THE HORROR OF GROCERY SHOPPING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. The apartment building where I lived (The Latrobe, at 15th and Rhode Island) now has a Whole Foods behind it, but when I lived there the pickings were slim — there was a Korean grocery, but it wasn’t much. I always kept a car (my apartment came with parking) and that let me head out to the ‘burbs to stock up on staples.

COMMUNICATIONS: “Tech startup Berico Tailored Systems, Lockheed Martin and apparently an army of Slashdot users are currently making tactical 3G cellular networks and smartphone applications for the military to use overseas.”

DON’T GO TO THAT LAW SCHOOL: It’s Too High-Ranked! I didn’t follow this advice — I turned down free rides at Duke and Chicago to go to Yale on substantially less attractive financial terms, but I’m sure it was a good move on my part.

PJTV: Keith Olbermann Takes on PJTV, Sharron Angle & Basic Arithmetic. (And Keith-O Loses).

WAIST SIZE LINKED WITH LONGEVITY: “The researchers reported a particularly striking finding for women. They noted that the association between waist size and mortality risk was strongest among women who were at a normal weight.”

A READER REQUEST: Reader Eric Rassbach emails:

Could you please ask your readers what the best moderately priced gas grills out there are, and why?

Your readers seem to know what they are talking about when it comes to grilling.

They do, don’t they? Any recommendations?

UPDATE: I have a going-on-7-year-old Kenmore Premium 6-burner grill. It’s been great. The only thing to fail is the electronic ignition, which finally gave out last summer. Nothing else has broken or needed adjustment. Reader Chris Wysocki writes:

Weber. Hands down. Best bang for the buck. Get the biggest Weber you can afford. Even their low-end models run rings around anybody else. The quality of their construction makes the difference.

And if you can by all means get the natural gas model. No futzing around with LP canisters! Plus in the winter it still burns just as hot (at cold temperatures LP loses pressure and thus the grill does not get as hot as it should).

I’ve used many different grills. Being the block party cook that comes with the territory; you use the grills that get wheeled out to the street. Vermont Castings makes some nice grills, but they’re 2 to 3 times the price of a Weber. And you can forget all the Sunbeams, Char-Broils, and other low-end models you see advertised for $129. Pure unadulterated junk. You’ll be unhappy with the way they cook (hot spots in the center, uneven heat near the sides). Plus they’ll rot out within a year or two and then you’re back at the store again.

I recently retired a mid-line Weber (3 burners) after 15+ years of service and replaced it with the Weber Summit S-670. Best decision I ever made.

Reader John Bredesen writes:

We had a charcoal for years. This year we bought a Weber Q220. We have grilled more this year that the last several years combined. Got the cheap rack (it folds up) so we could lock it up by the back door and all take it camping. Easy to clean, decent temp control. We are very happy with it.

Reader Eric Beeby loves Weber, too:

Dr. R. – I have a 9 year old Weber “Silver” – they don’t make make it anymore but here’s the thing: Weber has absolutely the best customer service in the nation – second only to, perhaps, LL Bean. Gas Grill parts wear and burn up. Ignitors fail, pieces rot from heat and time. My Weber “wear items” are easily obtained with one quick phone call, courteously answered by a friendly and helpful agent. My first call to them was a surprise as the agent informed me the part was still under warranty and they expressed it to me for free. Several years later my next call – again courteously answered by a helpful and knowledgeable agent, resulted in a small charge for a few parts and fast shipping. Both times the agent seemed to be someone who had at one time assembled these grills as they knew *exactly* which parts I was having trouble with. Check out their Spirit and Genesis lines now – these are similar to my old Weber “Silver”. Beyond gas grills, Weber is a stellar example of an American Company with fine service.

G.L. Carlson emails:

My reco is the DuCane. Now a Weber brand. DuCane has three things to recommend it: it uses a (patented) burner that goes up, not sideways, and is much sturdier and longer lasting than the other side-hole style; it uses a stainless grate with narrow slots (no lost shrimp…), and it’s the grill that I see at every resort in the Southeast- which implies that these are well built which agrees with my experience so far. Available for propane or natural gas and easily converted to the alternate. The basic model isn’t cheap (400 bucks or so depending on sales and options, but it’s very good value. Mine is 5 years old, barely broken in, and likely to last another 15 years.

Reader Eric Stahlfeld writes:

I’ve been happy with my Char-Broil commercial series gas grill, with brass burners that have a lifetime warranty. The working parts are still in good shape after a few years of service — I’ve had to clean out the holes in the burners, but then they’re good as new. The cooking surface is still in great shape, as is the ignition. The only complaints are that sometimes the side burner lights rather than the main burner, the stainless steel is a pain to clean, and the rubber on the control knobs has started to come loose.

But for function, it’s been great.

Reader Robert Sinnema agrees:

Glenn — our grill is a Char-Broil Commercial Series Grill (model 463268007) from Lowe’s, which I bought based on a Consumer Reports “best buy” rating. If I remember correctly it was about $300. It’s stainless steel, has very sturdy grates and a side burner. We do a lot of grilling and it’s still going strong after 3 years, even the electronic ignition (on the original battery!).

And PJTV producer Owen Brennan writes:

I love my Weber Q 120. (could be the Q 100, I’m still at work)
http://bit.ly/anIUjp

I was reluctant to buy it, cause it was on the small side. But I have the perfect table for it and I’m not grilling for more than 4-6 people these days, so it’s the perfect size. It’s also very economical with the gas. We grill a lot and one tank goes for at least 4 months. I’ve never really used it anywhere but our porch, but it’s small enough that we could toss it in the trunk for tailgating. The model shown on the website doesn’t have a thermometer, but mine does and it’s very useful.

Two pieces of advice for your reader:

1. take off the silly plastic fold out trays. It’s much easier to use without.
2. don’t forget to clean out the inside every 4-6 months. scrapings and drippings can build up and will eventually catch fire if you don’t. it’s a manageable fire though, as I speak from experience.

The fires just add excitement.

MORE: Reader Jon Miles writes:

The only grill I will ever own again is a Holland. The flame is below a pan, so you never get flare-up. The pan can be used to steam veggies. The pattern of the grill is diamond-shapes with an opening about 3/8 of an inch, so your stuff doesn’t fall through. You don’t open and close, open and close, open and close this grill. You put your stuff on, turn it once, and take it off when it’s ready. You can use it like an oven. I watched the salesman demo the thing and he made canned biscuits on it. Holland Grill. You will never be sorry you bought one. (Added bonus: they’re in North Carolina, so you’re supporting a Tarheel.)

Er, is that a plus?

CHARLIE RANGEL: “My electorate are entitled to know…am I corrupt?”

ROBERT GIBBS under siege!

THE BRAIN’S SECRET to sleeping like a log.

YOU VOTERS ARE ALL A BUNCH OF BIGOTS! Attacking the motives of those who disagree with elite opinion has become all too common.

American history confirms the need for leaders willing to make strong moral criticisms of their opponents and society. Certainly we could not progress without them. Still, the most successful—Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, et al.—have been those who appealed to the decency of their fellow citizens.

As the controversy over the planned Islamic Center near Ground Zero escalates, we have had many secular sermons on the need to recognize that the vast majority of Muslims should not be confused with the terrorists. No argument there. But how much more fruitful our own debates might be if the Judge Walkers, Mayor Bloombergs and Speaker Pelosis could extend that same presumption of decency to the American people.

Presumption of decency? Our leaders feel contempt for the people who elect them. And, looking at who we elect, it’s kind of understandable . . . .

WHEN THE BATTERY IN YOUR CELLPHONE FAILS IT’S A BUMMER. When the battery in your artificial heart fails . . . .

MARKDOWNS ON cellphones and accessories.

BORING: GM Will Reintroduce “Mild Hybrids.” “I’m not talking about the Prius or the Insight, genuine hybrid cars, but rather the ‘half-hybrids’ cranked out by GM and Chrysler prior to their bankruptcy proceedings. There was the Saturn Vue Green Line, Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, even the Chevy Silverado Hybrid. Rather than running on electric engines at low speeds, some of these systems (like those in the Vue) used stop-start technology to save fuel when at a stop sign. Kinda half-hearted if you ask me.” Or me.

UPDATE: Reader Charles Prael writes:

Yep, they’re ho-hum. OTOH, I drive a mild-hybrid Chevy Silverado, which replaced a ’99 Chevy Tahoe. Simple reality: I get the same range out of either vehicle, but I’m putting 5 gallons less/tank in the Silverado vs. the Tahoe. Mileage is up by about 20%.

It may not be sexy, but a 20% boost in mileage for a working truck is nothing to sneeze at. Esp. when you’re talking about something that’s running a ~300HP engine. Oh, and did I mention that 2.7kw standby generator functionality?

Mind you, if Chevy converted their _entire_ truck line to mild hybrids, that would be a substantial difference, and something worth writing home about. But they’re pretty damned hard to come by, or were when I got mine. Like “only one available in Northern California” damned hard.

With CAFE requirements going up, they may. And reader Kevin Murphy writes:

The article you link to has several factual errors. One is that most or all of GMs hybrids were the mild engine-restart kind. Not true; they had a full-hybrid line in their last year, notably the Escalade and similar. The other error is that mild hybrids are of no use. Also not true; they are really cheap to add to a vehicle and save quite a bit in stop-and-go. If I believed in mandates, I’d suggest that one. Pretty good bang for the buck.

I’m no big fan of GM, but this isn’t something I’d criticize them for.

I’m not really criticizing, it’s just kinda. . . dull. But dull isn’t always bad. And reader Tim Hartigan writes:

The article snippet re: “mild hybrids” is a little misleading. Most of those vehicles are more than just start-stop and shouldn’t be lumped together. I have a Durango Hybrid that uses the same system as the Aspen, Silverado and Tahoe. It has a hemi engine. The hybrid system raises the mileage from 13 in a non-hybrid hemi Durango to 19mpg combined in the hybrid. It uses regenerative braking to charge the batteries, has two powerful electric engines and also utilizes Chrysler’s Multi Displacement System that turns the hemi into a four banger at highway speeds. For those who need the hauling capacity of a Durango, getting a 46% increase in mileage is laudable, IMHO.

Indeed.

HMM: Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) calls for a raise to the gas tax.

STEPHEN HAWKING: Human race ‘must colonise space or face extinction.’

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: A Party for Charlie Rangel? Political Class Not Even Pretending to Care Anymore. “Yes, it is proper to recognize good work Charlie Rangel has done for constituents. But to party while the ethics cloud hovers over him? Maybe the invites should read: ‘Let them eat cake.'”

ADVICE TO LAW STUDENTS: Get Ready For The Coming M&A Boom.

SHOCKER: Yet Another Ethics Charge Against Charlie Rangel.

THESE COULD BE A USEFUL TOOL: the Sunglasses Videocamera.

UPDATE: A bad review.

14 FAMOUS man caves.

THESE PEOPLE SURE DON’T LIKE VIDEO CAMERAS: MOGOP Videographer Assaulted By Top Kansas City Dem Official at Carnahan Event (Video). At least, they don’t like them in the hands of people they don’t control.

Here’s a Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC) flashback for those who’ve forgotten.

A MUNICIPAL BOND “DEBT BOMB.”