The Year Begins Again, now and January, 2009

Being that this is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish New Year, it's been a bit of a stunted, difficult week thus far, but today and tomorrow are days of celebration, so this week is one marked with contradiction. A day of full-on work coupled with an early exit, two days (today and tomorrow) of celebration, then two more days (Thursday and Friday) of full-on work.

For any and all of you that celebrate Rosh Hashanah this week (and Yom Kippur next week), hope you and your families all have a happy, healthy and wonderful new year.

For those of you who only celebrate the new year in December (and, in part, in January), I'll be checking back in soon.

One point of non-sectarian interest for the consideration of any and all interested parties: Kaia advised me that Aaron "Coke The Van" McCargo Jr. is, for the time being, off the Food Network schedule. However, this -- we agreed -- was simply to make room for the other crap the Network seems content to peddle, including another craptastic show from Guy Fieri (I think it's called "Off The Hook," although I think they should have probably called it "Off My TV Now").

However, fans of Mr. McCargo Jr. -- all three of you -- need not fret. Apparently they're filming more episodes or, at the very least, will be broadcasting a new season of Coke The Van (aka Big Daddy's House) sometime in January, 2009. So even many of us who remember Aaron's Greatest Hits ("Au poivre isn't French...it just means pepper, baby!") will likely forget his ineptitude come January, 2009.

Let's hope that Mr. McCargo, Jr. returns so we can focus on his abilities -- or lack thereof -- and don't merely focus on the balance of the schedule (Bobby Flay, the Neelys and Sunny Anderson, as well as the aforementioned Guy Fieri) and lament the dramatic fall of the Food Network's standards.

I 'spose the only real question left is when will Alton Brown realize that it's a sinking ship and get out before it's too late? At once, my answer is both "Sooner rather than later, I hope" and "Never, I hope." See the contradictions?

A Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year to all...

-B-