon.

Hi Wallycat! I personally don't have a silgranit - just not my preference - but I would take anything written in consumer reports with a grain of salt. The "tests" they do are outdated and the reviews aren't very scientific. They are given by a small group of consumers, not a lab and not everybody who has purchased the item for a fair review. As we know, more people will give a negative review than a favorable one. If you like the silgranit, then get it. They have a long fabulous warranty and a lot of people on this site seem to love them. As an FYI - consumer reports also recommends a model of Chevy over a model of Honda and if that isn't the wackiest thing I've heard, I don't know what is!! Good luck!

My recollection has been that the Kohler cast iron enamel sinks are guaranteed. Their advertising shows someone heaving a frying pan into the sink from some feet away and leaving no mark or dent. But, here's the latest version of the guarantee, which sez that Feb 10, 2000 rewrote the guarantee. They're more cautious than previously, but if I read this correctly I think that the chip/dent is still covered and the example above is proof of it. Surface scratches, dullness, and stains and etching from cleaning products are not covered. http://www.us.kohler.com/general/warranty.jsp#ci Joaniepoanie, Kenmore items are usually rated individually by CR, aren't they? Could this be an indication that Kenmore outsources wisely, choosing the better or best products of various manufacturers and/or that it sets certain stern requirements in order to be a Kenmore supplier? Either way, it's not a bad thing. Yes, we all know Kenmore items which have failed, but we also know some good ones that are still a-chugging along. When the CR annual kitchen issue came out two years ago, my range hood got totally blackballed. I was very hurt, as if this were a personal slam. It's important not to take CR stuff personally. (fyi: I now know that this hood is a hard one to install and there is a good likelihood that the test model may not have been properly installed. I'm happy with my product and it's done what I want, but I'm also sure, in hindsight, that the "winner" product must have been a good one. It took me 2 years to come to this wisdom.) [soapbox mode on] I find the tone of this thread interesting. Naturally, being me, I believe it speaks to the defensiveness that comes with splurging on high-end choices. But then, I am not in a high income bracket and my home is not in a pricey enough neighborhood to have been able to allow me to even consider high-end choices. Yeah, I'm frankly defensive about my situation just as posters above feel insulted by CR. Those of us who have modest projects cannot help but feel that there is a prejudice against moderate projects and products on the GW Kitchens forum. Prejudice may not be conscious but it's there. Most recently, there was commentary about it on the "this forum is a drug" thread and I couldn't just giggle when I read it because I believe it's true that we can get addicted to ratcheting up the costs. Put it another way: this thread is in part about peer pressure and the pressure is overt. If stuff is shown in the magazines and the promo pamphlets, does that make it better? Are publicists likely to show excellent low-end products in their photo spreads? Should we use "predominance in publicity" as a symptom of excellence? Think of how an 8th grade teacher could use this thread as a critical thinking exercise. [soap box mode off]