I don’t go to many movies. But I was on holidays last week and the humidity was hellacious. So I figured a couple of hours in the AC for a matinee would work. I just shouldn’t have let my wife pick the film.

I had no idea what Julie & Julia was about but it sounded harmless. But I soon realized I had been led into an estrogen ambush. No car chases; no explosions. Julie & Julia is all about cooking. The last time I cooked was that frosted raspberry pop tart back in sophomore year of college.

Adding injury to insult, the movie stars Meryl Streep. I know. Meryl Streep is a “great actress.” But there’s something about her that I just can’t stand. Maybe it’s the name. Meryl Streep. It sounds like some kind of infection to the nether regions. “Doctor, is it. . . ?”

“Yes, Ms. Smedley. I’m afraid it is. The swelling, the rash, the throbbing in your rump—you have all the classic symptoms of Meryl Streep.”

But what really burns my giblets about Meryl Streep is the phoniness. The ability to affect any accent, achieve any look, convey any emotion represents the highest form of the dramatic art. But it seems so, I don’t know, artificial and empty.

So when I hear people coming out of a film raving that “that Meryl Streep is just amazing,” I want to eat my own vomit.

My Matinee with Meryl

For the more than 20 minutes of coming attractions, I bellyached and regaled my wife with “the dingo ate my byebye.” But there was no turning back. My date with Meryl was sealed.

And you know what. I actually liked the movie. The story of Julia Child was riveting.

I’m not bringing this up to show you folks just how open-minded I am. The reason I’m sharing this with you is that I believe Julie & Julia will make me a better blogger.

If you haven’t seen it, the movie is about a 30-something government bureaucrat who starts a blog about cooking. Her premise: To complete all 525 or so recipes in the Julia Child cookbook in one year. Her story—the “Julie” of Julie & Julia—is one I found less than compelling. But I liked her approach to blogging.

In fact, I liked it so much that it inspired me to try my own version of the idea. But since I don’t cook, I’m going to use Do Diligence to offer up compliance recipes. We’ll concentrate on ergonomics, not gastronomics, tagout, not tapenade, confined spaces, rather than cassoulet. You get the idea.

I’m running long so I’ll start tomorrow. I’ll try out a recipe and we’ll see how it goes.

One more thing. If you get a chance, go see Julie & Julia. It’s a good flick and that Meryl Streep is simply amazing.