Overheard recently: "I'm wondering what's the difference between church and the bar?"
In church you pray for the Spirit. In a bar you pay for the spirits? (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
Anyways...
Everybody knows your name…
When Jennifer and I lived in Springfield, MO, and worked at the Assemblies of God headquarters, our friendly pagan neighbors invited us to join them at a neighborhood bar for lunch. We were on our way back home from church where we had invited them, so we figured a little tit for tat was probably in order.
As most of you who regularly visit know, back in November of 2006 I was laid-off from CTI. It wasn't anything nefarious or antagonistic — CTI always has been and continues to be very good to me, still tossing occasional freelance work and article assignments my way. (Hopefully because of my skill, not out of mercy. Though mercy is good, too, and welcome!) When my project's funding ran dry and I was out on the streets (well, more like in my skivvies, lounging around the house, generally making a nuisance of myself) I immediately signed up for a paid account at LinkedIN. I was sold on what it promised for professional networking and job searching opportunities.
Not yet disappointed
LinkedIN has not disappointed me. That isn't to say it's actually delivered on
Okay, it’s the season to make Chili. Red-hot, mouth-watering, addictive chili that will warm your belly in the cold night and keep you satisfied for hours. (Actually, even though my chili calls for a habañero, cayenne, and a poblano pepper, it’s not unbearable hot. A single habañero, diffused through an entire batch of chili, raises the heat level without making it searing. Use half a pepper, or skip it if you don’t like heat.)
A few years ago my apartment community had a Superbowl party/chili cook-off and I wanted to bring something to the party. I’d never made chili before in my life, but I thought, “How hard could it be?” In preparation I went online and looked at a few dozen chili recipes and took note of preparation styles and ingredients I thought would be tasty. Then, armed with a list of ingredients I went
