I've been pressing Qwest to tell me how it advantages me to stick w/ Qwest rather than just switch over to Verizon when my two-year contract ends in January 09. Amazing to hear the nonresponses: We don't know yet, but there are bound to be good reasons. Nothing has been decided. Please be patient. Wait until October. When I signed up for Qwest some years back, the first time, I was allowed to break the cost of my cell phone into three payments, each billed; apparently Verizon will offer no such break. So: Can anybody tell me why I should stick w/ Qwest? Switch out altogether to, say, AT&T or T-Mobile? --What a crock Qwest is stirring up.

Years ago my wife and I ran a restaurant that specialized in soups, most of which were based on classically prepared stocks. One of the most popular, based on a simple ham stock (ham bone, turnip, onion, parsnip, carrot, bay leaf, crushed allspice) was split pea with ham. But I have a lifelong aversion to split pea soup (my idea of hell is to be chief taster at Andersen's Split Pea Soupery), and although I made the stuff, and people loved it, I could not bring myself, even once, to taste it. I'd press the staff into that duty. Related soups, anything based on dried beans (lentils excepted) never graced our menu: chef's privilege!