A bagel is a bread product traditionally made of yeasted wheat dough in the form of a roughly hand-sized ring which is first boiled in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bagels are often topped with seeds baked onto the outer crust with the most traditional being poppy or sesame seeds. Some have salt sprinkled on the bagel.It has become a popular bread product in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom especially in cities with large Jewish populations, such as Montreal, New York, Toronto and London, each with different ways of making the bagel.Bagels are distinct from the similarly shaped doughnuts and from the similarly textured bialys, primarily because of the cooking method amongst other differences. Russian bubliks are very similar to bagels, but are somewhat bigger, have a wider hole, and are drier and chewier. Pretzels, especially the large soft ones, are also very much like bagels, the main exceptions being the shape and the alkaline water bath that makes the surface dark and glossy.

John Mark is hiding something in this picture, but what? Is it a sharp wit? Smoldering charisma? A honey-baked ham? I'm guessing it's the latter....

Each Saturday at 1, as chicken fries in vats of oil or ham bakes in an oven, several dozen people, many of them African-American women of a certain age, come together for worship in a former auto bay. Those who gather here have traveled many roads, none of them smooth. They bring their stories with them.

The holidays. A time for joy, a time for gathering, a time for product smackdowns. So which is the better buy? A Mac mini or a festive honey baked ham? Let TUAW do the comparison work for you.

"A sandwich consisting of slices of cooked chicken or turkey, cheese (usually Swiss) and sometimes baked ham. The sandwich is dipped into beaten egg and grilled in butter until golden brown." (B)

"J"--wherever, whoever you are, I so admire your courage and discipline. 16 days of starvation to protest Sanjaya's crimes against humanity and our collective eardrums? Hit me with your address...I'm sending you a Honey-Baked Ham out of profound gratitude.