I really feel bad I am not posting more, but there a lot of other things going on. I just got my grades done, my sister is getting married, I have been pet-sitting a lot, and doing other various summer activities. That, and I am finally starting to get my house under control (my kitchen was so dirty at one point last week it would have made Martha Stewart cry).
Don’t worry, this blog is going nowhere, it is just Tim and I are otherwise preoccupied at the moment.
Also, any ideas what I should get my sister for her wedding?
And since I feel obligated to stir things up, Cindy Sheehan is a commy symp.
Urinated State of America
“Also, any ideas what I should get my sister for her wedding?”
If nobody else is getting them, a decent set of knives. Oh how I wish we could ditch the pieces of crap we have.
Or, if it wasn’t considered insulting, a session with a (compensated-by-fee-and-not-by-commission) financial planner to help them to plan how many organs to sell to raise the down payment for a home.
“Cindy Sheehan is a commy symp”
Why beat up in Sheehan when Medea Benjamin is a more suitable target?
Steve
Awesome choice of words!
Punchy
We’ve noticed.
Pharniel
if they have or are in the process of aquiring a home: one of the new ‘curved and rotating’ shower curtans. gives you more room in the shower where you need it (especially starter home showers/tubs) (and that’s the elbows for you pervs out there)
A good natural wine, perhaps with no grapes in it.
A good cutting board. Wooden or polycarbonate. And i’ll second the good knives bit.
Or, if they’re, y’know, food network nutjobs like me, the complete Good Eats, 30-minute meals or Everyday italian (pick one to taste. I’m a good eats man myself but the woman prefers rachael rae)
if you wish to be jaunty there’s always a gift certificate and a catalouge from True Romance.
Punchy
If your sis is like my sis, a all-inclusive spa “treatment” is a big deal. Yeah, it doesn’t include the groom…but if that’s a big deal, buy him a few tix to a Nats or O’s game to even it out.
I tire of the old standby “China” or “toaster” gifts. Go unique. Seriously, an hour massage ($50?) will make your sis so happy….
The Other Steve
Greatest appliance I have in my home.
Electric Water Kettle
When you want hot water you just flip a switch and you have a quart of boiling water in about 5 minutes. My girlfriend and I use it to make tea. I also use it to prime pots of water for cooking, as it heats the water a lot faster than setting on the stove.
Every family and hotel room in England has these. Granted, they work even better over there with 220V. But they’re awesome!
capelza
I’m telling you…a gift card to whatever store they are registered at is the best thing!
I didn’t get married till I was long out of the nest and already had all the kitchen/household stuff. The gift cards were nice because we could shop out our leisure for things for the kids I inherited, who knew they could burn through towels like that!
Whatever you do, DO NOT buy her a vase…or any other “nick nack”.
Nice to see you! Cindy Sheehan needs a facial!!!!!
Richard Bottoms
Funny, a wrecked and racily polarized Army is what I joined in 1978. By 2000 it was the most professional, diverse force on the planet.
Now tits 2006 and we have 20,000 wounded, billions in vehicles & weapons smashed, forces spread dangerously thin, and military families at the breaking point.
Plus we face two agressors Iran and North Korea.
What a great time to start recruiting Neo-Nazis and gang members to fill out the force. Of course anything is better than letting faggots serve.
Have a nice day.
The Other Steve
Good point. If they’re older and have a household already…
Cash is the best gift. People can always use cash.
I think I bought my best friend a giftcard to Target. I figure they could use it for toilet paper and laundry soap if nothing else.
Mike in SLO
Yeah, Cindy may be a commie symp, but that Norah ODonnel was just plain rude and idiotic in her Hardball interview with Cindy. What horrible tone! It was really obvious that the so-called liberal press is a myth. She’s always been pretty much another vapid pretty face on Cable news, but she was this snarling attack dog on Hardball against Cindy. Hey, I know Cindy says a lot of crazy things, but it was stricking how clam and quiet and reserved she remained and how snarling and mean and nasty Norah seemed in return. Also, I loved that Norah said “Most Americans like the President even if they don’t agree with his policies”. I’d like to know how she came up with that false fact. I’m not saying Cindy didn’t deserve the questions Norah asked—I’m just shocked that a reporter let their tone in questioning indicate what they really thought about their interviewee. It’s what Fox News has wrought and it’s ugly.
capelza
Is it in the “Hardball” contract that this must be said? Matthews says the same thing.
Nora is a twit. She really should join Fox news. Though she is handy when wishing to point the “liberal media” fallacy.
Darrell
If you have any nice pictures of her and her soon to be husband, pick your fav one, enlarge it (Walgreens can enlarge photos, or you can scan it yourself, enlarge it and print) and put it in a nice frame. An added touch if it’s a metal frame is to engrave it.
RSA
Something useful you can make by hand, for the sentimental value? Otherwise, something that won’t get thrown into a closet for ten years or break/wear out after one year. Knives, high-quality pots and pans, high-end towels or sheets, a good appliance, . . .
GOP4Me
Amen, John. Amen.
rachel
Does your sister like cooking? Perhaps a year’s subscriptions to Cook’s Illustrated Magazine would be good, or maybe a magazine subscription for some other topic she’s interested in. (I propose the cooking mag because her husband would benefit too, but if she hates cooking, never mind.)
Faux News
So does your English teacher who also feels badly :-)
VidaLoca
John,
Agreed on the electric kettle and the knives.
Other ideas: espresso maker, if they’re into espresso.
The one piece of cooking equipment I use day in and day out is a wok. Not electric (=POS), plain steel. But you need a gas stove. Also get the tools to go with it, and a cook book. Makes a nice gift and the package is not too expensive if you’re on a budget.
BumperStickerist
Some quick wedding gift ideas:
1 – gift certificate to a nice restaurant where they’ll be living
2 – practical – a Home Depot gift card
3 – Baby clothes and a bassinet – nothing like starting the pressure to be Unky John like giving baby clothes for a wedding present. Plus, you’ll score major points with both sets of their parents.
4 – a nice set of knives is a good idea
5 – a roomba
6 – a gift certificate to a professional photographer so they can have a 1st year anniversary portrait done.
,
Demdude
Not sure how much you want to spend, but perhaps a weekend somewhere for a getway for her and hubbie to be used at a later date. I know they are probably doing a honeymoon, but that wears off pretty quick.
I’ve saw Nora O’Donnell interview Howard Dean, She didn’t do a very good job. She didn’t include All of the current Republican Talking Points.
Of course when she interviewed Ken Mehlman, she did everything but climb under the desk.
Tom in Texas
I tried something similar at a wedding last year — tennis bracelet for the bride, poker chips and a board for the groom. While the newlyweds loved their gifts, I was ripped to shreds by the wedding guests because you are supposed to get one gift for the two of them. That’s apparently the point of a wedding gift. Who knew?
Otto Man
Let me echo the advice above — stick to the registry.
It may not seem creative or interesting, but marrying couples register for all that stuff for a reason. And if you go off the beaten track to get them something else, odds are they’re not going to want it and, in all likelihood, they’re still going to have to pay for the registry stuff themselves.
Tim F.
It depends on what she cares about. I’m getting my sister a GPS gadget for her bike, if she spent time cooking I would have picked up a professional-class chef’s knife. For my brother (lawyer) I got a fancy-shmancy dictionary stand and a huge dictionary.
If you can’t personalize it and she’s in the northern WVA / SE PA region you should think about a gift certificate for the Nemacolin spa/retreat near Uniontown. That was one of the more memorable gifts from our wedding. On the upside it really is a world-class place to kick back, but on the downside you might have to pitch in with some other relatives to make it worthwhile.
Tim F.
BTW, serious cooks hate knife sets. Just in case she is and you’re thinking about it.
Darrell
One other gift idea for the newlyweds – a nice picnic basket
Dave Ruddell
I always find it a little bit amusing to see people in the US amazed by these. I would guess that somewhere north of 90% of households in Canada have one (due to more tea-drinkers up here?). I simply cannot imagine boiling water in a kettle on a stove. Of course, if you do get one, make sure that nobody tries to use it like an old fashioned kettle, because then you’ll end up with a melted mess.
capelza
I was going through the gifts I got… yep, no vases (even I, a rose gardener can’t fill all the ones I got). Frames, nice, but again, how many pictures does one want collecting dust. (Now if someone had gotten me a maid service for a wedding gift…THAT person would have rocked my world!!!). The registry is the best if you are unsure…
My bestest wedding gift of all was the cheap paste solitaire ring my grandfather had bought for my grandmother when they got engaged in the midst of the depression, 1932. He later bought her a real ring, but she saved that thing and gave it to me. They were married 62 years before he passed away. That goofy little trinket is one of my treasures.
Punchy
They make these for BIKES?? Is she doing RAAM?
Darrell
How about a gift certificate to this wonderful Pittsburgh area restaurant (click thumbnail signs)
Jim Allen
While I have no ideas for a gift, I must say, John, you’ve hit the absolute depths of desperation if you’re reduced to asking this crowd for suggestions of what you should get for your own sister.
Sounds like me around my wife’s birthday.
Jim Allen
And what a romantic bastard is our LarryDarrell&Darrell!
Darrell
Unique gift idea courtesy of Instapundit.
Tim F.
Actually she did, at least without the ‘race’ part. More like ‘casual ride across America.’ Although truth be told it’s more for her fiancee who always leads them into strange towns and gets lost.
Mr Furious
Depends on how much sentiment you want attached to your gift. Many of the above suggestions are great wedding gifts—from the average joe who came to your wedding—but are they the kind of thing your sister will look at a recall her brother’s thoughtfulness? (Though I do still occasionally think of my uncle when making toast…)
Good knives are invaluable and last forever. Worth getting for even for the non-serious cook. They are safer and easier to use. Get a good set, OR splurge and buy a really good santuko knife. It is the closest thing to an all-purpose knife.
A set of nice steak knives is often overlooked.
Also, I bought my wife a gorgeous pot rack one year. and there is a much wider selection available now.
When my sisters got married (three of them, all younger) I gave them a nice check (ultimate flexibility) and then a more personal gift for the sentiment-portion—I made a wedding album for one. You get the idea…
You could always ask. there could be a bigger-ticket item on the registry they don’t think they’ll get. Or just an item they REALLY want…
Mr Furious
Forgot the link for the pot rack.
Geoduck
“Terror symp”. Get with the times.
My standard gift for a young couple just starting out is a collection of classic board games. It’s not something most people think of, and it gives them something to do in between the bouts of lovemaking which doesn’t cost any money…
RSA
She’ll probably go to prison for feeling her students badly, or well, for that matter.
Par R
Re John’s closing comment, I can’t help noting that Ms. Sheehan, aided and abetted by the usual crowd of fruit-loops and whack jobs, has started a “hunger strike” to get the troops out of Iraq immediately. As The Standard has observed, “hunger strikes” aren’t what they used to be:
“[For example] Gandhi turned himself into a ribcage in a loincloth. The IRA’s Bobby Sands starved himself for 66 days until he died in a Belfast prison. But hunger-striking, like other demanding disciplines, isn’t what it used to be.
“Last week, The Hill reported that Kathryn Cameron Porter, wife of Rep. John Porter of Illinois, was embarking on a three-week hunger strike to protest Turkish oppression of the Kurds. There was, however, a wee, little qualifier: Porter ‘has been eating one meal a day because she has diabetes.”
As it turns out, the strike being led by Ms. Sheehan is also a bit different from those of the past. Many of the celebrity participants are taking the “tag-team” approach to striking invented by Jesse Jackson some years ago. Under this approach, after refusing food for a day in the cause of getting the troops out of Iraq PDQ, the celebrity then allows another celebrity, also hungry for publicity, to take over his fast. For today’s crop of hunger strikers, I guess it’s the thought that counts.
Steve
That shit is fucking hilarious. God bless free speech. I had to look up what it means to “302 the President” though.
Perry Como
I was going to suggest a Shun set. Very good knives.
If you are looking for something more sentimental and not at all practical, Lladro is a nice mantle gift (grandparents gave us a pair of swans that form a heart (sappy)).
The Other Steve
Agreed. I honestly did not encounter them until I stayed in England.
So now it’s my mission in life to enlighten Americans.
My parents use their coffee maker to boil water. Then they make instant coffee… :-)
GOP4Me
It’s unconscionable, isn’t it?
Stealing Gandhi’s thunder is bad enough. Betraying our troops in wartime is tantamount to treason.
This little stunt should earn her a one-way ticket to Guantanamo.
capelza
Also..if you have a perverse nature, personalising a gift like engraving their names on it will prevent “regifting”.. :}
The Other Steve
LOL!
President Bush’s Great Fuel Efficiency Program On Trucks and SUVs – Save 30 Gal Per Year in 2008. This equates to a Midget Pissing on a Forest Fire!
That guy rocks. I don’t think Darrell read all the signs. :-)
Bruce Moomaw
Well, you’re not going to stir ME up with that comment about Sheehan, although I prefer to think of her as a Simp rather than a Symp. Even my mother — who is somewhere to the left of Kim Il Sung — reached that same conclusion about the woman after she announced that the conflicts in the Middle East were entirely the fault of the US and Israel.
chefrad
Compared to Joe Lieberman Cindy Sheehan is a month in the country.
The Other Steve
Maybe it’s just me.
Maybe it’s having a Grandmother who insisted on labeling everything she ever bought with name, date and if it was a gift who was it given to.
But I can’t stand engraving.
Then again, if not for my great grandmother(who also suffered from the same urge to label things), I probably would never have known that the clock I have from their estate was purchased in 1890.
The Other Steve
I thought John’s statement was
“Cindy Sheehan is a corny syrup”
tzs
Ah, yes, wedding gifts…
One of my friends was dithering about what to get her ex-husband–on one hand, she wanted to provide a celebratory item, on the other hand she was still really really ticked off at him and the hell he had put her through. I suggested a set of Japanese lacquered bowls–top quality. Lovely, gorgous, wonderful….and an absolute bitch to not scratch if you ever use them.
Heh heh heh….
Punchy
Can I go sexist and surmise the “knife set” thing is mostly a chick thing? B/c I have all of 2-3 knives…and they all cut just fine. Having ~10 more could possibly be the lowest of all my low priorities…but then again, a four-course meal to me is a pizza and three beers…
Krista
Maid service would be an AWESOME gift!
Perry Como
Them’s fightin’ words. Good knives is a cooking thing. It transcends gender.
Krista
Good knives are definitely not a chick thing. I had just your generic knives until I met my man. We now own some seriously impressive knives, and will probably get a Grohmann 6-inch chef’s knife soon. I didn’t believe it at first, but the right knives really do make such a difference — it’s much less of a fight when you have the proper tool.
richard
say it ain’t so:
I already went to the trouble of reading the thread, so I’m going to post this anyway.
Par R
How about a set of pre-nup’s, available from lawforms.com. They would just have to fill in the blanks.
Nutcutter
Hmm. Have you considered giving Darrell his walking papers?
Punchy
Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of–some pissed-off girlfriend buying knives rated for both their ability to cut veggies as well as heart tissue and bone marrow.
I figgered as much. I just cannot foresee a cutting need that my 2 knives cannot handle by themselves. My Mom has all those “specialty” knives (like one just for bread…ha!), and it’s always The Coming Apocalypse when I use the apparently “wrong one” to cut carrots and such…
Faux News
(Yawn.)
Your Troll has become tiresome.
0/10
Ekim
Get your sister a Worst President Ever t-shirt from BartCop.
kate
Darrel,
I usually lurk here.. but i have to say I LOVE those restaurant signs! I immediately sent the link to my Goldwater loving Dad in Phoenix.. If he could he would replicate for his own front yard.
kate
Darrel,
I usually lurk here.. but i have to say I LOVE those restaurant signs! I immediately sent the link to my Goldwater loving Dad in Phoenix.. If he could he would replicate for his own front yard. Which is why I don’t see much of him these days
kate
ooops sorry for the double post
GOP4Me
Damn, what an asshole.
I was on my way out the door already, you know. You didn’t have to slam it into my ass.
Perry Como
The specialty stuff is there for a reason, but there is alot of overkill in the knife market. I use an 8″ chef’s knife for most everything. My cheap knife set has a serrated bread knife that I use to cut bread and tomatoes (heirlooms are in season! yearrgh!).
Everyone that cooks should have at least a good chef’s knife. Just be careful with those ceramic jobbies. They’ll take a finger off.
Crazy C
I’ve never been a big fan of the ceramics – can’t beat them for sharpness – but they’ll break a little too easily…
It’s always a little strange to go between the good knives and cheap ones – somehow the cheap ones just seem more dangerous when cutting than a good quality one.
srv
Here are some real Republican values for ya:
Orange County’s Best
I hear he was considering Cunninghams seat, but didn’t want to shave the beard.
Punchy
Some more ideas for gifts, Mr. Cole.
John D.
Because they are.
Cheap knives dull far more easily, requiring a lot more force to be exerted to cut. Which increases the chance of slippage, gashage, stabage, slashage, and amputation. A good knife is worth its weight in gold if you cook a lot.
Perry Como
They are, but it’s initially counterintuitive. I’m still trying to get my wife to accept that really sharp knives are safer. You use less force to cut through something so you have more control.
airmail
A bottle Of Valium and a big kiss and congradulations.
airmail
Oops. Should have said congratulations
srv
Get her a blog, so she can document her happiness.
For knives, something that will last a lifetime:
Hidatool
HyperIon
regarding knives as a possible gift, i bought an electric knife sharpener a couple of years ago after struggling with steels of various type and stones. i could never get a good edge, that is, until the Chef’s Choice Model 110 (around $90) came into my life. the crucial feature is the coarse mode which puts a burr on the blade. without a burr, no keen edge can be produced.
now my knives are always sharp…which makes such a difference. what’s the sense of owning a quality carbon steel knife if you can’t keep it really sharp.
DougJ
Everybody following the Biden Indian thing? It’s so good.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001081.php
Perry Como
Biden is such a tool.
nyrev
Just a note on the knives: make sure your sister and her fiance aren’t superstitious first, or you’ll freak ’em out.
Crazy C
the sharpeners never seem to work properly in my experience – I always go with the professionals for that – if you’re dropping a couple hundred on a blade, it makes sense to have someone who knows what they’re doing.
Perry, John D. – I’d definantly agree with you on the weight in gold thing – if you do get a good knife, make sure you’ve got a quality honing steel – it extends the life of them between sharpening by a whole lot (if you use it properly)…
SeesThroughIt
First of all, the gift registry is most definitely your friend. Use it, and use it well.
Second of all, as long as we’re talking about kitchen items, what about a Cuisinart? I got one a year or two ago, and I freaking love it.
Perry Como
Good points.
Registry should always be the first stop, but sometimes things are a bit impersonal or the good stuff is already gone. My general rule of thumb for family or close friends is to get something that they wouldn’t buy themselves. It can range from useful and cool (kitchen stuff) to specialty items (Waterford crystal).
demimondian
I’m a huge fan of good knives, but the single wedding gift FDDD and I have used most in our almost 22 years of marriage is a top-of-the-line Cuisinart that we got. Then again, good knives are so useful when you want to keep your partner out of the kitchen on those bad days, don’t you know…
nyrev
Also, the KitchenAid is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
tzs
I’ve got a whole set of cooking knives I brought back from Japan–the ones that are made like katanas with the ribbon look in the steel and the maker’s name stamped on the flange….
One of them is this huge weighty one that must be a quarter inch thick along the back. Absolutely marvelous for whacking through chicken bones.
Heck, if I weren’t moving back to Japan I’d think seriously of setting up an import company. Japan has some really fantastic stuff (yes, and they will run you over $100/knife!)
Mr Furious
My wife was just staying with her grandparents, and they do the same thing.
YellowJournalism
Lots of great gift suggestions I totally agree with those people who say the things about gift cards for either their registry or a practical place like Home Depot (or my suggestion, IKEA)
A few interesting things I received at my wedding two years ago:
-A really good bottle of champagne and two crystal glasses to save for our first anniversary.
-A turkey platter in a ratty box that looked like it had been passed down from family to family (not a suggestion, just a funny note).
-A collection of wedding-themed movies on DVD (add a player for more value to the gift).
-A necklace from my parents to wear on the special day given to me in a jewelry box engraved with the special day.
I also love the idea of finding pictures of you and her from your younger years and placing them in one of those picture frame/album things that you can get engraved.
Back to lurking!
Krista
If you have any luck persuading your wife, I’ll get you to call my mother. She’s a phenomenal cook, and has top-line pots and pans, but her knives are abysmal. She was using a chipped paring knife to cut into a turnip the last time I was home. I seriously feared for her safety.
I have a few of those Japanese knives…they’re pretty awesome. You definitely have to sharpen them by hand though — no electric sharpeners.
I still say that maid service would be a phenomenal wedding gift, though. Or a nice digital camera, if they don’t have one.
Stormy70
You could buy out what is left on her registry, or get her a Kitchen Aid mixer.
Maid service is the best thing I ever did for myself. I am not a cleaner-type. If dust is higher than eye level, then chances are slim that I will notice it. Who knew you were supposed to clean base boards or blinds, much less lampshades and light fixtures.
I gave up eating out more for maid service. I consider it a utility payment.
Krista
Notice how the guys are all talking about gadgets (except for Darrell and his knicknack fixation), and most of the women are all for the maid service…
capelza
I did indeed… :)
vetiver
Perry Como, Krista — have your dull-knife-loving relatives get in touch with me. I’ll describe, in harrowing detail, how I sliced a to-the-bone chunk off a knuckle while using a crap chef’s knife at my parents’ house. (That was over five years ago and it still hasn’t scarred over properly so it’s prone to re-injury.)
As for wedding presents: I’d go with the registry gift-certificate supplemented with a sentimental-ish gift, as in a home-made (or home-embellished) photo album.
demimondian
Krista, Capelza, Stormy70 — actually, due to this thread, FDDD and I have decided we’re going to hire a maid services to clean up the house after the renovation is done.
At this rate, that’ll be sometime around November.
itsme
“Candlesticks are always appreciated.” – Bull Durham
Mr Furious
By the way, John, it’s commie, not commy.
Sine.Qua.Non
Sex toys.
Krista
For his sister? That’s just icky…