Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, UK

There are few things we love more than hooning around in a vigorous, purebred sports car – and that’s exactly how Mcchip-dkr describes its 401-horsepower Ford Focus RS. That’s the Stage 2 version delivering the “whole-blood athlete,” but if you want to work your way up to those heights, you can get the Stage 1 conversion for €799 ($1,142 USD). You’ll take your hatch from 301 stock horsepower to 345 and bump torque by about 50 lb-ft to 383 with an ECU upgrade.

But if 401 is your lucky horsepower number and you like the sound of 457 lb-ft. of torque, then you’ll need €4,499 ($6,421 U.S.). That pile of pounds will give you access to a new manifold, uprated intercooler, spark plugs, and a sports exhaust as well as the necessary ECU tweaks. Mcchip-dkr thankfully didn’t do anything regrettable to the Focus RS’ already terrific looks. What they’ve done with torque steer outside of the stock RS’ trick Revoknuckle and limited-slip setup is anyone’s guess.

Have a look at the press release after the jump, and there are more images of the car in the high-res gallery below.

[Source: Mcchip-dkr]

Continue reading McChip introduces Ford Focus RS with 401 horses – Are you lovin’ it?

McChip introduces Ford Focus RS with 401 horses – Are you lovin’ it? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is pretty much the perfect metaphor for 2009: Darth Vader ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange surrounded by a goon squad of Storm Troopers.

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Lady Gaga may be surprising fans with appearances from Beyonce and Kanye West during her three concerts in LA. The 23-year-old recently kicked off three shows at Nokia Theatre LA Live and although her rep won’t confirm, E! online claims Beyonce, 28, and West, 32, will make appearances.

Taylor Swift and Beyonce are among the artists set to perform next month at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, it was announced Tuesday. Other performers include the Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell and country trio Lady Antebellum. The Recording Academy said other performers will be announced later.

Beyonce, a 10-time Grammy winner, has 10 nominations, including record of the year for ‘Halo,’ album of the year for ‘I Am … Sasha Fierce’ and song of the year for ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).’ Country singer Swift has eight nominations, including record and song of the year for ‘You Belong With Me,’ and album of the year for ‘Fearless.’

The Grammy Awards will be presented at the Staples Center on January 31st. The show will air on CBS.

During the Holidays the last thing anyone wants to think about (other then the big feast) is making appetizers. If anything we all want something that is fast, takes little effort to put together, and still tastes like a gourmet chef made it.

The best solution is to make a dip, nothing too fancy, but one that will probably last for a total of five minutes because it’s that good. Try making Beer Dip! Chances are you have beer in the fridge if you have guests coming over and the other ingredients you definitely have in the fridge.

Beer Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Pretzels or Pita

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, beer and dressing mix until smooth. Stir in cheese. Serve with pretzels.

***

Beer is such an awesome thing to make food with. People underestimate it’s qualities and the different flavors and complexity beers have.

Happy Holidays!

Recipe Source: Beer Dip by Michelle Long in The Taste of Home Cookbook

Image Credit: iStockPhoto

Post from: Blisstree

Quick Holiday Appetizer: Beer Dip Recipe

(This guest post originally appeared at New Deal 2.0)

The Senate and the Obama Administration want to pass the Senate version of health care reform by Christmas Eve. In the end, the Senate probably will pass a bill. The nation, however, would be a lot better off if the Senate did not vote. Here’s why.

First, this legislation has become no more than a (bad) effort at insurance reform. It does not encompass any serious approach to reforming health care itself, which is by far the bigger problem.

Second, as health insurance itself it is a bad approach. As a small example, it does not even increase competition by allowing cross-state competition by insurers. So it guarantees 50 smaller state markets, each run by a somewhat different state insurance bureaucracy, most of the markets being too small to support real competition. Progressives wasted immense time touting a public option as a competitive measure — which it never could have been; but completely ignored dealing with markets directly so as to make them more competitive. The direction I have pointed to in previous blogs — making the exchanges the true center of reform — was never considered or never understood. (That’s another topic. It is scary how little is ever really understood about complicated legislation by the members of Congress who vote on it. In talking to several members a few months ago about health care, one told me that he estimated less than 10% of the members of the House could actually tell you the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.)

Third, the myriad of small projects and experiments included in the bill and intended to try out various approaches to health care reform all add up to nothing. There will be a few earnest efforts, but they will point to difficult health care choices which the House and the Senate have indicated they do not want to make. I do not have anything against most of these efforts, I just think that like the poem, “they don’t do any good, and they don’t do any harm.” They certainly are not a reason to pass legislation this important.

Fourth, as this bill, if it were to pass, heads toward conference with the House bill — which is worse — none of us know what will emerge, but we know one thing with great certainty. The result will be worse than the Senate bill. The conference is part of the process to produce anything, but no one has ever thought it made anything any better. The process is dedicated to testing the lowest limits of the barely acceptable.

Fifth, this bill will not slow down health care cost growth. There is absolutely no one in the known universe whether for or against this bill who in private would not agree with that statement. It is possible for the CBO, working on a very carefully phrased question and doing a static analysis, to conclude that the revenue raised by the bill will very slightly exceed the costs imposed. But even that is probably not the case. So the bill will increase the deficit; therefore cut into every other public program you might care about — kiss goodbye to any real infrastructure investment; and make even worse our long run debt problem without improving anything. One or two people commenting on my blogs have called me a “deficit terrorist,” a phrase I love and am having tee shirts made for; but the long run deficit and debt problems we face really do impose a different kind of discipline on us.

Sixth, all of the political dynamics I have ever seen work against any future effort — after this bill passes — to improve its direction. Senator Rockefeller has said that he expects annual efforts to improve legislation after it passes. That is a complete fantasy. This bill gives everything away up front, and does not face up to any of the really difficult questions of cost and reform. There is no theory anyone can state with a straight face that gets you to a reasonable expectation that if we let this one go by, it will become steadily better.

Finally, we have begun to hear the dreaded song. When a supporter of something says with a sense of irritation and superior practicality that we “can’t let the best be the enemy of the good,” you know that he or she has run out of arguments and is reverting to shouting. If you play poker — I have played fairly seriously for 45 years — you learn to read the “tells.” This song is a completely dependable “tell.”

The best process going forward would start with the Senate not voting. Then the Obama Administration, which now has a more fully matured policy process with much firmer grounding then it did when this health issue began — prematurely in my view — last spring, could put forward a clear set of views regarding what it wanted and did not want in terms of policy. Ideally, we could then start with a sense of how to alter the fundamental incentives of the system; and we could make the changes step by step. An early step, for example, could be to insure all minors below the age of 18. In any case, I do not think it is wise to try to change in a fundamental way 17% of the largest economy in the world all at one jump.

Roosevelt Institute Braintruster Bo Cutter is formerly a managing partner of Warburg Pincus, a major global private equity firm. Recently, he served as the leader of President Obama’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) transition team.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• DEJA VU: Alabama Congressman Switches Parties To GOP On Eve Of Healthcare Vote
• 10 New Taxes Americans Will Get Slapped With To Pay For Healthcare
• Inches Away From Finish Line, Abortion Divide May Still Torpedo Healthcare Bill

There’s really no major surprises when it comes to the big players on the mobile web, according to two reports released today. In fact, all of the top destinations are already major internet brands, unlike the mobile applications in which some small companies have made a name for themselves.

Nielsen said the top websites visited on a mobile phone from January to September, include Google (NSDQ: GOOG) search, Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) Mail, Gmail, The Weather Channel and Facebook. In a second list, Nielsen detailed the top brands accessed on the mobile phone. Those include: Yahoo, Google, MSN/WindowsLive/Bing, AOL (NYSE: AOL) Media Network and The Weather Channel. In a separate report released today by Opera, which details monthly usage based on what people are visiting via their mobile browser, the results were very similar. The top five were: Google, Facebook, Yahoo, MySpace and Wikipedia. The only new company to the list was Amazon.com (NSDQ: AMZN), which came in at 10th.

Both companies also released a list of the top handsets. Opera’s list does not include the iPhone because its browser is not available in iTunes, however, Nielsen ranked the iPhone in first place with 4 percent of all U.S. subscribers. That figure is a bit deceiving because other handset-makers like RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) and LG (SEO: 066570) dominate the rankings with various handset models. RIM’s various models actually translates to a 8 percent penetration rate. Overall, smartphones are owned by 15 percent of all households. Surprisingly, the popular, but low-end and aging Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Razr continues to rank third with 2.3 percent of the install base.

In Opera’s rankings, the BlackBerry comes in third, but also dominates the rankings, spanning from sixth place to 10th place. LG comes in second with the Lotus.

The footwear offered by Opening Ceremony continually fuses the trends of today with tricked-out details that become must-haves for tomorrow. Their Spring/Summer 2010 collection steps out with lean, low oxfords rendered in pine and navy suede planted on thin white soles after which things get especially edgy: chunked-up Tricker’s style saddle brogues with jagged-toothed Goth-kid soles, and boldly bizarre lace-up/zip-up oxfords signaling the 90s desperate attempt for resurrected fashion relevance.

Continue reading for more images.

Source: Selectism

Japan, Asia | Unusual Monuments

There are many amazing things about Tōdai-ji and the Daibutsuden or ‘Great Buddha Hall’ in Nara, Japan: the gigantic bronze Buddha, which nearly bankrupted Japan to build in 751, or the fact that this massive Buddha sits in the worlds largest wooden building, (once even larger as the current incarnation is only 70% of what the original was), or the ancient treasures such as a octagonal lamp from the 700s, or the healing pillars, which if one can squeeze through, they are said to be guaranteed a place in heaven, but the most surprising sight at the temple, is the deer.

Known as Sika Deer, they wander through the temples, sleep in corners, and generally stand around as tourists take their pictures. Once considered sacred messengers of the Shinto gods, and protected, they were later hunted to near extinction. Though they have been variously protected and hunted throughout their history in Japan, their population is strong today, and many have become tame and established themselves in cities and touristy areas, feeding from the hands of delighted visitors. They are even known to come up and bite visitors gently on the buttocks signaling that they desire crackers.

Despite having been damaged and destroyed multiple times, due to fire, earthquakes and accident (in 855 the head of the giant Buddha suddenly fell off) both the buildings and the statues have been continually repaired and today Tōdai-ji, or the Great Eastern Temple complex, and the Daibutsuden or ‘Great Buddha Hall’ it contains are in excellent shape.

The entryway to the temple is behemoth, with two towering guardians on each side, protecting the great Buddha. The Buddha itself, the world’s largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana (or Birushana in Japananese) is seen as the universal aspect of the Buddha, a sort of all in one Buddha. The statue weighs some 500 tonnes and is a towering 14.98 meters (49.1 ft) tall, with a 5.33 meter (17.5 ft) long face. His hair is made of 966 individual bronze balls, and creating this massive bronze Buddha in the 700s occupied much of
Japan’s bronze production for many years.

Inside the massive temple, there were numerous artifacts to observe beyond the Great Buddha. One can learn the history of the building and area surrounding. As Nara was once the capital of Japan, there was much intriguing history to digest. Among the many things to see are miniature replicas of the temple and the grounds, various Buddhist statues, and the (somewhat unfair to the overweight) healing pillars, wooden columns with a hole in the bottom that brings good luck, and some even say entrance to heaven, if you can squeeze through it.

Tech Review: Quantum leap in battery design (via Space for All)
The New Yorker: China’s crash program for clean energy
Failure Magazine: The silent math genius (via Slashdot)
Daily Grail: Watson … the needle! …(read more)

Filed under: Europe, GM, Saab, Earnings/Financials, Spyker

Too bad Saab couldn’t get this much ink while they were fully-alive. That’s right folks, another day, another story about the undead Swedish brand. Just-Auto.com is reporting that a mystery Dutch investor is behind Spyker’s 11th-hour bid for Saab. As we’ve learned, it’s best not to do any Saab reporting of any kind without first checking in with the crazy kind folks over at Saabs United.

And guess what? They’re pointing to an article in Holland’s Telegraff that states the mystery billionaire is (maybe) none other than… Marcel Boekhoorn. We’ve never heard of him either, but apparently he’s quite rich. Boekhoorn, for his part, denies any such deal, stating, “All not true. It is invented.” However, Mr. Boekhoorn is a Spyker investor and reportedly acts as an adviser to Spyker owner Victor Muller. Let’s not forget that Spyker’s stock price swelled 23.5% after their renewed bid for Saab. Mr Boekhoorn’s also an investor in Telegraaf…

Reportedly, one of the eleven qualms that General Motors had with selling Saab was over some of the Russian investors tied up with Spyker – fears of Saab’s technology falling into Russian hands and all that. As it turns out, Spyker’s main investors, Vladimir and Alexander Antonov who together own a 29.3 percent stake in the Dutch sports car maker, are not behind the renewed deal. Nor is the Abu Dhabi state investment fund Mubadala Development, which owns 22.7 percent.

Could it be that GM is only talking to Spyker and the Swedish government because of this maybe-mysterious Dutch billionaire investor? Short answer, yes. Besides, it’s not December 31 yet, GM’s original deadline for offloading Saab. We’ll keep you posted.

[Sources: Just-Auto; Saabs United; Telegraaf]

Mysterious Dutch billionaire behind Spyker’s renewed Saab bid? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brad and Andy return
live this week to answer your questions and discuss their flames, lames and deep names for Week 16. Submit
your questions for Wednesday night’s "Fantasy Freak Show" via email (Please include name/city) at [email protected].You can also
dial the studio line starting at 8 PM PT/10 PM CT/11 PM ET at
312-644-6767 or text us at 67011. You can also follow the show, and the Noise, via Twitter.

Just seven weeks ago Larry Johnson(notes) and his former employer
parted ways in a divorce that would make Tiger Woods’ expected marital dissolution
seem amicable.

Back in late October, the long-time Chief, then just 75
yards shy of Priest Holmes’(notes) all-time team rushing record, wasn’t a happy camper
playing for a substandard team. Fueled, as he described, not by anger but
rather overt competitiveness, he purposely rocked the boat by issuing
non-Rupaul approved remarks toward KC supporters and other disparaging barbs
thrown at front office officials and coaches on his Twitter account. After a
brief hiatus in "football purgatory," he was appropriately dumped, only to be rewarded with a
roster spot on a Super Bowl contender known historically for harboring unsavory
characters.

But beauty can emerge from the ugliest situations.

Left in the wake of Johnson’s maelstrom laid a babe of
divine origins – a star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty
bright. His name: Jamaal Charles(notes).

During the most critical time of the season, the JC of KC
has guided owners, and presumably Magi, to thy perfect light. Sickly teams
burned by forgettable draft picks (i.e. Matt Forte(notes)) and injury misfortunes
(i.e. Ronnie Brown(notes)) have been healed by his holy powers. Since becoming a starter in Week 9, the multipurpose
threat has flashed the tools needed to be an every-down back – power,
explosiveness and versatility. In a way, he’s resembled a miniature version of
Chris Johnson.

His numbers are nothing short of outstanding. In his seven starts, the second-year standout has averaged 129.3 total yards
per game and scored six touchdowns. He’s also netted an astonishing 5.4 yards
per carry. His incredible down-the-stretch consistency – he’s scored in six
straight – is eerily similar to what Pierre Thomas(notes) achieved at this exact point
a season ago. Surely his eBay-profitable image will miraculously surface on
pierogies, Cheetohs, dental x-rays and the flabby arms of beer-pounding fans (Like this guy). 

Though the Chiefs continue to lose games, Charles’ riveting
run has injected excitement back into one of the league’s most loyal fanbases. He’s the perfect weapon for a creative offensive mind. Todd Haley, who
once believed the youngster was merely a lightweight platoon back, is starting
to come around. After last week’s surprisingly entertaining clash with Cleveland, a game in
which Charles was overshadowed by Jerome Harrison’s(notes) historic day, the normally
unflattering coach spoke highly of his rising back. From the KC Star:   

"Jamaal again showed he’s pushing to try to be
one of the top guys in the league at that position. He’s continued to impress me. Those are things we have to grab on to … "

With Cincinnati
hosting KC this week, media outlets will understandably
focus on Johnson, but his former understudy could grab the headlines.

Cincinnati
boasts an unyielding frontline. Only one rusher, the aforementioned Harrison,
has surpassed the century mark against it. And on the year, the Bengals have
given up just 3.9 yards per carry to backs. More discouraging, they’ve
surrendered just four ground scores since Week 7.

Despite the daunting task, Charles’ well-roundedness is
problematic for Cincinnati.
The Bengals have stuffed backs between the tackles, but against flexible
weapons, they’ve struggled. On the season, they’ve yielded the sixth-most
receptions (5.7 per game) and third-most yards to backs (51.2 ypg). The
22-year-old, who possesses tender hands, will likely contribute significantly
in the passing game. Don’t bet against him.

As for Grand-Ma-Ma, you know he’s itching to gift Scott
Pioli and Haley a gingerbread cookie in the shape of an acrimonious "bird." Due
to his improved play (2.7 ypc with KC, 4.7 with Cincy) and KC’s’ horrendous
interior execution, he certainly could produce excellent flex numbers. The
Chiefs have allowed a very generous 5.4 yards per carry, 222.8 total yards per
game and eight touchdowns to backs since Week 11, equal to the most fantasy
points. If LJ, who probably believes revenge is a dish best served cold, can
convince Marvin Lewis to expand his role, he could gain appreciable numbers on 10-12
touches. For weeks the Bengals coaching staff has wanted to limit Cedric
Benson’s(notes) workload. Maybe this time they actually do.

In fantasy and reality, the dissolved relationship between
Johnson and the Chiefs couldn’t have worked out better. Charles, who could
creep into the late first-round next drafting season, has been a godsend.
Meanwhile Johnson, motivated by retribution, could yield sizable flex totals
for bling-seeking owners in deep formats. 

Depending upon your situation, it’s possible the former
teammates could deliver more than socks and underwear this holiday weekend.

Week 16 Fearless
Forecast (Charles): 19 carries, 79 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 37
receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 17 fantasy points

Week 16 Fearless
Forecast (Johnson): 10 carries, 53 rushing yards, 1 reception, 5 receiving
yards, 1 touchdown, 11 fantasy points

What are your thoughts on Johnson/Charles this week? Where
does the JC of KC go in drafts next year? What is your favorite Christmas
carol? Holiday desert treat? What form of
punishment should the Noise accept for jinxing Arian Foster(notes)? Discuss.

—

Image courtesy of the
AP

Acer’s 2009 range

Digitimes reports that Acer is set to launch 3-4 Windows Mobile handsets next year, most low-end handsets outsourced to Inventec.

Acer, who recently expanded their mobile team to 750 members, will likely however keep some handsets in house, based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform, as part of their high-end range.

Read more at Digitimes here.

Nissan ha comenzado a hablar de la próxima generación del GT-R y ya ha confirmado de forma oficial que será ni más ni menos que un superdeportivo híbrido. Además, ya se ha comenzado a especular que utilizará un motor V6 biturbo asociado a un potente motor eléctrico.

Por otra parte, lo más previsible es que el Nissan GT-R haga uso de su actual motor 3.8 V6 biturbo pero rebajando la potencia a los 440 CV. Esta potencia sumada a los 160 CV de un motor eléctrico – unido a unas baterías de litio – la potencia combinada sería de 600 CV.

Gracias al motor eléctrico, el consumo sería mejorado apróximadamente hasta los 7l/100 km recorridos. Además, Nissan ha comunicado que el peso de las baterías y el motor eléctrico supondrá un lastre que deberá ser compensado con técnicas avanzadas de reducción de peso, pero ya advierten que será imposible un peso más contenido.

Related posts:

1. Nissan GT-R 2012 en desarrollo
2. Nissan presenta el Leaf, su primer vehículo eléctrico
3. El Nissan Tiida no se fabricará más en España

Cooking can be an enjoyable, meditative, even therapeutic endeavor, but there are plenty of times when you just need to get dinner on the table. I hear from a lot of readers new to the Primal Blueprint who are dealing with the kitchen learning curve: how to condense shopping trips, how to assemble good Primal meals throughout the busy week, how to free up time for other activities outside the kitchen. A group of readers recently took up the discussion in our forum. I thought I’d throw out some of my own best suggestions for maximizing Primal cooking efforts but minimizing actual kitchen time – especially on busy work nights. I hope you’ll join the discussion and dole out your own favorite tips.

1. Forage and freeze.

A common beef, as reader maba and others have mentioned, is the shopping time – specifically, the need to split shopping between at least two stores to gather all the week’s supplies. However, some creative planning and a little storage prep can cut out some of those second (and third) weekend trips. Buying your meat in bulk from a cowpooling source or other direct supplier, as reader nina_70 suggests, leaves you with a constant supply of cuts. Gathering up a large stock of veggies – with some freezer bags and prep – can knock out a large portion of your veggie needs for the week. As for fresh produce, I find that most items – if stored in cooler temps or the crisper – keep for more than a week.

2. Cook for a small army.

The aforementioned forum folks were pretty unanimous on this one. We Primal types love us some leftovers. If you’re doing all the work of cooking a good Primal dish, why limit the benefit to a single meal? You have all the ingredients lined up. You have the knives, cutting boards, graters, etc. out. You know you’ll have all the dishes to do. Why not go for broke, and cook enough for tonight and then some? A few folks like to enjoy a big fresh batch throughout the week. Others prefer to freeze the majority of their expanded recipes, keeping maybe a little extra in the fridge for the next day’s breakfast or lunch. Either way saves big time. Some of us tire of the same taste more quickly than others. Personally, I’m one who can dig into a favorite again and again without hesitation, but my kids unfortunately didn’t inherit that preference. Maybe it’s an acquired taste you gain when you’re responsible for making each and every meal for yourself….

3. Cube it.

One bit of equipment worth having around: extra ice cube trays. Use them to store small portions of fresh herbs (frozen with a bit of water or stock), tomato paste, wine, coffee, stock, fruit or vegetable purees, sauces and pestos. Pop out as many or few as you need for the night’s recipe.

4. Lay out a menu.

Nothing slows down an evening more (and creates more frustration) than rummaging through the cabinets trying to pull together a meal only to realize you’re missing key ingredients to, well, every idea you come up with. Create a full menu for each week and post it on the fridge. Your shopping will be smoother as will your weekly cooking/lunch packing endeavors. You might be tired when you get home after a long day, but it can be a relief to know you don’t have to actually think about dinner. It’s all there in black and white. It frees up your mind to talk with your partner, listen to the radio, joke with the kids while you simply go through the preset motions.

5. Have a routine.

An even easier addition to the menu approach: recreate most of the same selection each week. Not every week needs to be a string of creative recipe trials (although those are fun if you have the time and inclination). To keep it fresh, you can certainly throw in a couple novel ideas each week, but relying on several tried and true favorites will save you time and brain power. Plug the standard shopping list into your smart phone, and you’re set to go for the grocery store/market trips.

6. Take an hour out of your weekend.

On Sundays my wife and I have taken to preparing a large bowl of chopped veggies to use for the entire week ahead. For the two of us we use: 1/2 head red cabbage, 1 red onion, 3-4 carrots, 1 bell pepper and whatever else we bought at the market that week. We dice it all up, and store most of it mixed as an all purpose veggie collection. We dip into it throughout the week for our daily salads, soups, omelets and stir frys. Of course you could use broccoli, cauliflower or anything else you have or like. A food processor can make the process that much quicker. 

7. Invest in some equipment.

I’m not one who believes every gadget is worth buying or that the vast majority of these items even save an appreciable amount of time. Nonetheless, over the years I’ve found a few favorites that complement my particular cooking habits. As one forum poster Caroline noted, a good salad spinner takes the work and time out of washing fresh greens and herbs. A number of readers, like LovesToClimb, said they love their crock pots. A few other ideas? Try a small and/or large food processor, a traditional blender for Primal shakes, a stick blender for pureeing soup and soft vegetables and fruits, a small set of high quality knives, a garlic press, a rolling herb grater or herb snips, good kitchen shears, cheese grater, citrus reamer, microplane grater/zester, digital thermometer, fine mesh strainers and lots of small prep bowls. Other must-haves, anyone?

8. Develop a house line.

Have your own signature combo of seasonings you use for a lot of meats or veggies? Why not mix up a large batch in its own jar? The same goes for your favorite marinades, dressings and other condiments. Some can even be frozen in large batches using cubes or freezer bags.

9. Outsource.

There are days…and weeks…alas, sometimes months when we know we can’t do everything ourselves. It’s good to know when to bring in some reinforcements. While it adds some cost to be sure, bagged lettuce, cut produce (thanks DebFM!), cubed stew meat, and other primed, Primal foods can save you enough time and work that you don’t have to compromise your diet for the sake of your schedule. Sometimes you do what you gotta do. Then there are always those kids…. Line ‘em up and put ‘em to work.

10. Canned and frozen.

Canned tomatoes, canned/boxed stock, and other canned and frozen ingredients can be a lifesaver. There’s nothing that says every vegetable has to be fresh. My favorite: a frozen Thai stir fry blend. Find your own favorite brands, or prepare them yourself to have on hand.

11. Clean up as you go.

This one’s admittedly more of a mental tactic, but sometimes life calls for that. Thinking you’ll be faced with a mountain of dishes at the end of the night isn’t very inspiring. Starting with a straightened kitchen and cleaning as you go clears the mind and keeps your head in the game. Put any dishes directly into the dishwasher. Put away ingredients when you’re done with them. Employ the Rachel Ray “garbage bowl” concept to keep all refuse in one place. Though the efforts might delay your meal by a few minutes, you’ll feel freer to sit and enjoy the fruits of your labor, having finished the bulk of the work.

Have your own favorite short-cuts and efficiency tips? Do share! Thanks for reading.

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Related posts:

1. Wandering in the Kitchen
2. How to Make a Rockin’ Chicken Stock
3. Abandon the Primal Eating Plan?

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FTAlphaville: The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting in Luanda, Angola, agreed on Tuesday to leave oil output curbs unchanged, while calling for greater compliance with existing output targets.

OPEC: The Conference observed with great concern that, whilst the worst of the recession appears to be over, the world economy remains confronted with the deepest, most wide-spread contraction since the 1940’s. For the first time since the early 1980’s, world oil demand has declined for the second, successive year.

This chart, via FTAlphaville, shows exactly what keeps OPEC up at night. One benefit of the past crisis and high oil prices is that the developing world has beeen spurred to use oil more efficiently and seek alternative forms of energy.

Meanwhile, OPEC's only hope is this chart below. Which makes it clear why OPEC attended the recent Copenhagen conference. Emissions control for developing nations could destroy oil demand's final growth driver.

Leadership Nigeria: According to Algeria's Minister of Mines and Energy, Chakib Khelil, the carbon taxes discriminate against energy producing countries. Khelil said that the cartel was united in opposing the taxes.

He said carbon taxes would cut into the revenues of energy producers and make energy imports more expensive for developing countries.

...

"The producers will be penalised. "This tax is discriminatory with regard to gas and oil and is not in the interests of producing countries and is also not in the interest of developing countries," said Khelil, a former OPEC president.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• CIBC Analyst Rubin: OPEC Doesn't Have Enough Oil To Feed Us Anymore
• The Myth Of An “OPEC For News”
• OPEC Official: There's Plenty Of Supply, And Oil Prices Are Just Fine