I feel obligated to mention it.

 Television  No Responses »
Oct 042007
 

SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!

Hung won, as he so obviously should have. And someone apparently told him he should display some emotion, and he predictably went way too far. He screeched and jumped like this kid. But he was the best chef left in the competition (my condolences, Tre). Anyway, it was a pretty good finale. I enjoyed it, especially the twist where the awesome celebrity chefs worked as their sous. It did make me really hungry, though–I appreciated the irony of scarfing down a bag of Combos while watching artful presentations of sauteed fois gras, poached lobster, and sous-vide duck.

Also, Padma is actually much more lifelike and emotive live. I didn’t see that coming.

Anyway, I’m already excited for Season 4 (and, to a much lesser extent, for the reunion show next week). In the mean time, I’ve switched my DVR subscription to the Next Iron Chef.

 Posted by JHW at 11:15 am

Decency is not too lofty a goal.

 Etc, Life, Links  No Responses »
Oct 022007
 

Catherine has written regularly about the harassment she faces from random assholes on the street–guys cat-calling or yelling out all sorts of sexually explicit, aggressive, and violent things at her as she walks around. Her experience, sadly, is far from unusual–it happens to women all the time. It happens often enough when I’m walking with a female friend (or even in a group with both genders), at any time of day, in any populated area. I shudder to think about how it goes for women alone in sketchy areas at night. It’s not just winos in alleys (although it is them); it’s not just construction workers (them, too); it’s not just drunk teenagers and college students (although man, it seems like they comprise the gross majority of harassers); it’s dickheads from all walks of life.

If I were a woman, the prospect of being subjected to this kind of abuse (or, worse, the kind of abuse it forebodes) would scare the hell out of me. I wouldn’t feel safe. And the fact that for half of my friends and family this is not idle, hypothetical speculation–that it is, for all women, a very real problem–that really horrifies me.

Continue reading »

 Posted by JHW at 2:35 pm

All this assumes Obama’s gunning for VP.

 Politics/Law  No Responses »
Oct 022007
 

So it’s really starting to look like we’re about to have another Clinton in the White House. It’s easy to forget about how bizarre this is but every month or two I think about it again and marvel. Just think about how entertaining it will be to chronicle Bill Clinton’s constant meddlingcounseling on world affairs (not to mention his eight years of access to interns who answer to his wife). Maybe it will be a return to the good old days of economic prosperity and moral depravity.

 Posted by JHW at 2:03 pm
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