5 Life Lessons From an Altruistic Aussie

Now, I'm not much of a cooking show kinda guy, but every now and again I'll find one that intrigues me enough to bring me back for seconds (see what I did there?). Now, since my culinary experience mostly amounts to taking things out of their packaging and, if need be, microwaving them, I don't really like super-serious, ultra-complex shows; in fact, I personally think that the host is just as important as the food, if not more so. You might think I'd thus go for attractive female cooks like Rachel Ray, but you'd be wrong. See, the problem with Rachel Ray and her saucy (did it again!) counterparts, is that the woman is more delicious looking than the food. And, unfortunately, I can't make one of her at home with a few simple ingredients and a little elbow grease.

She comes pre-heated.

So, with the recent blizzard here in the Chicago area (well, all over the place, really), everyone's been snowed in, and I've spent some quality time on the Netflix Watch Instantly page, surfing for some good, lite TV to gorge myself on. I stumbled upon a show called Take Home Chef starring a charming Aussie named Curtis Stone. It's been a lot of fun, and I've picked up a few interesting life lessons to complement all the cooking advice that's gone in one ear and out the other...

5 Reasons Why Dogs Are the Ultimate Pets

The human race has been domesticating animals for thousands of years in an attempt to make them do tricks, play games, guard homes, sport designer fashions, and generally be less sucky as our cohabitants on this planet we call Earth. However, among the chief reasons to domesticate animals is for companionship. Some of us are elderly and thus, many of our friends have passed on. Some of us are loners and prefer the untamed mountains or endless fields to pesky neighbors and “family fun night”. Some of us were born into solitude (here’s lookin’ at you, Richie Rich). Still others of us just plain suck at socializing; but despite the reasons, we humans have an underlying need for companionship, and for some of us that void is better filled by pets than people.