Some Like It Hot

While my lovely wife has been urging me to post pics of the movie room construction process, I am trying to hold off for the finished product so as to give you the full beginning-to-end view. This is the second time I have created a movie room, but in our old house I just built it to fit the room. This time around I have more space to play with and have decided to do it up right. Therefore, the whole process is a bit more extensive and takes a while to complete. So, be patient and I'll get some pictures up soon.

On to a completely different subject, there has been something that has been bothering me for a while. During this time of Lent, Fridays bring about a search for fish. While I have pretty strong feelings about man's rules pertaining to God and organised religion in general, the Lenten season is one I choose to participate in. For me, it is less about doing what the church tells me so that I don't go to hell (I think the church has shown they are a little lost in this arena themselves) and more about me joining the self-sacrifice, however small. It serves as a little reminder to myself that there are bigger things at play than just my little world.

But I digress. It is not my intent to bore you with my philosophies or sway you with my personal practices. My beef here is more of the truth in advertising nature. On a recent Friday, my daily running around brought me to an Arby's. Now, most fast food places cater to the Catholic crowd this time of year and offer some sort of fish special. Arby's is no exception. They have a two fish sandwiches for $4 deal. They even claim you can get the sandwiches with "spicy Cajun sauce." This second part is what drew me in, and here-in lies the problem.

Now, I have been known to enjoy spicy food on occasion. I'm not talking about needing the spices to burn my mouth. I just like certain foods to have an extra flavor kick and I'm not afraid to "kick it up a notch" in that pursuit. While I will not claim Squid's expertise in the hot sauce realm, let's just say I have to be conscious of whether or not I'm cooking for someone other than just me. So, as a spicy fan, I am drawn to new things which claim this title. Likewise, I am disappointed when they don't live up to this claim. Let me just say that Arby's spicy Cajun sauce is anything but spicy or Cajun. In fact, I can picture many a Cajun rolling over in their bayous at being associated with that sauce.

I'm not picking on just Arby's here; this has happened more times than I can count at various restaurants, fast food or otherwise. And I'm not stooopid, I realize that sometimes these places try and appeal to a broader audience and therefore cozy up to what is safe. But, it has been my experience that most people who do not favor spicy food will not go anywhere near a dish with the words Cajun, spicy, hot, blackened, or the like. The people who do like this kind of thing are the ones who venture over. And as long as you have our attention, you might as well do it right. That's all I'm sayin' really.