Wolfram, you talking the stuff with whirling blades (like a miniblender), rather that a whirling disk with grater holes? If so, no. I do use the mince & chop gadget for onion and herbs and nuts, but never cheese. That would make a mess. There once was a device called a salad shooter that would slice and grate. I haven't seen them in the stores for ages, but they are awesome for cheese.

Another whine: it is not reassuring when your boss comes into your office with the statement "I don't know how we're going to do this." and then procedes to describe the management retreat coming up in which they brainstorm how to cope with future cuts (more layoffs.) Especially when there are hints that the next budget allotment for a project that is ramping up is $1 million LESS than planned minimums and already in the hole by maybe a billion. GO TEAM MORALE!

I nearly walked up to Brockmann and said Hey! I know the woman who does your thingies! But then I decided that would be too embarrassingly fangirly.

Susan, I'm friends with Jennifer Crusie and Lani Diane Rich (the Rita winners) and Chris Merrill (the Golden Heart winner, WHOO HOO!). The Golden Heart for Chris's category was especially since she FORGOT TO READ CHRIS'S NAME in the nominations. We all yelled at her to stop and one of us yelled Chris's name from the audience. Then Chris won and it was okay.

Wolfram,

[link]

Salad Shooter. I use mine for cheese and it's fab. I love it. Also great for making soups.

Susan, I'm friends with Jennifer Crusie

faints dead away at Betsy's feet

Salad shooters still exist? Cool.

lori, thanks.

I'm pleasantly amused at the intersection of fandoms and the path of gossip/news.

I love Jennifer Crusie's writing advice columns in RWR, and she's one of the few exceptions to my "no non-paranormal contemporary settings" rule.

I was thrilled she won, and also that Laura Kinsale's Shadow Heart won Long Historical--gave me hope there's room for edgy and different in the genre.

I'm probably going to enter the GH this time around, and if I get lucky and final, I'll go to Atlanta for the conference next year.

Awesome, thanks Aimee (and everyone else)!

I figured the choppers would screw up the cheese, but I didn't want to have to open one to find out.

Crusie is an excellent teacher (which isn't surprising -- she used to teach school); if she's ever at an RWA chapter session near you, GO!

Headlines that did NOT reassure me:

Spacewalk sounds scarier than it is, NASA says. The astronauts couldn't finish the interview, as it was time for their naps.

Robinson said his biggest concern will be to avoid butting the shuttle tiles with his helmet.

They should duct tape a pillow to the top of his helmet.