Last night for dinner I cooked Black Bean Chili and added 2 pounds of ground beef. It's amazing what that does for a vegetarian, low-fat recipe. (I'm kidding . . . I love that chili without the beef. It's just such a good recipe that I use it for both veggie and carnivore chili.)

Speaking of beef . . . I discovered this year that I am no longer welcome at the American Red Cross bloodmobile. Yes, just like gay men all across the nation, I am in a group whose blood they don't want. Can you guess why? Mad cow disease. Apparently, anyone who lived in England for more than 6 months between 1980 and 1996 has been identified as a possible risk to the blood supply. I was there from 1980 until about 1982, so I'm right out.

I wasn't really all that interested in giving blood anyway, ever since that time back in college when I passed out.