By JAY CRIDLIN, St. Petersburg Times

Does cocktail culture frighten you? Do you panic at the sight of words like "cachaca," "absinthe" and "oregano" on a drinks menu?

It doesn't have to be that way. Every new drinker has to start somewhere. We asked around for tips on discovering and ordering new drinks.

-- Think of a drinks menu like a food menu.

Cazwell takes sexually suggestive hip-hop lyrics to a whole new level.

This, you see, is because Cazwell is gay.

Not all skin is NC-17. Some is even PG enough for the dinner table. Skins, that is. Potato skins, to be specific -- those greasy, cheesy, salty scoops of sin enveloped in tatery goodness. They're a hefty appetizer, but with a few additions, you can easily make them into a meal.

Most movie lovers hail "Animal House" as the greatest college movie of all time.

So the film's fictional Faber College should be the greatest fictional university of all time, right? Not so fast.

You won't find many Florida businesses jumping at the chance to pay tribute to BP CEO Tony Hayward, aka Gulf Oil Spill Enemy No. 1. Especially businesses on the beach.

But one beach bar is bucking that trend.

Sure, we enjoy a quick chuckle as much as the next guy, which is why we love "Saturday Night Live's" minute-long "MacGruber" sketches. But we have to admit, we're a little mystified as to how Will Forte was able to turn them into a feature-length movie.

I like Domino's Pizza. THERE, I SAID IT. I don't subscribe to the belief that you can only get quality pizza in Brooklyn or Chicago or New Haven, Conn. I subscribe to the belief that you can get it on your couch, in your underpants, in 30 flippin' minutes or less.

We've all been there: You're packing for a road trip, and you can't make up your mind.
Should I bring the birdcage or the giant foam mattress?
"Maybe I'll bring some kitchen supplies," said comic Kristen Schaal, whose unique brand of theatrical comedy makes good use of such eccentric props.

Sure, it's en vogue to cheer for the A.L. East-champion Tampa Bay Rays these days. But who was rooting for them back in the era of Wilson Alvarez and Vince Naimoli? Knobbs and the Hulkster, that's who.