Ask Chaka

For some of my recent reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: I know this wasn't your intention, but now I really feel like a loser for ho...

So, you're put off by the Harry Potter hype. You had to live through "the end of HP" back when the seventh book came out, and ...

Paul among the People is a good book. You should read it. The author, Sarah Ruden, is a classical scholar and translator of the Aeneid . Ba...

Pets aren't supposed to be called pets anymore, apparently. It makes sense when you think about it. There's already something odd a...

A certain stock scene has cropped up in a couple of recent books I've read. I feel like I should reflect on the meaning of the scene in ...

*This is a satire . Don't take it too seriously, mkay?* Just a quick note about "slave labor." The real question for those who...

Indian food is the best food on the planet. I've tried my hand at several different Indian dishes over the years (some of my favorites a...

In my last post, I talked about making "tahini" from sunflower seeds (instead of sesame seeds). I suppose it was really more of a ...

Thank God for Sultan's Market . Without them, I would not have known how awesome falafel is. I've been on a quest for the last sever...

One of my Christmas gifts: I'm enjoying it. I'm also ready for the George Jones biopic starring Jim Carrey (Mrs. Chaka's idea).

Mrs. Chaka and I started talking tonight about science-fiction/fantasy franchise crossovers. You know, like how since Star Wars took place a...

For two teams of 2 or more players Equipment: 2 jump ropes, room to run (a 100-meter course would work well) Object: Be the first team to re...

Fascinating story of the computer virus that ground Iran’s nuclear program down to a halt. An excerpt: “Originally, all eyes turned toward ...