Anthony Bourdain critiques the Top Chef contestants.

As much as I hate to admit it, that was pretty much spot on.

ION, the first week of classes is over, which is a relief. But my new computer at work ate a bunch of my files and my internet at home has been spotty at best, which sucks.

I'm beginning to wonder if the new duvet I got for Christmas isn't setting off an allergic sinus reaction, since I seem to be waking up each morning with a nasty headache.

Did you wash it before you put it on the bed, Theo? Could just be some kind of chemical they use on new fabric products.

And the Astro-Boy haircut is a liability in the kitchen--where co-workers and subordinates will identify him as a fucktard from Day One.

God, I love Bourdain.

So, I got here an hour early, and it was completely useless, as predicted. Ah well. Also, now I have two televisions on stands in my (not very big) office, because they had to get out of the board room. Nice.

Ugh. mr. flea got a $140 speeding ticket last night. And I think it requires a court appearance. And he's afraid they could suspend his license - he was going over 20 mjiles over the limit (doing highway speeds on a spur to the highway, and they nabbed him when he sped up to get around a car to let a tailgating cop car pass.)

I am sorry for him, but also very annoyed. It's the first traffic ticket he's gotten in the 11 years I've known him - but! $140 we didn't need to spend! AND he was just in an accident in November. Could he please stop with the stupids? And get a job?

megan - I thought so too. And for me, the interesting thing is that despite the rather nasty stuff he says about Marcel - he also suggests that he needs to go work in the kitchen of an actual Top Chef -- it's like he's seeing good potential there. I really agreed with his assessments.

And the Astro-Boy haircut is a liability in the kitchen--where co-workers and subordinates will identify him as a fucktard from Day One.

God, I love Bourdain.

I'm currrently (finally!) reading Kitchen Confidential, and I can now accurately describe my brother, the chef, to people who ask me what he's like.

He's pretty much Anthony Bourdain, only with even more profanity. Seriously. Reading it is cracking me up, because it is spot-on Bro.

flea, that sucks.

doing highway speeds on a spur to the highway, and they nabbed him when he sped up to get around a car to let a tailgating cop car pass.)

Can he argue that in court, and maybe at least get the fine reduced?

God, I love Bourdain.

The funniest part was that he called Carlos "Alex".

Oh, ouch, flea. Ticket~ma.

Random question, that I'm sure no one knows the answer to....

You know how when you turn on a microwave oven, and you hear this noise (that I assume is some sort of cooling fan) and the noise starts out at a certain pitch and then after about three seconds it lowers in pitch and then stays at that lower pitch unless you're not heating at 100%, in which case the pitch will rise for a few seconds and then lower for a few seconds all the way through? Well, my theory is that when the sound is at the lower pitch it's because the microwave is actually cooking and soaking up some of the power that would otherwise go into the fan. And when you cook at, say, 50% power, the rising and falling of the pitch corresponds to the microwave cooking thingie being cycled off and on. Well, if my theory is correct then it seem that for the first three or so seconds when you turn a microwave on, it's not cooking (and doesn't start to cook until you hear the pitch drop). But the thing of it is, the timer is still counting down. Which may not matter much if you're heating something for five minutes, but if you're heating something for ten seconds, you're really only getting about seven seconds of heat.

I can't believe I did all this typing for this issue.

But it's still wrong that microwaves work that way.

The funniest part was that he called Carlos "Alex".

I was trying to figure out who "Alex" was!