Let's Go To The Videotape!

Happy Thanksgiving!

All this recent talk of food is making me hungry. I'm headed to Mom & Dad's to carve up a large hunk of meat with all the side dishes. It is tradition!

If you are traveling, please be very careful. The car you don't hit might be mine. I heard that 87% of holiday travelers are hitting the roads. That's a lot of traffic, so show some patience and you won't be a patient.

More tradition (but not mine): Black Friday.

Once again, it is my tradition not to set foot inside a mall or department store from now until after Christmas. Last year, I was successful in doing all my holiday shopping online and this year will be no different.

There are people who actually want to battle shoppers at the mall. I think those people are related to the Mongol hoards. I prefer to rise above -- and avoid it all together.

Seriously, somebody explain it to me. I'm not kidding.

And now for something completely different....

I have been on and off television for many years. I've been involved in numerous stories concerning the Web, plus stories about everything from cooking for singles to colorblindness.

Recently, I "volunteered" to help out with a story about men's shapewear. This is the result: http://www.thewbalchannel.com/video/10366344/index.html

Disclaimer: I am not really that fat. The shirt and pants were very small to accentuate what I do have in my gut.

And yes, it really was crushing my ribs. My best friend was there (I was trying to get him into this stuff) and he said it looked like I was wearing body armor.

The outtakes are fun. Only a select few got to see those. And no, they are not ready for public consumption.

This is called "taking one for the team".

Be careful out there. See you on the plump side of Thanksgiving.

"Sometimes I get overcharged/that's when you see sparks./They ask me where the hell I'm going?/At a 1000 feet per second" -- Radiohead

Step Into My Kitchen -- But Come Inspired

Elections are over. And I'm so happy. The bloodless coup is complete.

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In the nearly 20 years of television and broadcasting, I have to admit I don't watch a lot of television. The extent of my boob box viewing consists of cartoons, sports, and food shows.

In fact, I love Food Network. More specifically, I love a handful of shows on Food Network. My favorite show is Good Eats hosted by Alton Brown.

Alton's shows combine culinary skills with science and humor. It is quite good.

There is also another show called Iron Chef where two chefs match skills while preparing dishes with a secret ingredient. The flair and inventiveness amazes me -- although I will NEVER make ice cream out of fish eyeballs.

It is no secret that I cook. It is also no secret for my apparent dislike of another chef on Food Network -- Rachel Ray. It isn't that I don't like her per se -- I'm just not a fan of her methods, 30-minute meals.

To me, cooking is about flair, style, flavor, adaptation and creativity. There isn't a recipe I haven't met that I don't add, subtract, or change to fit my personality. We can all make macaroni and cheese, but how you make yours stand out shows skill.

Alton does that. He gives you the knowledge, the tools, and the skills to fashion together a group of ingredients into several different dishes. Takes a little more time, but it makes the dish your own.

Rachel doesn't do that. She tells you exactly what you should do with your recipes to get a specific end result. Quick, easy, painless, and slightly boring.

I get why people like her recipes. They are quick, use common ingredients and do taste good. I have made some of them.

But cooking should be about experimentation and inspiration. Cooking is art. You can't create masterpieces from a recipe.

Yes, I am a cooking snob. But you'll still eat my food, won't you?

And we'll have some fun too!

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late?

Yeah. Back to Blogger. Spaces is way to restricting. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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I'm very confused. But you are smart so I put the question to you.

There was a recent court ruling that said no can't mean no if a woman says yes to sex and the sex has already started. In other words, if intercourse has begun, she can't change her mind and then claim rape if the guy doesn't stop.

It isn't the ruling that is confusing me. It is the reactions.

Most of the talk has centered around no means no -- no matter what. However, there are those in my circle who said a woman needed to be more responsible and not put herself into these types of situations.

One friend said women need to take more control of their own body and biology takes over at a certain point. I can see where she's coming from, but it makes men sound like we can't think with our brains, but think with ... well, you know.

Another friend (who is on the no means no side) said it was like parachuting. If you get fitted for the chute, get in the plane and go in the air, does that mean they are going to push you out of the plane if you change your mind? Of course not, but if I'm already in the air, I can't change my mind there.

An unscientific poll on my work site showed 62% said no means no. But 38% said a woman can't claim rape after she originally said yes and sex has started.

I know what I would do. And I'm comfortable with my personal decision.

But I'm interested in what you think. Does no mean no -- no matter when it is said? Or should women be more responsible? Or is there another answer?

Leave your comments below. I just think this is interesting.

"Farewell, you fool/Spare me the punch line please, I learned it well at Sunday school" -- Jellyfish