Do-it-yourself butchering

A course in carving up your own meat (though it's a tad incongruous to find this article under the NY Times Fashion and Style section).

A possible career move? Definitely not a desk job.

The program began about six months ago, but it has quickly became a darling in food circles, despite its $10,000 price tag, which just covers the costs, including practice meat, Mr. Applestone said. He said the program was intended to pass on ancient skills, not turn a profit, and has drawn interest from lawyers and a music executive interested in butchery as a second career.

But I'd need to get over the whole gore thing...

In Ryan Farr’s whole-hog classes in San Francisco, students use hacksaws and hatchets to remove hooves and brains. One volunteer in every class — lucky if you want to call it that — gets to chop off the head. "That always sort of breaks the ice," Mr. Farr said. "When you come to class, wear your rain gear and boots, because there’s going to be blood," he said.