The Way to a Man's Heart...

The way to a man's heart is through his brain. Thankfully, his stomach is connected to his brain and so food can certainly influence your effectiveness. Men like attention. Cooking provides that attention because it shows a man that you want to feed him, mind, body and soul. It's the same way that many of their mothers were able to get them to do the things that were necessary. Moms discuss chores and ways a young man can help around the house over dinner. Mothers also solicit pertinent personal information from young men at meal times. If you don't see your son or husband any time during the day, you can bet your life on their uncanny perception of when the food is ready. I have seen my husband stop mid-sentence to find out what is smelling so good. So if you really want your man, husband or son, to listen to what you have to say, it's not the meal itself as much as it is the time you will have their undivided attention.

Note for women who don't cook...
I can't stress the importance of a man seeing you make his meal and how that is almost as sensual as a strip tease. I mean, in essence, you get the same result...lethargy and a nap afterward :) BUT if you don't cook because you don't know how or you don't have time (another issue) then FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT! Again, a technique that works both in the kitchen and in the bedroom (smile). Buy something and heat it up. Chop something up in the kitchen like a garnish of cilantro on tacos and throw it on before serving it. Boil some water and stir a pot of water while you wait for the microwave to signal. Again, this is less about the food itself and more about the attention you can receive while even feigning your womanly duties.

For the true novices, find one recipe that you can perfect and make it once a week until it is your signature. Eggs, potatoes, a super delicious stacked sandwich can also work. It is also about presentation. If the food isn't going to taste that great, you should look great instead. Either way, capitalize on this time that he will devote to you surrounding a food experience. You know, HEAT IT UP!

The Yin has spoken

To Tax Cut or Not to Tax Cut. That is the question!

And I wish someone would just drive home the answer. NO MORE TAX CUTS! The Trickle Down has NEVER trickled down and keeping the rich rich has not been a successful strategy to date. So to all of those conservative idiocrats, get a clue! The time for the same old bi-partisan bullcocky has past. We do not want to waste one more minute on economic theories that have proved to be successful only in college macroeconomics classes. With no practical evidence, we just can't keep holding on to the dream of rich people not wanting to continue to be rich.

Tax cuts are a joke because, like the "W" stimulus plan, the money we got back that we were supposed to spend instead went to pay down debts we had accrued over the course the previous 7 years of Bushonomics. Even for those of us who can afford our homes but still sit in anticipation of losing our jobs or having our own entrepreneurial ventures fail, we might actually qualify for one of these tax cuts. We say to you, refocus the money and do not give it to us because I can guarantee, that the anti-spending message hits home much closer than it does in Washington. I, for one, will not be spending any stimulus refund money. I will be hoarding my cash as every financial advisor, coach, counselor, manager has suggested over the past six months. I can't reinvest and what is worse, there are only a few companies in which I could invest. I certainly couldn't put my money in the "market". I have already lost a significant amount of value in my 401K. "To make money you have to stay invested for the long term." Am I supposed to believe that in 20 years I am going get back to where I was in 2006? And I am supposed to be excited? NOT! In 20 years I needed that money to be doubled or tripled and keeping it in an unregulated slot machine is not my idea of a good investment strategy.

The worst thing we could do as Americans is not actually accept change. Let's try a new innovative approach. What's the worst that could happen? We end up back where we started and we try something else. Our new President is a smart guy. He has surrounded himself with smart people. He has tried to include as many perspectives as possible to ensure that he gets a balanced and equitable group of ideas helping us to solve problems. So let's just let that ball roll. Support the stimulus plan and make sure you voice your opinion to your Congressmen. We want OUT of this recessed depression! We want OUT of this lack of hope! We want OUT of the age of mistrust and distrust! We want CHANGE! We want it NOW and we want YOU to ensure it happens! To tax cuts, we say Bon Voyage! If we never see you again, it might be too soon. Maybe when we see one at a failed-ideas-of-the-past garage sale, we will feel a bit of nostalgia. But today we say, let the government rebuild our trust, our confidence and our hope for prosperity and a better future. That is the answer.

The INAUGURAL Show, "HIStory in the Making"

Despite the name, the first show of THE PLAYBOOK, covers more than what's happening in Washington. The Strategy Session addresses leadership, using President Obama as an example and works to help the local Las Vegas community understand how the vision of change will play out. This week's Blackbox Consulting half-time show addresses the legislative process and encourages people to participate in the shaping of the state budget by submitting suggestions and comments directly to the legislature. The show is rounded out with comments about personal responsibility in the shaping of the race debate. Innovative and poignant, THE PLAYBOOK invokes the wisdom of a generation and incorporates new media in the discussion of age-old issues. THE PLAYBOOK airs weekly on KCEP 88.1 FM Las Vegas. Join the hosts of the show in conversations about issues by submitting comments to the blog.

Todays Topics:

• Obama's impact
• New Leadership
• Blow da Whistle!
• Halftime Show
• 2 minute drill
• Top 10 people who did us dirty in '08
• Racial Justice Report Card