<Ahem> The Twelfth Annual Schaller Ribbon Report

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Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 24, 2006, 12:40:36 PM8/24/06
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Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
Then it got better. "-)

Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:

Six blue ribbons: Crab Apple Jelly*(8 entries), Chili Sauce (<cough> 3
entries), Corn Relish** (9 entries), Cherry Chipotle Relish***
(Miscellaneous lot, 12 entries), Stewed Tomatoes (8 entries), Tomato
Juice (8 entries).
* <coughs discreetly> Made from juice frozen in 1999
** That makes eight blue ribbons for this stuff
*** YES! The reclamation project worked

One red ribbon: Nectarine Jam (7 entries)

Two white ribbons: Plum Jelly**** (10 entries), Apricot Jam (12 entries)
****Made from juice frozen in 2000

Six pink ribbons: Strawberry Jelly (10 entries), Black Raspberry Jam
(15 entries), Blackberry Jam (13 entries), Peach Jam (20 entries),
Strawberry Jam (41 entries), Apricot Butter (Miscellaneous lot 13
entries).

Could be used for detonation ‹ notify the Bomb Squad: Cherry Jelly (go
figure), Blueberry Jam (I've never entered it before and I'll wager they
didn't like that it had cinnamon in it), Raspberry Jam (Doesn't surprise
me, but hope springs eternal 39 entries), Raspberry Mango Orange Jam
(go figure it's really good; the competition must've been stiff
Miscellaneous lot, 36 entries), Pickled Boiled Dirt Chunks (Waal, haall,
I wouldn't eat them, either 21 entries).

Chris got in last night and he and I sat up talking until after 1:30.
He's a fine man, a fine human being. We couldn't ask for better.
IBeTired. He and I will head for the Fair in a couple hours and I'll
put in two hours pitching my Cherry and my Peach Raspberry Jams at the
Gedney booth late this afternoon.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller

Goomba38

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Aug 24, 2006, 12:52:11 PM8/24/06
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> Then it got better. "-)

Damn... I had a fantasy about your beloved (lol) beets scoring big time.
It would have been poetic.
Conga-rats on all other ribbons though! You actually have inspired me to
want to go down to my state's fair in Macon to check it out.
Goomba, a beet lover

-L.

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Aug 24, 2006, 12:53:09 PM8/24/06
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> Then it got better. "-)

Congrats, Barb!! I love reading these reports. I don't can anything,
so I am always impresssed with your sense of enthusiasm and creativity.

-L.

Kthonian

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Aug 24, 2006, 12:59:12 PM8/24/06
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One time on Usenet, Melba's Jammin'
<barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> said:

> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> Then it got better. "-)
>
> Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:

<snip>

Wow, 15 ribbons! Willya use a wheelbarrow to get them home?
Congratulations!! I won't comment on the dirt chunks (I always
hated my mom's pickled beets!).

Totally OT, DS (age 9) won a blue ribbon in our county fair
last month for one of his paintings, as well as a "Best of Class"
ribbon. It was his first fair entry, so he's tickled pink. He
wanted to enter it in the State fair (http://www.thefair.com/),
but they don't let kids into the fine arts section until the
Spring fair. Phooey!

Anyway, congrats again, Barb -- bet your mom would be proud...

--
"Kthonian" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 24, 2006, 12:58:15 PM8/24/06
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In article <9bCdnd1keb6nRHDZ...@comcast.com>,
Goomba38 <Goom...@comcast.net> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> > ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> > numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> > Then it got better. "-)
>
> Damn... I had a fantasy about your beloved (lol) beets scoring big time.
> It would have been poetic.

Yeah, that's we me 'n' Chris thought, too.
But, hey, its boiled dirt. Whaddaya expect? "-)

Nancy Young

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Aug 24, 2006, 12:58:23 PM8/24/06
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"Melba's Jammin'" <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote

> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> Then it got better. "-)
>
> Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:

Well, I'm impressed. That is quite a haul. No wonder the woman
remembered writing your name. Congratulations. Ha ha about the
beets. You shoulda knowed better.

> Chris got in last night and he and I sat up talking until after 1:30.
> He's a fine man, a fine human being. We couldn't ask for better.

And that's really something to be proud of.

nancy


Virginia Tadrzynski

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Aug 24, 2006, 1:03:56 PM8/24/06
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"Kthonian" <ktho...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ecklt0$e0im...@news.avvanta.com...

Forget the wagon, she's getting a bigger chest to put pin those ribbons on
(laughing at the visual of Barb getting a wheel barrow to carry her chest
full of medals....).
-ginny


zxcvbob

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Aug 24, 2006, 1:19:45 PM8/24/06
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Kthonian wrote:
> Totally OT, DS (age 9) won a blue ribbon in our county fair
> last month for one of his paintings, as well as a "Best of Class"
> ribbon. It was his first fair entry, so he's tickled pink. He
> wanted to enter it in the State fair (http://www.thefair.com/),
> but they don't let kids into the fine arts section until the
> Spring fair. Phooey!

Enter it in the adult class instead of the children's class. Don't
offer an age unless you have to.

That's what we did when DD entered her mayhaw jelly and some biscotti in
the county fair. She entered as an adult. (she did really well, too)

Bob

Virginia Tadrzynski

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Aug 24, 2006, 1:39:58 PM8/24/06
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"zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:4l65di...@individual.net...

I second that, SBS is entering his coin and stamp collections under the
adult catagories and SBD is entering pillows the same way. They had
catagories for both in the youth division last year but dropped them this
year. I was encouraged to do so by the registrar (on the QT of course) she
said just enter it under the adult's name, if you are entering a lot of
things just add them to the list. The kid still gets the ribbon in the end.
-ginny


nancree

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Aug 24, 2006, 1:55:58 PM8/24/06
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Nancy Young wrote:
Congratulations, Barb! We'd love to see a photo of all the winning
entries together. I'm very pleased for you, but not surprised.

And by the way, I miss your "Church Reports", a lot! Any chance of
resuming them???

Nancree, (who loves pickled beets--can we still be friends? )

Margaret Suran

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Aug 24, 2006, 2:19:07 PM8/24/06
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> Then it got better. "-)
>
> Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:
>
> Six blue ribbons: Crab Apple Jelly*(8 entries), Chili Sauce (<cough> 3
> entries), Corn Relish** (9 entries), Cherry Chipotle Relish***
> (Miscellaneous lot, 12 entries), Stewed Tomatoes (8 entries), Tomato
> Juice (8 entries).
> * <coughs discreetly> Made from juice frozen in 1999
> ** That makes eight blue ribbons for this stuff
> *** YES! The reclamation project worked
>
> One red ribbon: Nectarine Jam (7 entries)
>
> Two white ribbons: Plum Jelly**** (10 entries), Apricot Jam (12 entries)
> ****Made from juice frozen in 2000
>
> Six pink ribbons: Strawberry Jelly (10 entries), Black Raspberry Jam
> (15 entries), Blackberry Jam (13 entries), Peach Jam (20 entries),
> Strawberry Jam (41 entries), Apricot Butter (Miscellaneous lot 13
> entries).
>

Congratulations! This is such great news, since you are still nervous
when it comes to the awards.

I am very proud of you!!!!! When will Sam go to the Fair, to look at
all the ribbons her Babi won this year?

Have fun this week end, with all your loved ones coming to see you.
If I am proud of you, I can just about imagine how they are feeling.

Message has been deleted

Sandy

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Aug 24, 2006, 2:35:54 PM8/24/06
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:
>
> Six blue ribbons: Crab Apple Jelly*(8 entries), Chili Sauce (<cough> 3
> entries), Corn Relish** (9 entries), Cherry Chipotle Relish***
> (Miscellaneous lot, 12 entries), Stewed Tomatoes (8 entries), Tomato
> Juice (8 entries).
<snip the many ribbons>

Boy howdy, you be one busy jam lady! Many congratulations on your
ribbon haul! And if you have any trouble getting rid of that blueberry
jam, send it my way....I put a dash of cinnamon in my blueberry
pie...love it!!

Sandy

Kthonian

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Aug 24, 2006, 4:50:42 PM8/24/06
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One time on Usenet, "Virginia Tadrzynski" <ta...@enter.net> said:
> "zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
> news:4l65di...@individual.net...
> > Kthonian wrote:

> > > Totally OT, DS (age 9) won a blue ribbon in our county fair
> > > last month for one of his paintings, as well as a "Best of Class"
> > > ribbon. It was his first fair entry, so he's tickled pink. He
> > > wanted to enter it in the State fair (http://www.thefair.com/),
> > > but they don't let kids into the fine arts section until the
> > > Spring fair. Phooey!

> > Enter it in the adult class instead of the children's class. Don't
> > offer an age unless you have to.
> >
> > That's what we did when DD entered her mayhaw jelly and some biscotti in
> > the county fair. She entered as an adult. (she did really well, too)

> I second that, SBS is entering his coin and stamp collections under the


> adult catagories and SBD is entering pillows the same way. They had
> catagories for both in the youth division last year but dropped them this
> year. I was encouraged to do so by the registrar (on the QT of course) she
> said just enter it under the adult's name, if you are entering a lot of
> things just add them to the list. The kid still gets the ribbon in the end.

Weeellll, I appreciate the advice, but I don't see it working
out too well in this case. He won his ribbons in competition with
other kids -- although I love his painting (a large fish eating
some shrimp), I can't imagine him doing very well against adult
artists. I think it would be better for him to wait until the
Spring fair. At the very least, he'll learn some patience... :-)

Bob (this one)

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Aug 24, 2006, 5:12:38 PM8/24/06
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website.

Well, not bad for a 12 year old, I'd say. You rookies always
seem to do well.

> Chris got in last night and he and I sat up talking until after 1:30.
> He's a fine man, a fine human being. We couldn't ask for better.
> IBeTired. He and I will head for the Fair in a couple hours and I'll
> put in two hours pitching my Cherry and my Peach Raspberry Jams at the
> Gedney booth late this afternoon.

Cool. The word for the day is "caffeine."

Pastorio

Terry Pulliam Burd

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Aug 24, 2006, 11:09:03 PM8/24/06
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Good on ya, Barb. Just reading about your entries and prizes makes me
wonder...just how humid is your house come canning time?? <veg>

<applause! applause! applause!>

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"Most vigitaryans I iver see looked enough like their food to be
classed as cannybals."

Finley Peter Dunne (1900)

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 24, 2006, 11:09:22 PM8/24/06
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In article <v4mHg.1148$bM....@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>,

Margaret Suran <marg...@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote:
> Congratulations! This is such great news, since you are still nervous
> when it comes to the awards.

It's nice that the results are available online early in the day. I
used to go to be there when the buildings opened at 9:00; today Chris
and I didn't get out of here until 2:00 p.m. but I already had the
results. Yeay. (Not nervous, I think, but certainly excited.)


>
> I am very proud of you!!!!! When will Sam go to the Fair, to look at
> all the ribbons her Babi won this year?

She's going to her first Viking game tomorrow night with her 'rents and
her beloved Uncle Chris. We'll all go to the Fair on Monday; I've got a
radio gig on KSTP-AM <am1500.com> on Monday afternoon sometime after
3:30. I did the same show last year and am pleased to have been invited
back. I show well. "-0) I think they stream the broadcast for online
listening. I don't know what's involved with that. The short straw has
to go on the carnival rides with her. She no longer has enthusiasm for
the Kiddie Rides; she wants the screamers. JAYzuzz!!


>
> Have fun this week end, with all your loved ones coming to see you.
> If I am proud of you, I can just about imagine how they are feeling.

Thanks. Chris and I had a good time together -- he tells me that his AZ
friends are very entertained by his mother's Fair adventures. I think
I'm going to start charging them!! I won't get around to adding
pictures of the stuff until tomorrow.

Thanks, Margaret.

Blair P. Houghton

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Aug 25, 2006, 1:16:11 AM8/25/06
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Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:
>Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:

Man, that's a lotta toast to schmear!

>Six blue ribbons:
>One red ribbon:
>Two white ribbons:

Congratulations. 45% hit rate, against what looks like
long odds.

>****Made from juice frozen in 2000
>
>Six pink ribbons: Strawberry Jelly (10 entries), Black Raspberry Jam
>(15 entries), Blackberry Jam (13 entries), Peach Jam (20 entries),
>Strawberry Jam (41 entries), Apricot Butter (Miscellaneous lot 13
>entries).
>
>Could be used for detonation ‹ notify the Bomb Squad: Cherry Jelly (go
>figure), Blueberry Jam (I've never entered it before and I'll wager they
>didn't like that it had cinnamon in it), Raspberry Jam (Doesn't surprise
>me, but hope springs eternal 39 entries), Raspberry Mango Orange Jam
>(go figure it's really good; the competition must've been stiff
>Miscellaneous lot, 36 entries), Pickled Boiled Dirt Chunks (Waal, haall,
>I wouldn't eat them, either 21 entries).

Got a basket of raspberries yesterday that has more
raspberry flavor than I've tasted in years, but
unfortunately isn't very sweet. I bet it'd make a
hell of a jam. Wish I'd got ten pounds and a case
of Ball jars and one of those funky tong things and
a load of pectin and the URL of a how-to-can-fruit
website and some impetus...

Meanwhile, you've posed me an interesting probability
problem.

What are the chances that given your entries you would
do at least as well as you did, if the results were
determined entirely randomly? It seems reasonable
you've done much better than chance, but I'm thinking
it's quite a bit better than chance. Orders of magnitude
(that's mathematician talk for "gobs") better, maybe.
I.e., you're good.

And I'm just realizing I'm trying to solve this problem
while watching the New America Foundation Symposium on
Middle East Conflict on C-Span.

If that doesn't say I'm one smart feller, I don't imagine
I can invent something that does.

--Blair

Syssi

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Aug 25, 2006, 8:04:20 AM8/25/06
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"Terry Pulliam Burd" <ntpu...@spaminator.net> wrote in message
news:ccqse2h320dqsunuu...@4ax.com...

> Good on ya, Barb. Just reading about your entries and prizes makes me
> wonder...just how humid is your house come canning time?? <veg>
>
> <applause! applause! applause!>
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
> AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA
-----------

Ya'll need to stop it. If her head swells up anymore she won't fit through
the kitchen door to get any canning done!!


--
Cyndi (again)


Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 25, 2006, 10:32:00 AM8/25/06
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In article <vIvHg.271592$bN2....@fe09.news.easynews.com>,

Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:
> >Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:
>
> Man, that's a lotta toast to schmear!
>
> >Six blue ribbons:
> >One red ribbon:
> >Two white ribbons:
>
> Congratulations. 45% hit rate, against what looks like
> long odds.

Um, 75%, but who's paying attention? Six, one, two, and six pink (4th
place; in some of the baking lots they award to sixth).

> >Six pink ribbons: Strawberry Jelly (10 entries), Black Raspberry Jam
> >(15 entries), Blackberry Jam (13 entries), Peach Jam (20 entries),
> >Strawberry Jam (41 entries), Apricot Butter (Miscellaneous lot 13
> >entries).

:-o)

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 25, 2006, 10:38:53 AM8/25/06
to
In article <vIvHg.271592$bN2....@fe09.news.easynews.com>,
Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:

> Meanwhile, you've posed me an interesting probability
> problem.
>
> What are the chances that given your entries you would
> do at least as well as you did, if the results were
> determined entirely randomly? It seems reasonable
> you've done much better than chance, but I'm thinking
> it's quite a bit better than chance. Orders of magnitude
> (that's mathematician talk for "gobs") better, maybe.
> I.e., you're good.

Not sure I know what you mean. It's blind judging. They tell me (I'm
curious as hell about this stuff and ask questions) that the helper
bees line up the jars (required labels to the back) and the judges come
in to sit and taste. They don't know whose stuff they're tasting.
Also, some of the lots don't get many entries -- my first place chili
sauce was one of three entries in the lot! LOLOL! OTOH, that does NOT
guarantee a bloody thing: The year that I first entered chutney, there
were four entries and mine didn't get first, second, third, OR fourth!
LOL. They don't award all places if they don't think something's worthy
(I think they've got some kind of point range for what's worth blue,
red, etc.). A dear friend of mine entered some craft stuff for the
first time this year. In one lot, she received a fourth place rating.
There was no first, second, third. Maybe hers was the only entry紀da
Know that yet.

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 25, 2006, 4:44:59 PM8/25/06
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In article <1156442158....@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
"nancree" <nan...@aol.com> wrote:

I've got my notes, just haven't taken the time to write the reports.
Beet-lover, huh? gonna write that down . . . .

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 25, 2006, 4:45:41 PM8/25/06
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In article <CbadnfEeMaApR3DZ...@comcast.com>,
"Nancy Young" <rjy...@comcast.net> wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote

> > Chris got in last night and he and I sat up talking until after 1:30.


> > He's a fine man, a fine human being. We couldn't ask for better.
>
> And that's really something to be proud of.
>
> nancy

Yup. We got two gems from the gene pools. Thanks.

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 25, 2006, 4:48:11 PM8/25/06
to
In article <ccqse2h320dqsunuu...@4ax.com>,

Terry Pulliam Burd <ntpu...@spaminator.net> wrote:

> Good on ya, Barb. Just reading about your entries and prizes makes me
> wonder...just how humid is your house come canning time?? <veg>
>
> <applause! applause! applause!>

I blush.


>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
> AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA


Not so bad, really. My vent fan seems to be decent. And I'm not above
canning with the air conditioning on. Also my spreads don't take much
for cooking and only 10 minutes for processing. The tomatoes were
longer in the waterbath, but I think the weather was decent when I was
doing them.

Jke

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Aug 25, 2006, 5:41:04 PM8/25/06
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Many congratulations (15)!

I am very surprised your beets didn't win...


Message has been deleted

Victor Sack

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Aug 25, 2006, 5:54:13 PM8/25/06
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Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:

> Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries:
>

> Six blue ribbons

Shameful, simply shameful! Why anyone would willingly throw away
another 15 blue ribbons passeth all understanding! Entering you
celestial Barb's Beety Beauty would have automatically gotten you a blue
ribbon not just for it but also for each of all the other entries.
Barb's Beety Beauty, the Jelly of the Stars, is unique and unmatched!
Entering pickled beets is not enough!

Yours in disgust,

Bubba

Felice Friese

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Aug 25, 2006, 11:04:57 AM8/25/06
to

"Melba's Jammin'" <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote in message
news:barbs.challer-3F8...@news.iphouse.com...

> Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> Then it got better. "-)

Did you also get the blue for Most Ribbons Won?

Congratulations!

Felice


Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 26, 2006, 9:21:37 AM8/26/06
to
In article <4l992m...@individual.net>,
"Jke" <moretha...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Many congratulations (15)!
>
> I am very surprised your beets didn't win...

Yeah, me, too. "-) There's enough red wine in there to pickle the
judges. . . . .

Blair P. Houghton

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Aug 27, 2006, 12:19:11 AM8/27/06
to
Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:
>In article <vIvHg.271592$bN2....@fe09.news.easynews.com>,
> Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:
>
>> Meanwhile, you've posed me an interesting probability
>> problem.
>>
>> What are the chances that given your entries you would
>> do at least as well as you did, if the results were
>> determined entirely randomly? It seems reasonable
>> you've done much better than chance, but I'm thinking
>> it's quite a bit better than chance. Orders of magnitude
>> (that's mathematician talk for "gobs") better, maybe.
>> I.e., you're good.
>
>Not sure I know what you mean. It's blind judging.

I mean if I entered something in every category, what would
my chances be, if I knew how to make jam but nothing about
what any of the other entries were like. It turns out to
be a terribly interesting problem involving combinatorics
and n-tuples and multichotomies and those squiggly greek
letters and lots of subscript indices...think of it as jam
for the mathematical mind...

>They tell me (I'm
>curious as hell about this stuff and ask questions) that the helper
>bees line up the jars (required labels to the back) and the judges come
>in to sit and taste. They don't know whose stuff they're tasting.
>Also, some of the lots don't get many entries -- my first place chili
>sauce was one of three entries in the lot! LOLOL! OTOH, that does NOT
>guarantee a bloody thing: The year that I first entered chutney, there
>were four entries and mine didn't get first, second, third, OR fourth!
>LOL. They don't award all places if they don't think something's worthy
>(I think they've got some kind of point range for what's worth blue,
>red, etc.). A dear friend of mine entered some craft stuff for the
>first time this year. In one lot, she received a fourth place rating.
>There was no first, second, third. Maybe hers was the only entry紀da
>Know that yet.

Now that's going to gum up the math considerably, if it's
possible to be the "best" in the category but not get
one of the top prizes...

--Blair

Melba's Jammin'

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Aug 28, 2006, 9:22:09 PM8/28/06
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In article <239Ig.64786$1Q6....@fe04.news.easynews.com>,

Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:
> >In article <vIvHg.271592$bN2....@fe09.news.easynews.com>,
> > Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:
> >
> >> Meanwhile, you've posed me an interesting probability
> >> problem.
> >>
> >> What are the chances that given your entries you would
> >> do at least as well as you did, if the results were
> >> determined entirely randomly? It seems reasonable
> >> you've done much better than chance, but I'm thinking
> >> it's quite a bit better than chance. Orders of magnitude
> >> (that's mathematician talk for "gobs") better, maybe.
> >> I.e., you're good.
> >
> >Not sure I know what you mean. It's blind judging.
>
> I mean if I entered something in every category, what would
> my chances be, if I knew how to make jam but nothing about
> what any of the other entries were like.

If there were 8 entries in the lot, you'd have one chance in 8. None of
us knows what the other entries are like.

> It turns out to
> be a terribly interesting problem

It does, huh? :-)

> involving combinatorics
> and n-tuples and multichotomies and those squiggly greek
> letters and lots of subscript indices...think of it as jam
> for the mathematical mind...

But, why, Blair? Why?

>
> >They tell me (I'm
> >curious as hell about this stuff and ask questions) that the helper
> >bees line up the jars (required labels to the back) and the judges come
> >in to sit and taste. They don't know whose stuff they're tasting.
> >Also, some of the lots don't get many entries -- my first place chili
> >sauce was one of three entries in the lot! LOLOL! OTOH, that does NOT
> >guarantee a bloody thing: The year that I first entered chutney, there
> >were four entries and mine didn't get first, second, third, OR fourth!
> >LOL. They don't award all places if they don't think something's worthy
> >(I think they've got some kind of point range for what's worth blue,
> >red, etc.). A dear friend of mine entered some craft stuff for the
> >first time this year. In one lot, she received a fourth place rating.
> >There was no first, second, third. Maybe hers was the only entry紀da
> >Know that yet.
>
> Now that's going to gum up the math considerably, if it's
> possible to be the "best" in the category but not get
> one of the top prizes...
>
> --Blair

I know what you mean. How can there be two entries, yours scores more
than the other, and you still might not get first place. If I ever quit
doing this (the competing) I'm going to start working there. I wouldn't
expect to judge but would sure have fun with all the buzz and prep.

Blair P. Houghton

unread,
Aug 28, 2006, 11:05:28 PM8/28/06
to
Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:
> Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:
>> I mean if I entered something in every category, what would
>> my chances be, if I knew how to make jam but nothing about
>> what any of the other entries were like.
>
>If there were 8 entries in the lot, you'd have one chance in 8. None of
>us knows what the other entries are like.

Sure, it's easy when there's one lot.

But out of 19 lots of differing depths, what are your
chances of getting at least 6 firsts plus 3 seconds plus
4 thirds, etc.?

>> It turns out to
>> be a terribly interesting problem
>
>It does, huh? :-)

I have pencil lead in my veins.

>> involving combinatorics
>> and n-tuples and multichotomies and those squiggly greek
>> letters and lots of subscript indices...think of it as jam
>> for the mathematical mind...
>
>But, why, Blair? Why?

Because there's not nearly enough geekiness in
potted fruit!

>If I ever quit
>doing this (the competing) I'm going to start working there. I wouldn't
>expect to judge but would sure have fun with all the buzz and prep.

Your co-competitors will consider it a blessing.

Kind of like that lady that kept killing in the chili
cookoffs then finally switched to organizing.

--Blair

Melba's Jammin'

unread,
Aug 29, 2006, 6:46:06 PM8/29/06
to
In article <Y9OIg.382731$Em2.3...@fe10.news.easynews.com>,

Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote:
> > Blair P. Houghton <b@p.h> wrote:
> >> I mean if I entered something in every category, what would my
> >> chances be, if I knew how to make jam but nothing about what any
> >> of the other entries were like.

> >If there were 8 entries in the lot, you'd have one chance in 8. None of
> >us knows what the other entries are like.
>
> Sure, it's easy when there's one lot.
>
> But out of 19 lots of differing depths, what are your chances of
> getting at least 6 firsts plus 3 seconds plus 4 thirds, etc.?

> >> It turns out to
> >> be a terribly interesting problem
> >
> >It does, huh? :-)
>
> I have pencil lead in my veins.
>
> >> involving combinatorics and n-tuples and multichotomies and those
> >> squiggly greek letters and lots of subscript indices...think of it
> >> as jam for the mathematical mind...

> >
> >But, why, Blair? Why?
>
> Because there's not nearly enough geekiness in
> potted fruit!

Allrighty, then. As long as you've got a *reason* for it!


>
> >If I ever quit doing this (the competing) I'm going to start working
> >there. I wouldn't expect to judge but would sure have fun with all
> >the buzz and prep.

>
> Your co-competitors will consider it a blessing.

> --Blair

LOL!
I just found out this morning that I won the grand fromage of canning
again, the Fair's "Prestigious Processor of the Pantry." Twice in three
years; twice in its four-year existence. Woo-hoo! What a kick.

Nancy Young

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Aug 29, 2006, 6:48:40 PM8/29/06
to

"Melba's Jammin'" <barbs....@earthfink.net.invalid> wrote

> I just found out this morning that I won the grand fromage of canning


> again, the Fair's "Prestigious Processor of the Pantry." Twice in three
> years; twice in its four-year existence. Woo-hoo! What a kick.

Wow!!! I don't say this often but ... You ROCK!!!

nancy


Margaret Suran

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Aug 29, 2006, 7:54:58 PM8/29/06